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...
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
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Wednesday, July 9, 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 10, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Clever Lyrics. Superb Music. Outrageous Fun for All Ages. With his guitar, tap shoes, and distinct baritone, Duke Otherwise sings his hilarious and imaginative songs for all ages to delight in together. Duke is a playful Wordsmith. A spirited...
Thursday, July 10, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Everything is better teeny! Compete for the cutest clay creation ever. We’ll have a series of challenges and winner gets a teeny clay trophy.
Thursday, July 10, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Clever Lyrics. Superb Music. Outrageous Fun for All Ages. With his guitar, tap shoes, and distinct baritone, Duke Otherwise sings his hilarious and imaginative songs for all ages to delight in together. Duke is a playful Wordsmith. A spirited...
Thursday, July 10, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Roughly translated as "cuteness," kawaii describes the Japanese cultural trend of celebrating all things tiny and adorable. Join children's librarian Casey for a tutorial and experiment with drawing your favorite Pokemon characters...
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's 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...
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 1:00pm
Storytime Room
Shy girl Ruby Gillman learns that she comes from a fabled royal family of legendary sea krakens and that her destiny lies in the depths of the waters, which is bigger than she could have ever imagined. Take a break from the summer sun and join us...
Friday, July 11, 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...
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
Are you bonkers for brachiosaurus, terrified by T-Rex or all out fanatical for dinosaurs? Then you’re in good company because Madison is here to share her passion for everything dinosaur. Solve puzzles, play games, make art. It’ll be a blast! You...
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, July 9, 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 10, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Clever Lyrics. Superb Music. Outrageous Fun for All Ages. With his guitar, tap shoes, and distinct baritone, Duke Otherwise sings his hilarious and imaginative songs for all ages to delight in together. Duke is a playful Wordsmith. A spirited...
Thursday, July 10, 2025 - 1:00pm
Teen Center
Everything is better teeny! Compete for the cutest clay creation ever. We’ll have a series of challenges and winner gets a teeny clay trophy.
Thursday, July 10, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Clever Lyrics. Superb Music. Outrageous Fun for All Ages. With his guitar, tap shoes, and distinct baritone, Duke Otherwise sings his hilarious and imaginative songs for all ages to delight in together. Duke is a playful Wordsmith. A spirited...
Thursday, July 10, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Roughly translated as "cuteness," kawaii describes the Japanese cultural trend of celebrating all things tiny and adorable. Join children's librarian Casey for a tutorial and experiment with drawing your favorite Pokemon characters...
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's 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...
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 1:00pm
Storytime Room
Shy girl Ruby Gillman learns that she comes from a fabled royal family of legendary sea krakens and that her destiny lies in the depths of the waters, which is bigger than she could have ever imagined. Take a break from the summer sun and join us...
Friday, July 11, 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...
Friday, July 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
Teen Center
Are you bonkers for brachiosaurus, terrified by T-Rex or all out fanatical for dinosaurs? Then you’re in good company because Madison is here to share her passion for everything dinosaur. Solve puzzles, play games, make art. It’ll be a blast! You...
There are no upcoming events.
- ‹ prev
- 3 of 3
There are no upcoming events.
- ‹ prev
- 4 of 4
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...
Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
This is a storytime, a dance class, and dress-up fun all in one! Dance Me a Story ties together ballet performances and the literature that inspires the choreography. Emily Kate from Ballet QC will read a story and explore and teach the dance...
Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Come learn about some of Iowa's largest birds and even meet a couple! Joan and other volunteers from Raptology will bring some birds of prey and talk about their habitat, diet, size and any other questions you bring about owls, falcons,...
Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Kathy and other volunteers from the 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...
Friday, August 1, 2025 - 1:00pm
Storytime Room
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley, just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, who’ve...
Tuesday, August 5, 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! For our last How-To Tuesday of...
Wednesday, August 6, 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, August 6, 2025 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
We’ll start with a dance party, including following along to “Just Dance” choreography on the big screen; then shift gears way down with some relaxing, sensory craft stations, including play-doh, coloring, and scratch art. All Abilities Club...
Thursday, August 7, 2025 - 10:00am
Wetherby Park
All good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go out with splash…or blast! Join us anytime between 10am-12pm at Wetherby Park (2400 Taylor Dr, Iowa City, IA) outdoor area to play with bubbles, experience a mega foam blaster...
Thursday, August 7, 2025 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Create a sparkling, mosaic-like keychain by following a pattern to place tiny rhinestones.
Monday, July 21, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A
Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today to play BINGO! 暑期周一活动日：宾果游戏
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's 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 22, 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! Learn a few easy stitches that...
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's 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 23, 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 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-...
Thursday, July 24, 2025 - 10:00am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Get up close and hands-on with a variety of exotic animals with Wild Times Exotics. Wild Times Exotics is a fully licensed and insured Zoo to You program visiting ICPL for the first time! Zoo expert Lacey offers a hands on approach to animal...
Thursday, July 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Get up close and hands-on with a variety of exotic animals with Wild Times Exotics. Wild Times Exotics is a fully licensed and insured Zoo to You program visiting ICPL for the first time! Zoo expert Lacey offers a hands on approach to animal...
Friday, July 25, 2025 - 10:30am
Children's 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...
Friday, July 25, 2025 - 1:00pm
Storytime Room
Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they've faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, they seek out an unlikely alliance to stop Shadow and protect the planet...