Our reference staff has created these easy to follow instructions for using your new e-Reader with the Library! Follow our easy directions below for your type of eReader. If you don’t see your eReader on the list, follow the directions for the Nook and Sony readers.
Did you get a new e-reader this holiday season? The Cedar Rapids Public Library has hundreds of ebooks available to card holders. Attend one of our upcoming Library E-Book Informational Sessions and learn how easy it is to access our titles for your new device!
Classes will be offered Thursday, January 12 at 3:00 pm and Friday, January 20 at 10:00 am. Computer experience is necessary but you do not need to bring your e-reader to participate.
Register on our website at www.crlibrary.org and clicking the EVENTS tab, or call (319) 398-5123 for more information.
The Cedar Rapids Public Library is partnering with the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center to host a blood drive Wednesday, December 21, from 10 am – 2 pm, at the CRPL West.
There is a significant, ongoing need for blood donations to save lives in our community. Most people will require a blood transfusion at some point in their lives. To meet patient needs for blood and blood components, the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center requires more than 2,000 donations from volunteer blood donors every week. And every year, those donations are used to help more than 200,000 patients in their recovery from illness or injury. The Cedar Rapids Public Library invite you to register and help save a life through your donation. Walk-ins are welcome but registration is requested.
Register at http://bit.ly/winterblooddrive or call (319) 398-5123 for more information.
The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites veterans, family and friends to an Open House from 11 am to 1 pm at CRPL West on Friday, November 11. 
The Library will thank each veteran with a special gift. Artist Amy Ackman has donated framed prints of the image in this post to be given to each of the veterans who join us for the Open House.
Donald Tyne from the Linn County Veterans Affairs Office will present information about services available for veterans. Refreshments will be served.
There is no cost to attend and the event is open to everyone. Join us in celebrating our veterans and thanking them for their service.
Arts and crafts aren’t just for kids! The Cedar Rapids Public Library offers a monthly arts and crafts program called “open studio” on the first Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8 pm. Open studio is designed specifically for adults (participants must be 14 to attend). Each month a different project is presented for up to 25 individuals. Projects range from Macrame (November 2) to Fancy Gift Wrap (December 6). There is no cost to attend and participants typically leave the program with a finished piece.
Registration for open studio is open to anyone on our website (click here for November 2) through our event calendar. Sign up and come join us for some fun, friendship and, of course, arts and crafts!
The Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library this month celebrate 40 years of service in the community. For the past 40 years, the Friends have committed countless hours and dollars to their mission: The Friends supports the Cedar Rapids Public Library services and programs, promotes literacy through outreach programs that encourage and enhance reading throughout the community and conducts fundraising activities to assist with library and outreach projects.
It was 1971 when the 15 charter members of the Friends announced their intention to support and encourage library growth. The first Book Sale in 1973 made the public aware of the group and brought in financial support to the library in a time of challenges. In 1974, the book sale netted over $1,700 to finance programs and purchases on the library’s behalf. More than 600 active members of the Friends participated in programs throughout the year.
Just three years into existence, the Friends numbered over 950 members and had raised more than $10,000 for the library. This amazing start to the organization is something to remember, but the group hasn’t stopped yet. In 2011, the Friends pledged $400,000 to the new library project campaign, Library 3.0. In addition to this financian gift, the Friends give annually to support library programs (such as Jazz in the Stacks), and a number of literacy initiatives within the community:
For forty years, the Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library have made it possible for so many programs, for necessary equipment, and even additional staff hours when needed. They have offered help, support and encouragement. We thank them for their continued support and encouragement and look forward to another forty years together.
To learn about becoming a Friend of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, visit www.crlibrary.org/friends.
The annual Fall Book Sale will be held this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the former Stuff Etc. building at 3750 Williams Blvd SW. This is an amazing opportunity to show your support to the Friends and get some great deals on books.
Friday, October 28, 5 pm – 9 pm, $5 per person,$2 hard cover, $1 paperbacks
Pre-Sale, Friday, October 28, 3:30 – 5 pm, $20, Rare and Collectible books only 3:30 – 4:30 pm, all books 4:30 – 5:00 pm.
Saturday, October 29, 9 am – 5 pm, $3 per person, $1 hard cover, $.50 paperbacks
Sunday, October 30, 12 pm – 4 pm FREE admission
Box Sale: $8 per box on Sunday
Adding ebooks to the Amazon Kindle is finally available and really easy to do! OverDrive has put together this easy to follow video to help get you started.
The inaugural Inside Outevent held September 9 with bestselling author and celebrity chef Alton Brown raised more than $22,000 for the Library 3.0
Alton Brown holds up a Metro Library Network library card.
Campaign.
Alton Brown, host of Food Network’s “Good Eats” and commentator on “Iron Chef America” spoke to a sold-out crowd of 550 people at Theatre Cedar Rapids. A pre-show cocktail reception for 75 was held prior to the event for an additional fee.
The Inside Out series is a new event presented by the Cedar Rapids Public Library and sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation. The series is designed to introduce the community to remarkable celebrity authors, attract a varied audience, and increase awareness and support for the Library.
In conjunction with Inside Out with Alton Brown, the Cedar Rapids Public Library partnered with the Hiawatha Public Library and Marion Public Library to raise awareness of hunger in our community through Food for Fines, held September 3 – 9. Library patrons were invited to donate one non-perishable food item in exchange for $1 off their current library fines, up to $20. Food for Fines raised more than 2500 pounds of food which was donated to the HACAP Food Reservoir.
For more information on the Cedar Rapids Public Library visit www.crlibrary.org or call (319) 398-5123. For information on the Library 3.0 Campaign, visit www.crlibrarycampaign.org.
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Family friendly website and newsletter Macaroni Kid Cedar Rapids is partnering with the Cedar Rapids Public Library to bring for the first ever National 
Halloween Costume Swap on Sunday, October 2 from 1 pm – 4 pm.
Drop off your gently used and clean costumes (up to kids size 14) at the Cedar Rapids Public Library at Westdale on Tuesday, September 27th and Wednesday, September 28th, from 4:00-7:00. In exchange for your costume(s) you will be give a Swap Ticket to be brought back for the event on October 2nd from 1:00-4:00 pm. Costumes will also be available for sale from 3:00-4:00 pm for a small fee. Proceeds from the sales will benefit the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Remaining costumes will be donated to Costumes for Kids, a local organization that donates costumes to less fortunate kids within the community.
A costume swap is recycling at its most fun. Kids get new-to-them costumes and parents save money and the planet. Through the efforts of the grassroots, non-profit known as Green Halloween, families in the area are being invited to take a greener approach to Halloween. Something as simple as a costume swap does make a difference. In fact, statistics show that swapping the costumes of only half of the children who celebrate Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equivalent to the weight of 2500 midsize cars.
The first 100 participants to drop off their gently used costumes will receive a Swag Bag full of goodies from local businesses.
WHAT: National Halloween Costume Swap
WHEN: October 2, 1 pm – 4 pm
Costume Drop Off: September 27 and 28, 4 – 7 pm at CRPL West
WHERE: CRPL West, 2600 Edgewood Rd. SW Suite 330, Cedar Rapids
WHO: Everyone!
For more information on the Cedar Rapids Public Library visit www.crlibrary.org or call (319) 398-5123.
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About Macaroni Kid:
Macaroni Kid has been going strong in Cedar Rapids and surrounding area since October 2010. Macaroni Kid is a free weekly e-newsletter and website that highlights all of the great things for kids and their families to do in our community. With reaching over 12,000 page views monthly and close to 1000 subscribers, the site is quickly approaching the one year mark for keeping the parents in the area “in-the-know” for weekly kid and family events and activities.
Parents in the area can sign up to receive their weekly newsletter by visiting www.macaronikid.com and selecting Cedar Rapids from the drop down list or by visiting www.cedarrapids.macaronikid.com. In addition to the events in the area, we’ll be bringing reviews and insights about events and activities in Cedar Rapids, as well as featuring informative articles, recipes, and crafts.
Macaroni Kid Iowa City started publication in July 2011 and is also quickly becoming a great resource for families in Iowa City and surrounding areas.
The Cedar Rapids Public Library today launches a new website and mobile site designed to be more user-friendly and match the new brand. (www.crlibrary.org)
“We offer so many resources through our website, such as our downloadable ebooks and audiobooks, and our wide variety of research databases,” said Amber Mussman, CRPL Public Information Officer. “We know how important it is to make sure our customer experience online is as positive as the one in the Library itself.”
The new website features a colorful design with easy access to what users are most often looking for – the online catalog, how to get a library card, how to renew online, and what events are happening at the Library.
Developed by Informatics Inc., the website incorporates a new “What’s New at the Library” feature which displays newly added items in the Library’s collection.
A new mobile site launches in conjunction with the new website, offering the growing number of mobile users an opportunity to take full advantage of the Library’s website.
This is the latest step in the rebranding process at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. A new logo was launched recently and a campaign to raise awareness is underway.
For more information on the Cedar Rapids Public Library, visit www.crlibrary.org or call (319) 398-5123.
