Create a gorgeous piece of jewelry around your favorite fandom.
Summer Reading Program
Color our world this summer
May 27 - August 9, 2025
Stay busy this summer reading and attending events!
Available to readers of all ages and abilities, babies through adults. Participants will receive a gamecard to track their summer reading goals.
Prizes available starting Monday, June 9, 2025. Children's prizes include gift certificates for Blank Park Zoo and the Iowa Children's Museum as well as a free book! Adults and teens can get a coupon for a free book at The Book End bookstore and be entered into the grand prize drawings for a downtown gift card.
If you have time for a quick question, let us know how did you hear about the summer reading program?
Downloads
Resources
- Watch past programs on The Library Channel
- Learn how to log books with Beanstack's mobile app
Sponsors
A big thank you to the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation for sponsoring the prizes!
Color your world!
Upcoming Events
All library patrons, regardless of age or neurodiversity can participate in our Summer Reading Programs. We will be happy to customize reading programs and activities to meet the individual needs of our patrons. Please contact Angela Pilkington for more information.
Upcoming events
Monday, June 23, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A
Back by popular demand, we'll have two very special guests for teens to meet and greet. Earl and Bootleg Benny will be here in all their llama glory as well as their human, Kahle who will be dispensing information about Prairie Patch Farms as...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Design your own shoes with Sharpies. Express yourself with your own personalized kicks. Registration is required as we need to know the participants shoe size.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Mireu Martial Arts provides...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
Stacey will show us how to create beautiful butterflies out of a name or word.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 7:00pm
Zoom
The Iowa Writers Workshop began at the University of Iowa in 1936 and has produced many well known writers. In the last 80 years there are hundreds of published works by graduates of the Workshop in a wide range of genre. Pick some of your favorites...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
As part of our Next Gen Land Steward program, participants will learn about water quality and tests that scientists use to understand which chemicals our waterways contain. Spend an afternoon down by the creek and learn about testing water quality....
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Color our world, and celebrate diverse cultures from around the globe! Every Wednesday during our Summer Reading Program, elementary-age kids are invited to join us for a new event where they can explore and experience unique cultures and traditions...
Monday, June 23, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Create a gorgeous piece of jewelry around your favorite fandom.
Monday, June 23, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A
Back by popular demand, we'll have two very special guests for teens to meet and greet. Earl and Bootleg Benny will be here in all their llama glory as well as their human, Kahle who will be dispensing information about Prairie Patch Farms as...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Design your own shoes with Sharpies. Express yourself with your own personalized kicks. Registration is required as we need to know the participants shoe size.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Mireu Martial Arts provides...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
Stacey will show us how to create beautiful butterflies out of a name or word.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 7:00pm
Zoom
The Iowa Writers Workshop began at the University of Iowa in 1936 and has produced many well known writers. In the last 80 years there are hundreds of published works by graduates of the Workshop in a wide range of genre. Pick some of your favorites...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
As part of our Next Gen Land Steward program, participants will learn about water quality and tests that scientists use to understand which chemicals our waterways contain. Spend an afternoon down by the creek and learn about testing water quality....
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Color our world, and celebrate diverse cultures from around the globe! Every Wednesday during our Summer Reading Program, elementary-age kids are invited to join us for a new event where they can explore and experience unique cultures and traditions...
Sunday, July 13, 2025 - 12:30pm
Digital Media Lab
For this 4-part series of workshops, we will explore tabletop game design! These are no-experience-required workshops that introduce attendees to making games with cards, dice, tokens, boards, or in the mind with plenty of rules! Part 4: Writing...
Monday, July 14, 2025 - 6:30pm
Digital Media Lab
Let’s play with photo coloring in Photoshop! - Try its AI-powered colorizing feature for vintage photos - Learn how to start with a modern color photo and make everything black and white except for the main subject Please bring digital photos you...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 7:00pm
Zoom
Join us for ICPL's Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club! We will meet via Zoom to discuss "Some Desperate Glory" by Emily Tesh. Feel free to join us, whether or not you've finished the book! Borrow a copy of the book from ICPL or place a hold at search.icpl.org...
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Kathy and other volunteers from our local K9 Ambassador program, sponsored by the lowa City Dog Obedience Club, will use handpicked dogs to help teach attendees about dog safety and etiquette. Following an educational presentation, enjoy tricks and...
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - 6:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Do you have a hard time choosing clothing because you're not sure what colors look good on you? Do you know if your skin tone has warm or cool undertones, or what that means? Learn how the basics of color theory can help you choose colors and...
Monday, July 21, 2025 - 6:30pm
Meeting Room A
Here’s a craft you’ve been “dyeing” to try! We’ll use Kool-Aid to dye wool yarn in this fun, hands-on workshop. You'll leave with around 50 yards of yarn in a one-of-a-kind color. There will be down time as part of the process, so feel free to...
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - 7:00pm
Zoom
Reading a book that has been translated from its original langue gives the reader a way to experience places we may never go and introduce us to stories, cultural perspectives, traditions, and styles of storytelling that are new and unique. Check...
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Get hands-on with exciting science experiments led by the UI Science Booster Club! All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities, offering an inclusive, lower-...
Saturday, July 26, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Are you a dissectologist? Do you love jigsaw puzzles? Join ICPL's Summer Puzzle Palooza - a two-part Puzzle-centric event for adults. Part 1: The Puzzle Swap Doors open at 1:00pm. You're invited to bring up to 3 boxed puzzles ready to be...
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Create your own unique, colorful bouquet of local blooms when Kara Krapfl of Lovely Bunches Farm teaches us the thoughtful, meditative art of flower arranging. All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
We’ll follow along with Creativebug to make these hanging mushroom ornaments.
Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
The Bike Library is an organization that empowers people to make bicycling a primary form of transportation in our community. Dustin, Bike Library youth coordinator person will be here to answer your biking questions and show you how to fix a flat.
Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 6:00pm
Digital Media Lab
Do you knit, crochet, spin, punch needle, embroider or do some other fiber arts activity? Bring your current work in progress and join us the last Thursday of each month for an evening of conversation and group crafting. Whether you're...
Friday, June 27, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Charlotte Hilker will be leading a philosophy class aimed at increasing cognitive ability, enhancing social skills and supporting emotional well-being. Oh, and it’ll be really fun! This is a series, but you're welcome to attend one or all...
Sunday, June 29, 2025 - 12:30pm
Digital Media Lab
For this 4-part series of workshops, we will explore tabletop game design! These are no-experience-required workshops that introduce attendees to making games with cards, dice, tokens, boards, or in the mind with plenty of rules! Part 3: Game boards...
Monday, June 30, 2025 - 6:30pm
Digital Media Lab
Bring in a couple of your paperback books with misleading or unpleasant cover designs, and we'll create custom book jackets! After measuring your book, we'll use Canva to make a template you can fill with their clip art, background images you find...
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
All supplies will be provided to create a firework painting just in time for Independence Day.
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Johnson County Ambulance will have qualified staff to cover ‘hands only’ CPR, AED instruction, stop the bleed, Narcan administration and an overview of the PulsePoint app. This will not result in certification. This program is a repeat of the June...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Known for her vibrant paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis' iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. In addition to creating paintings for sale, Lewis also covered the inside of her 100-square-foot tiny home with...
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Add some flair to your room or a community space. This simple build will allows you to showcase 3D objects to wow your friends.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Mark Capron, recent inductee into...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Color our world, and celebrate diverse cultures from around the globe! Every Wednesday during our Summer Reading Program, elementary-age kids are invited to join us for a new event where they can explore and experience unique cultures and traditions...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Known for her vibrant paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis' iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. In addition to creating paintings for sale, Lewis also covered the inside of her 100-square-foot tiny home with...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 4:00pm
Storytime Room
Calling all science lovers in 3rd-6th grade! Every Wednesday from June 11 - July 16, join West High students Flora and Tina for hands-on activities about physics, the scientific study of matter and energy. Figure out how gravity works, experiment...
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Join Mike Schneider as he takes you on a musical, magical, and humorous journey around the world! Uncle Mike's music will have all ages singing, clapping, and dancing along to such polka-fied classics. But this program is so much more than just...
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Join Mike Schneider as he takes you on a musical, magical, and humorous journey around the world! Uncle Mike's music will have all ages singing, clapping, and dancing along to such polka-fied classics. But this program is so much more than just...
Thursday, July 3, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Celebrate Disability Pride Month by learning about the life of Judith Scott, a renowned fiber sculptor who was Deaf and had Down Syndrome, then making a variety of fiber art pieces. We'll weave and wrap, cut and twist to create stunning art...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Have you ever wanted to tell a...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Color our world, and celebrate diverse cultures from around the globe! Every Wednesday during our Summer Reading Program, elementary-age kids are invited to join us for a new event where they can explore and experience unique cultures and traditions...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Casey leads ukulele music, singing, instruments, and movement. All Abilities Club programs are designed for those who are neurodivergent, or who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities, offering an inclusive, lower-stimulation, and...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow, graceful movements with deep breathing and meditation. It originated as a martial art but has evolved into a holistic exercise known for its health benefits. In this beginner-friendly...
Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Lindsay McDermott is a local reptile enthusiast who has a passion for sharing reptiles/invertebrates with children and families. Today she will bring several of her various lizards, snakes, arachnids and more to the library to get up close and...
Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Lindsay McDermott is a local reptile enthusiast who has a passion for sharing reptiles/invertebrates with children and families. Today she will bring several of her various lizards, snakes, arachnids and more to the library to get up close and...
Friday, June 27, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Monday, June 30, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Monday, June 30, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A
Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today to test your Disney knowledge! 暑期周一活动日：迪斯尼知识问答
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit about a fun skill or hobby that maybe they haven’t tried before! We have experts from the community here to teach you the basics! Mark Capron, recent inductee into...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 10:30am
Storytime Room
Join us in the Storytime Room for Summer Storytime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am. The Storytime librarian will vary each week, and every day is open to all ages! Catch the all-ages Thrilling Thursday programs...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Color our world, and celebrate diverse cultures from around the globe! Every Wednesday during our Summer Reading Program, elementary-age kids are invited to join us for a new event where they can explore and experience unique cultures and traditions...