The holiday season is upon us, and with it come changes to the Iowa City Public Library's hours and Bookmobile service schedule.
Downtown Library Holiday Hours:
Tuesday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve: Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day: Closed
Tuesday, Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day: Closed
Bookmobile Winter Service Break: The ICPL Bookmobile will be on a winter break from Saturday, Dec. 21, through Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Service will resume on Monday, Jan. 6. For the most up-to-date schedule, please visit the ICPL Bookmobile page.
Hold Pickups During the Break: If you have items on hold with the Bookmobile, no need to worry! You can pick up your holds at the Downtown Library between Dec. 23 and Jan. 5. Once the Bookmobile resumes service, your items will return to the Bookmobile and remain available until Monday, Jan. 15.
Need Assistance? If you have any questions about the status or location of your holds, we're here to help! Call us at 319-356-5200.
Stay connected and enjoy your holiday season with the Iowa City Public Library!
The Iowa City Public Library’s Winter Reading Program is underway, running from December 21 to February 15! This program is open to readers of all ages, from 3-year-olds to adults, and promises a cozy winter filled with great stories and fun challenges.
Registration is open! You can log your reading online, pick up a game card at the Library or Bookmobile, or print one from our website.
Children:Children who read and log 20 books on their reading record or through our online platform will earn a Spare Me Bowling coupon in Iowa City and a cozy hot cocoa mug (limited to one prize per child, while supplies last).
Teens and Adults:Teens and adults who read or listen to THREE books during the program period will receive a hot cocoa mug(while supplies last) and be entered into a drawing for a $50 Downtown District Gift Card.
When you're done, return your game card to the Children's Desk (for kids), the 2nd-floor Info Desk (for teens and adults), or the Bookmobile (all ages) to claim your prize.
Looking for ways to stay engaged and connected during the chilly winter months? Join the Iowa City Public Library'sWintering Together series for adults!
In-person and Zoom Opportunities
Cozy Reading Mondays: Mondays in January, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Enjoy some quiet reading and hot chocolate with us!
Fiber Arts Hangout: Last Thursday of each month, 6–8 p.m. Bring your own project and craft with us!
Book Talks: Jan. 14, 21, 28, 29, 30. Explore cozy mysteries, sci-fi, time travel, and more.
Digital Creativity Challenge: Thursday, Jan. 2, 7–8 p.m., via Zoom—kick off with ideas for the seven challenges you’ll choose from!
Creativebug Club: Wednesdays in February, 6 p.m., Meeting Room D—learn crafts and create weekly!
Garden Forums: Sunday, Jan. 12 and Feb. 9, 2–4 p.m., Room A and on Zoom—topics include Hügelkultur and pollinator micro-prairies.
Stay warm and inspired with us this winter. For full details, visit our calendar.
By the end of December, the Iowa City Public Library will no longer have books on compact disc in our collection. This decision wasn’t easy, but after years of consideration, we’ve decided to focus on providing the formats most used by our patrons.
Here’s why:
Limited Availability: Publishers no longer produce compact discs, making it difficult to maintain a current collection.
Aging Collection: Our CD collection is deteriorating, and repairs or replacements are no longer feasible.
Changing Preferences: Digital audiobooks have grown in popularity, while CD usage has significantly declined.
We have plenty of great options to keep you listening:
Libby App: Explore over 16,000 digital audiobook titles, including popular authors like Colleen Hoover, Kristin Hannah, and James Patterson. Need help getting started? Visit the Information Desk or Bookmobile, or attend a digital audiobook class.
hoopla: A digital collection with strong selections of materials in the thriller and romance genres.
Children’s Read-Alongs: Our children’s collection has hundreds of jRead-Alongs in picture books, readers, and chapter books. These books have both printed text and an attached audio reader.
Interlibrary Loan: We can borrow books on compact disc from other libraries for you.
Iowa Department for the Blind: If you have low vision, a vision disability, a physical disability, or a reading disability, you may be eligible to receive books and other materials from the Iowa Department for the Blind. Contact the Iowa Department for the Blind at 1-800-362-2587, option 2 to learn more about their services.
For more information about your options for listening to books, please contact the Library through Ask a Librarian or call us at 319-356-5200.
Read our full blog post to learn more about this transition and how we can support your audiobook needs.
