In celebration of UNESCO’s International Jazz Day, John Rapson, director of the jazz studies program in the University of Iowa School of Music, will discuss his multimedia jazz production “Hot Tamale Louie” as part of a free event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 30.

Rapson and collaborators created the musical performance based on a New Yorker article about an Afghani man who left his home near the Khyber Pass, wandered through India, and ended up years later in Sheridan, Wyoming. The Jazz Day program will take place on Monday, April 30, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library. It is presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization in partnership with the library.

The event is one of hundreds that will be held around the world on April 30 in celebration of International Jazz Day. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, and Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, announced the program for the main International Jazz Day event in St. Petersburg, Russia, this year’s Global Host City. A series of educational and outreach programs will culminate in an extraordinary all-star concert at the historic Mariinsky Theatre, an event which will be streamed live worldwide.

Celebrations will also take place in other cities across the Russian Federation and in more than 190 countries worldwide to mark the day, which was established by UNESCO in coordination with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in 2011, recognizing the role of jazz in promoting freedom, creativity and intercultural dialogue, uniting people from all corners of the globe.

The Iowa City Public Library’s Art Advisory Committee is looking for new members.

The Committee is made up of six members and terms run for three years. Candidates must reside in Iowa City or rural Johnson County, and are appointed to the Committee by the Library Board. Library employees are not eligible for appointment. Ideal candidates are individuals involved and interested in the arts community in some way — artists, framers, instructors, students, gallery employees, collectors and serious enthusiasts.

One of the primary responsibilities of the Art Advisory Committee is the judging of artworks submitted to the annual Art Purchase Prize contest, with the winning works being purchased by the Library and added to the Art To Go collection. The framed posters and original works are available for check out. Other tasks include reviewing and deciding upon any gifted works for Art To Go, as well as any proposals for art to be added to the Library’s permanent collection.

Interested persons must fill out an application (available here) and return it, in person or via email, to Candice Smith.

For more information, call the Library at 319-356-5200.

Saturday morning cartoons are so much fun, we decided to start them on Friday afternoon!

April 20 is a no school day, so the Iowa City Public Library will help teens kick off the long weekend with a Cartoons and Cereal Celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Teen Center. Fans of “Steven Universe,” “Teen Titans Go,” “Rick & Morty” and more are invited to come get lazy in the Library with cartoon treats and a smorgasbord of sugary eats. Pajamas and pillows are encouraged!

Teen programs are for students in seventh through 12th grades. For more information, contact the Library at 319-356-5200.

Have you checked out our new Staff Picks webpage? It's where ICPL staff share the recent books they read -- as well as music listened to and the movies watched. When you don't know what to read next, our Staff Picks is a great place to start!

Here are a few books Library staff read and loved. Give one, or more, a try!

Brian can't stop talking about Emergency Contact by Mary H. Choi. "I haven't been this invested in a fictional couple for quite a while. Also, I'm still not over how gorgeous the cover is."

Meredith says What You Don't Know About Charlie Outlaw by Leah Stewart " ... successfully weaves together the stories of two actors -- one up-and-coming who is trying to hide from the world after a disastrous Vanity Fair interview and the other, his ex-girlfriend (thanks to said disastrous interview), who is on the downside of fame."

Brent recommends Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. "If you liked Lucy Barton, read this one. You find out more about all the characters from Lucy Barton. But I just love how you first see a character through the eyes of another, then you later find out more about that character's story."