Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime outside the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow...
Summer Reading Program

Read Beyond the Beaten Path
June 1 - August 14, 2022
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.
Sign up starting June 1.
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!
Come read with us!
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
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 10:30am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C, Pedmall
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 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! Naturalists from Johnson County...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 2:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
This encore How-To Tuesday program is for intended for individuals who are neurodivergent their families to enjoy the library together in a neutral environment. Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a little bit...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
Most people who like to read also like to talk books. And what's more fun than talking about the best things we've read lately? Bring some of your favorite new reads to the discussion. Not a traditional book group, Let's Talk Books...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 10:30am
Bookmobile, Wetherby Park
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime at the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow Creek...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Join the dancers of Champagne Academy of Irish Dance in Meeting Room A from 1:15pm-2:15pm to learn more about Irish culture, language, music, and dance! Enjoy a showcase of the different kinds of dances by Champagne's performers of all ages,...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 10:00am
Other
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 in the Chauncey Swan outdoor area to play with bubbles, experience a mega foam blaster and other fun messy and wet...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A
Roughly translated as "cuteness," kawaii describes the Japanese cultural trend of celebrating all things adorable - think Hello Kitty, Pikachu, and even emojis. Join children's librarian Casey for a tutorial and experiment with...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
You know some programming basics, but what can you do with them? In this class, the second part of this coding series, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to making a simple quiz game. Along with practicing using the basics, you’ll learn some new...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 10:30am
Bookmobile, Mercer Park
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime at the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow Creek...
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Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 10:30am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C, Pedmall
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime outside the library on Tuesdays! We will be at...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 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!
Naturalists from...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 2:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
This encore How-To Tuesday program is for intended for individuals who are neurodivergent their families to enjoy the library together in a neutral environment.
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
Most people who like to read also like to talk books. And what's more fun than talking about the best things we've read lately? Bring some of your favorite new reads to the discussion.
Not a traditional book group, Let's...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 10:30am
Bookmobile, Wetherby Park
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime at the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Join the dancers of Champagne Academy of Irish Dance in Meeting Room A from 1:15pm-2:15pm to learn more about Irish culture, language, music, and dance! Enjoy a showcase of the different kinds of dances by Champagne's performers of all ages...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 10:00am
Other
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 in the Chauncey Swan outdoor area to play with bubbles, experience a mega foam blaster and other fun messy and wet...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A
Roughly translated as "cuteness," kawaii describes the Japanese cultural trend of celebrating all things adorable - think Hello Kitty, Pikachu, and even emojis.
Join children's librarian Casey for a tutorial and experiment...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
You know some programming basics, but what can you do with them?
In this class, the second part of this coding series, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to making a...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 10:30am
Bookmobile, Mercer Park
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime at the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow...
- 1 of 3
- next ›
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
Most people who like to read also like to talk books. And what's more fun than talking about the best things we've read lately? Bring some of your favorite new reads to the discussion.
Not a traditional book group, Let's...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
You know some programming basics, but what can you do with them?
In this class, the second part of this coding series, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to making a...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 10:30am
Online
Do you love organization and thrive on planners, calendars, and checklists? Or could your current method of scattered notes and vague memories use some help?
Join us to learn about some of the apps and websites that can help you get...
Thursday, August 25, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
"I don't know what I think until I write it down." - Joan Didion
Are you the same? Let's gather on Zoom for another session of guided journaling where everyone is welcome, whether you regularly write in a journal, haven't done it in years...
Monday, September 12, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
Learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator for all of your design needs!
You’ll become familiar with the software’s interface and get the hang of working with clipping masks, the line snapping system, and the tools you’ll use to make graphics...
Thursday, September 22, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
Let's gather on Zoom for another session of guided journaling where everyone is welcome, whether you regularly write in a journal, haven't done it in years, or never have tried.
Generating random prompts from blindly picking words in a...
Monday, September 26, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
Ready to make your next project pop? In this class, we’ll teach you how to add unique effects to your text in Adobe Illustrator to make it stand out. You’ll learn how to put letters on a curved path, stretch them to a custom shape, add borders,...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
You know some programming basics, but what can you do with them?
In this class, the second part of this coding series, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to making a...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 10:30am
Online
Do you love organization and thrive on planners, calendars, and checklists? Or could your current method of scattered notes and vague memories use some help?
Join us to learn about some of the apps and websites that can help you get...
Thursday, August 25, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
"I don't know what I think until I write it down." - Joan Didion
Are you the same? Let's gather on Zoom for another session of guided journaling where everyone is welcome, whether you regularly write in a journal, haven't done it in years...
Monday, September 12, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
Learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator for all of your design needs!
You’ll become familiar with the software’s interface and get the hang of working with clipping masks, the line snapping system, and the tools you’ll use to make graphics...
Thursday, September 22, 2022 - 7:00pm
Online
Let's gather on Zoom for another session of guided journaling where everyone is welcome, whether you regularly write in a journal, haven't done it in years, or never have tried.
Generating random prompts from blindly picking words in a...
Monday, September 26, 2022 - 7:00pm
Digital Media Lab
Ready to make your next project pop? In this class, we’ll teach you how to add unique effects to your text in Adobe Illustrator to make it stand out. You’ll learn how to put letters on a curved path, stretch them to a custom shape, add borders,...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 10:30am
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C, Pedmall
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime outside the library on Tuesdays! We will be at...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 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!
Naturalists from...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - 2:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
This encore How-To Tuesday program is for intended for individuals who are neurodivergent their families to enjoy the library together in a neutral environment.
Elementary-age kids are invited to join us each Tuesday at 1:00 to learn a...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 10:30am
Bookmobile, Wetherby Park
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime at the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Join the dancers of Champagne Academy of Irish Dance in Meeting Room A from 1:15pm-2:15pm to learn more about Irish culture, language, music, and dance! Enjoy a showcase of the different kinds of dances by Champagne's performers of all ages...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 10:00am
Other
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 in the Chauncey Swan outdoor area to play with bubbles, experience a mega foam blaster and other fun messy and wet...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 4:00pm
Meeting Room A
Roughly translated as "cuteness," kawaii describes the Japanese cultural trend of celebrating all things adorable - think Hello Kitty, Pikachu, and even emojis.
Join children's librarian Casey for a tutorial and experiment...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 10:30am
Bookmobile, Mercer Park
Join us for Stories in the Park all summer long! We will offer the same Storytime over the course of the week, so please choose one park location a week to attend, or you can watch the Storytime at the library on Tuesdays! We will be at Willow...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 1:00pm
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C
Take a break from the summer sun and join us every Friday for a matinee movie showing! Movies will be shown in Meeting room A at 1:00 PM and will be rated either G or PG.
“Disney nature's new True Life Adventure film “Born In China”...
Sunday, August 14, 2022 - 1:00pm
Storytime Room
This summer on Sundays we will go off the beaten path and create nature based and classic camp crafts! Join us on Sunday afternoons from 1-4pm in the Storytime Room.
Spell out your name with beads to make a cute keychain or zipper pull to...
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