Celebrating 125 Years of Supporting Literacy, Access, and Inclusion

— Librarian Harriet A. Wood, from the Cedar Rapids Free Public Library 1907 Annual Report

The day the Cedar Rapids Free Public Library opened its doors to the public for the first time, on January 15, 1897, the Gazette reported on the event, describing “throngs of people eager and glad to be there.”

“The university of Cedar Rapids, the new free library, was thrown open to the public last evening,” the article said.

Though that first library was small, just a room in the Granby building downtown, at the corner of Second Street SE and Third Avenue SE, its addition to Cedar Rapids life was momentous. It was called the free library to differentiate it from the ways people accessed books before — from private libraries, which often had membership fees.

As the library celebrates its 125th anniversary throughout 2022, the throughlines of history are clear. The same values of access and inclusion that guide the library today were present from the very beginning.

In the library’s early days, staff visited rural schools, even taking books by horse. In the 1910s and 1920s, librarians opened dozens of miniature library stations in neighborhood grocery stores, parks, schools, and factories. The goal was to have library materials within walking distance of every part of the city.

In the 1950s and 1960s, as the city grew, the library purchased book mobiles to visit more neighborhoods.

Over the decades, branches have opened and closed in different parts of the city to meet shifting population needs. In each iteration, the goal has been the same: bringing books and information to the people.

Today, the library is also looking to the future. In 2021, the Mobile Technology Lab arrived. Instead of a traditional bookmobile, the library’s new van is loaded with technology, from laptops to 3D printers to robots designed to help kids learn coding. It will head out to area parks again this summer alongside the Parks and Recreation Department’s Rollin’ RecMobile and other community partners. The van is also being used for workforce development outreach, thanks to a nearly $45,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“It’s hard to imagine what the next 125 years could possibly bring, but our library will stand the test of time,” Library Director Dara Schmidt said. “We will heed the call to provide free access to resources and be open to all. We will find ways to meet people where they are. We will support our children and instill a love of books and reading. We will be a community resource in times of strife. We will remain committed to the timeless pillars of literacy, access, and inclusion.”

Read more about the library’s 125-year history at CRLibrary.org/our-history.