About Us
About the Library
“The Council Bluffs Public Library is committed to enriching, informing and empowering our community.”
The Council Bluffs Public Library exists to meet the changing needs of Council Bluffs citizens, families and businesses. We offer children, teen, and adult services so we can meet specific requests for a variety of ages. We also have a tech lab with all of the tools and programs to allow you to keep innovating. Explore our site to learn more about what the Council Bluffs Library has to offer. Click here to read the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2019-20.
48,738
Registered Card Holders
1,733
Check-outs per Day
65,000
Sq. ft. of Building Space
40
Full & Part-time Staff
Library Board of Trustees
The Council Bluffs Public Library is governed by the Board of Library Trustees and is comprised of 9 members who are appointed by the Mayor and are confirmed by City Council. Each member serves a six-year term. As defined in the Board By-laws, the primary duties of the Board include:
- Serves as a liaison between the library and the community
- Acts as a policy-making board
- Assists in budget preparation
- Control of expenditure of funds allocated to the library
- Responsible for the appointment of a librarian
Board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 4:30 pm at the Library.
Click here to download the PDF for this month’s Board Packet.
Click here to download the PDF for the August 6th Special Meeting.
Past Reports
Library Board Members
Matt Garst
President
Stacey Goodman
Abby Jares
Nicole Juranek
Cindi Keithley
Leo Martin
Alison Smith
Secretary
Jared Tripp
Antonia Krupicka-Smith
Library Director
The heat is here and so are some cool activities and resources at the Council Bluffs Public Library! July marks one year of reopening our doors after the pandemic shutdown and we have been working hard to bring in new resources and services to support all members of our community.
Some new digital offerings that you can find from our website include Mango Languages, auto and small engine repair videos, home improvement videos, Learning Express test prep, and Tumblebooks for kids and teens. If you are looking to learn a new language, repair a lawn mower, install a toilet, gain digital skills or study for an exam, or enjoy a digital picture book, you can do all of that with your library card for free! These offerings and more were made possible through funding from the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation.
As we cruise through July and August and look forward to the return of the school year in September, here are some of the delightful program offerings to look forward to.
The Youth department is full steam ahead with twice a week outdoor storytimes at Bayliss Park. This will continue through July. We will be hosting Music with Lori Lynn at Bayliss park on July 19 at 10 a.m. Bring your blanket to enjoy this family fun activity. You can still sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge to earn badges and a book and bag from the Library. This fall we are working on providing in-person programming that will be safe for the community and support literacy.
The Teen department is providing weekly programming through TinkerZone and utilizing their gaming consoles to provide entertainment and stress relief for the teens in the community. They will continue into the fall and be afterschool programming for various middle schools.
The Adult department is working to make the tools in the Makerspace more easily accessible through a streamlined checkout process and video tutorial certifications. Try out the various cameras available for checkout or repair your bike with our bike repair kit.
There are two wonderful Movie Nights planned with the 712 Initiative yet to happen this summer. On July 12th join us at Kirn Park for a Christmas in July themed event and on August 9th we will be at Westwood Park with a beach themed event. Both events are free and supported through the Council Bluffs Public Library Friends, NP Dodge, HyVee, UsBank, and the 712 Initiative.
The library will continue to be at the Farmer’s Market each week with fun demonstrations and activities that will include local musicians, and partnership activities with other organizations in the community looking to educate about conservation.
Join in the fun for all ages this summer at your local library! Check our events calendar for more specifics and for new exciting program offerings as the summer continues. As always, the library can be accessed 24/7 on our website for all your research and entertainment needs.
68
Hours Open per Week
6
Meeting Rooms for Public Use
186,970
Materials in Collection
100
Number of Public Computers
