The Iowa City Public Library will have adjusted hours during the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26, closed on Thursday, November 27, and open again from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, November 28. While planning your visits to the Library, please also take note of upcoming Bookmobile closures during the holiday season.
Please note the following dates when the Bookmobile will not be in service:
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 (Veterans Day)
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 (Thanksgiving Eve)
Thursday, November 27, 2025 (Thanksgiving)
Friday, November 28, 2025 (Day after Thanksgiving)
Friday, December 12, 2025 (Inservice Day)
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 (Christmas Eve)
Thursday, December 25, 2025 (Christmas Day)
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 (New Year’s Eve)
Thursday, January 1, 2026 (New Year’s Day)
To stay up to date on the Bookmobile schedule and get information about regular stops, visit icpl.org/bookmobile. You can find the latest updates, route information, and other resources to enhance your Bookmobile experience.
Even when the Library and Bookmobile are closed, online services are available 24/7 at icpl.org/digital. Access your account, read eBooks, listen to eAudiobooks, browse eMagazines, stream films with Kanopy, or explore The New York Times from anywhere.
Don’t toss your Jack-O-Lanterns in the garbage--see them tossed from up high instead! This free outdoor event gives your carved creations one last hurrah for the Halloween season. ICM staff will be throwing pumpkins off the northwest corner of the parking ramp next to Chauncey Swan Park. Drop off your ghoulish gourd and set up your blanket or lawn chairs nearby to get the best view. Come for the splats, but stay for outdoor activities. Iowa City Public Library Bookmobile will be there with a fun pumpkin art project.
How It Works Pumpkin drop-off will start at 9:15 a.m. in Chauncey Swan Park on Saturday, November 1. Activities will begin around 9:30 a.m. Pumpkin splats will start at 10 a.m. All pumpkins will be dropped by our team.
Prep Your Pumpkin Pumpkins must be gutted (this is Jack Splat, not Jack Thud). Please remove candles, artificial lighting, or any other decorations that are in or attached to the pumpkin. This includes stickers, ribbons, and remnants of candle wax inside. We compost Jack Splat pumpkins. Pumpkins that have been painted or coated with glitter or a preserving sealant should not be added to a compost pile. We reserve the right to reject your pumpkin if it does not meet our Jack Splat standards.
Other cities have started audiobook walking clubs, so let’s see what it’s like. Put an e-audiobook on your device, get on your walking shoes, and join us at Terry Trueblood starting at 10 a.m.
Most of the time will be spent walking silently among others while you listen to your own audiobook on headphones. Each of us will stroll at our own comfortable pace. At the beginning and end of the event, the headphones will come off and you are encouraged to chat with others about what you are reading and swap recommendations.
We will meet at the ICPL Bookmobile parked in the lot to the northeast of the lake. The paved loop at Terry Trueblood is approximately two miles long among prairie plantings and trees around the lake, but you are welcome to walk as far as you want and double back for a shorter walk. If you think of it, bring your own travel mug to fill at the ICPL Bookmobile at the end of the loop. We will have coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to warm you up in the Bookmobile as well as a full browsing collection of books and movies available for checkout on board. Bring any questions to our library staff on the Bookmobile or just stop in to explore and learn.
New to e-audiobooks? No problem. Visit the Library or Bookmobile before our walk for support accessing Libby or Hoopla with your Library card.
Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, we think you will find something to enjoy in this outing.
Registration is optional if you would like to receive an email reminder.
Note: In the case of inclement weather, the event will be canceled and not rescheduled. Cross your fingers.
What is the Bookmobile? The Bookmobile is a mobile library service from the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL). In addition to a collection of new and popular books and DVDs on the Bookmobile, you can check out anything from ICPL’s collection by placing a hold and requesting pickup at the Bookmobile.
Can I pick up holds and ILLs at the Bookmobile? Anyone with an ICPL Library card can check out materials at the Iowa City Public Library Bookmobile. When you ask for a hold or Interlibrary Loan, let us know you would like to pick it up at the Bookmobile.
Can I pick up holds for someone else? Yes. Please bring their Library card with you. Also, when placing the hold, choose the Bookmobile as the pickup location.
How do I get a Library card? You can register for a Library card online.
How do I return books? You can return your books at any of the Bookmobile’s weekly stops, at any of our remote bookdrops, or downtown at the Iowa City Public Library.
Where do I find schedule updates? Bookmobile service will occasionally be interrupted by holidays and inclement weather. For the most up-to-date information, look at our daily schedule on this web page.
Renowned neurosurgeon and journalist Sanjay Gupta takes on one of the most common and misunderstood human experiences: chronic pain. In It Doesn’t Have to Hurt, Gupta offers a comprehensive, hopeful guide that blends cutting-edge neuroscience with practical, everyday strategies for relief. From the science of how the brain processes pain to the benefits of sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness, Gupta encourages readers to see pain not as an inevitable burden but as something that can be managed and even transformed. This book stands out for its clear explanations and empowering message that healing begins with understanding and that we have more control than we think.
In this quietly powerful novel, Swedish author Lisa Ridzén captures the fragile beauty of aging, memory, and love through the story of Bo, an elderly man facing the slow unraveling of his independence. His loyal dog, Sixten, is his last companion until his estranged son decides it’s time to take him away. This simple conflict opens a floodgate of reflection, regret, and tenderness. When the Cranes Fly South is a meditation on what it means to hold on and when to let go, rendered in spare, poetic prose that lingers long after the final page. A deeply moving read for anyone who has ever loved, lost, or simply tried to make peace with the passage of time.
This reimagined version of the late 1990s slasher classic delivers a fresh dose of suspense and nostalgia. When five friends accidentally cause a fatal car crash, they make a fateful choice to conceal the truth only to discover a year later that secrets never stay buried. A mysterious figure begins stalking them, forcing the group to confront both their guilt and their past. With sharp direction, moody cinematography, and a modern twist that ties back to the Southport massacre of 1997, this update balances psychological tension with classic horror thrills. Perfect for fans of smart, stylish scares that explore the haunting weight of conscience.
