Summer Reading Program

Bright and colorful icons like a rainbox, books, balloon, paintbrushes surrounding Summer Reading Program text

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.

Track your reading online

If you have time for a quick question, let us know how did you hear about the summer reading program?

Downloads

Resources

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

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...

Teens Science & Technology
adult day camp

Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 10:00am

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C, Meeting Room D

Calling all nostalgic & fun grown-ups! Have you ever wished you could go back to summer camp? Here's your chance! Spend the day at the ICPL Adult Day Camp. Your counselors Beth, Candice, and Stacey will lead you through a bunch of fun...

Adults Arts & Crafting

Saturday, July 12, 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...

Kids Families Storytimes

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: Telling a...

Adults Teens Classes & Workshops Gaming & Pop Culture

Monday, July 14, 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...

Kids Families Storytimes

Monday, July 14, 2025 - 1:00pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today for life-size games! 暑期周一活动日:巨型游戏

Kids
bl;ack and white and color all over

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...

Adults Teens Arts & Crafting Classes & Workshops Science & Technology

Tuesday, July 15, 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 made ice cream from...

Tweens Kids Families Arts & Crafting

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

Rodrigue’s iconic blue dog will inspire our pet portraits. Don’t have a pet? Create an image of a shelter animal and we can send it their way!

Teens Arts & Crafting

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...

Adults Book Discussion

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...

Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 10:00am

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C, Meeting Room D

adult day camp

Calling all nostalgic & fun grown-ups! Have you ever wished you could go back to summer camp? Here's your chance! Spend the day at the ICPL Adult Day Camp. Your counselors Beth, Candice, and Stacey will lead you through a bunch of fun...

Saturday, July 12, 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...

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: Telling a...

Monday, July 14, 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...

Monday, July 14, 2025 - 1:00pm

Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today for life-size games! 暑期周一活动日:巨型游戏

Monday, July 14, 2025 - 6:30pm

Digital Media Lab

bl;ack and white and color all over

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 - 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 made ice cream from...

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 1:00pm

Teen Center

Rodrigue’s iconic blue dog will inspire our pet portraits. Don’t have a pet? Create an image of a shelter animal and we can send it their way!

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...

There are no upcoming events.

There are no upcoming events.

Friday, August 8, 2025 - 1:00pm

Storytime Room

snow white movie poster

“Disney’s Snow White” is a live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film. The magical music adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.Take a break from the...

Saturday, July 26, 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...

Sunday, July 27, 2025 - 2:00pm

Storytime Room

Let's embrace the summer heat with a summertime cactus craft! Maybe you are taking a road trip this summer to a very hot place where the roads are lined with prickly pears or tall saguaros. Make your own road trip ready cactus from your own...

Monday, July 28, 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...

Monday, July 28, 2025 - 1:00pm

Meeting Room A

Every Monday in the summer we will be hosting games and activities! Join us today to test your Pokemon knowledge! 暑期周一活动日:宝可梦知识问答

Tuesday, July 29, 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 29, 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 the basics of LEGO robotics...

Wednesday, July 30, 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 30, 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 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...