Join us for ABC Day on the Ped Mall on Saturday, June 4, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. for our annual kickoff event for the summer during the Iowa Arts Festival. Produced by the Iowa City Public Library, ABC’s: Arts, Books & Children is a feast for kids and kids-at-heart! Activities are spread along the Ped Mall, featuring Paint the Town, life-size games, music, art, and more! This is a great time to sign up for the Summer Reading Program as well!
Artists performing include Magician Mikayla Oz, Champagne Irish Dancers, Scrap Metal Band, The Wilted, Liberty High Free Strings, and dancers from Life's A Stage! Find out more about all of the weekend's festivities at the Summer of the Arts website.
You can now use your library card to check out an “Adventure Pass.” The pass gives two adults and two children free access to several Iowa attractions and museums, such as the Blank Park Zoo, the Figge Art Museum, or the Science Center of Iowa.
To reserve an Adventure Pass, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Iowa City, Hills, Lone Tree, University Heights, or rural Johnson County. You will need an unexpired Iowa City Public Library card with no billed items, and have fees less than $10. You'll also need a valid photo ID to access the venue.
You can reserve one pass per venue every 365 days.
The ICPL Summer Reading Program has officially started! All ages can register to receive a gamecard to track their summer reading goals! Kids can receive a camp ICPL t-shirt for reaching a reading goal, and all ages can choose a prize book once completed. The summer is the busiest time of year at the Library, so we offer fun and educational programming for all ages every single day! Every household in Iowa City received a program guide in the mail this month with details about daily programming for kids, teens, and adults. Be sure to keep that guide or visit icpl.org/srp to learn more.
In the summertime, we add more programming focused for elementary-age kids, so our Storytime schedule does change. Catch an all-ages storytime at one of our Stories in the Park locations at 10:30 a.m. most days of the week: on Mondays at Willowcreek Park, Tuesdays downtown on the Ped Mall, Wednesdays at Wetherby Park, and Fridays at Mercer Park.
Be sure to catch special all-ages performances at the Library on Thursdays at either 10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. with a variety of musicians, magicians, animal programs and more!
Totally Tweens will be at 4 p.m. on Thursdays which are programs aimed at independent learners in 3rd-6th grade.
Book Babies will take place at the Library at 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Family Storytime will be offered at the Libray at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
Elementary-age children can find a fun program each day at the Library at 1 p.m.
Friday Flicks: Watch a movie (all movies are rated either G or PG). All ages welcome!
Kick off the second year of our BookWalk with special guest, Jennifer Black Reinhardt! Meet local author and illustrator, Jennifer, as she reads her book "Blue Ethel." Walk and read to find what happens when Ethel the cat turns blue and must learn to adapt to this change. We will have chalk art, bubbles, and a seek and find to entertain the family as you follow the path and read "Blue Ethel" on our newest BookWalk installation!
Iowa City Public Library, in collaboration with the Library’s Friends Foundation and Iowa City Parks & Recreation bring to Iowa City a brand new, BookWalk installation each month in Willow Creek Park, located at 1117 Teg Drive. BookWalk is an interactive way for readers of all ages to enjoy storytime and the outdoors.
