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Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation

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Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation

Council Bluffs Library Foundation - supports CB Library financially Over $12.5 million dollars were donated to construct and equip the library.

The Foundation was originally created to administer the successful fund drive to construct the new library building. Since that time, additional dollars donated to the Foundation have made possible the following areas of support:

Building and Grounds improvements $25,000.00
Additions to the Library collections $158,500.00
Microfilming documents $2,000.00
Programming $30,750.00
Security System

$43,880.00
Staff education $22,228.00
Summer reading program $6,014.00
Technology udpating and additions $323,320.00
Teen Center $161,731.00

08/20/2026

Ever wonder what the CB Public Library Foundation does? 💙

The City funds the library. We help fund some things that make it extraordinary.

Since 1983, the Foundation has existed to support the CB Public Library with private donations and grants — filling the gaps that government funding can't cover. Things like new programs, upgraded equipment, special projects, and the spaces that make this library a place people want to be.

We operate independently, led by a volunteer Board of Directors whose only job is to make sure this library keeps growing for the people of Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, and surrounding areas.

A strong library makes a strong community. And that's what we're here to protect.

If you'd like to help, donations are always welcome at councilbluffslibrary.org/about/library-foundation. 💙

08/18/2026

Have you heard about Council Bluffs Reads? 📚

We're bringing world-class authors to the library — and Kristin Harmel is our first!

Kristin is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of Meet Me in Paris, The Paris Daughter, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker's Wife, and a dozen other novels translated into more than 35 languages and sold all over the world.

She began writing professionally at 16 as a sportswriter, went on to write for PEOPLE magazine, and is the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.

We can't wait to bring her to Council Bluffs. More details on her visit coming soon!

And that's not all — our second author will be announced the last week of August and will be joining us in October. Follow along so you don't miss it.

🌐 councilbluffslibrary.org

08/12/2026

Never miss what's happening at the library. 📬

Our Foundation newsletter is packed with things worth knowing about: new programs, highlights, challenges, events, and more.

Every program highlighted in our newsletter exists because of community support. If you love what the library offers, consider making a donation at councilbluffslibrary.org/about/library-foundation. 💙

Already subscribed to the CB Public Library newsletter? This one is different — sign up for both and stay fully in the loop.

Sign up here: secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/MdHMLdBhntGOoxaHyd2t5Q

08/10/2026

Since 1983, the CB Public Library Foundation has funded projects, programs, and spaces that make this library more than just a building. 📚

Here's a look at what your community has made possible:
🏛️ The Library Building (1994) — We helped raise over $12.5 million to design, build, and equip the library you walk into today.
🎒 Teen Central (2010) — A dedicated space on the second floor for grades 6-12. Comfortable seating, wireless laptops, vending machines, and yes, a graffiti wall.
🛠️ MakerSpace (2015) — 3D printers, VR technology, CAD software, and more. A space for tinkerers, techies, innovators, and entrepreneurs right here in Council Bluffs.
🎤 Speaker Series (2020) — World-renowned authors brought to our community. Past speakers have included Carl Hiaasen, Mary Roach, and Geraldine Brooks.
🌻 Youth Area Remodel (2022) — New furniture, new shelving, easier-to-clean spaces for kids and caregivers, and a beautiful pollinator mural by artist Angela Griner.
📬 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (2022) — One free book every month, mailed directly to children from birth to age five living in Council Bluffs.
📍 Library Kiosk (2024) — The Foundation made it possible for the library to establish a second physical location in Council Bluffs for the very first time.

And beyond the big projects, we also fund library security, digital search tools, magazine displays, author visits, concerts, and special events year-round.

A strong library makes a strong community. Thank you for being part of this. 💙

07/22/2026

Happy birthday, AMH-y! 🎉

Two and a half years ago, a new helper joined the Council Bluffs Public Library, and she has been hard at work ever since. AMH-y is our automatic material handler, which is exactly what her name says she is. She is not the fanciest machine in the building, but she keeps the whole return process running smoothly.

Here is what happens every time you drop a book in the return slot. AMH-y checks the item back in, reactivates its security, and sorts it into the right bin. From there, a staff member inspects each piece by hand to check for damage and make sure it is clean and ready for the next reader. Then it heads back to the shelves, waiting for someone new to pick it up.
AMH-y was made possible through joint funding from the City of Council Bluffs and the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation. She is a great example of what your support helps bring to life, the kind of behind-the-scenes investment that keeps your library working better for everyone who walks through the doors.

So here is to two and a half years of sorting, checking, and keeping things moving. We think she has earned a little celebration. 🎂📚

07/17/2026

Here is something worth celebrating: every Dolly book, every kiosk, every refreshed space at the Council Bluffs Public Library exists because people in this community believe in it.

The Foundation is here for the extras. The things beyond day-to-day operations that turn a good library into a place people are proud of. Think the Speaker Series that has brought authors like Mary Roach and Geraldine Brooks to town. The Youth Area remodel where kids and caregivers play and learn together. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails a book a month to local kids from birth to age 5. The Cochran Park book kiosk, open 24/7 in the neighborhood.

None of it happens without generous donors who know what a strong library means for a strong community.

To everyone who has given, thank you. You are the reason these spaces and programs exist.

What is your favorite thing the library has added in recent years? Tell us below.

07/08/2026

Books, 24/7, right in your neighborhood! 📖

Have you spotted the colorful machine along the First Ave trail at Cochran Park? It is the Cochran Library Kiosk, and it works just like a vending machine for books. Pop in your library card, make your pick, and the book is dispensed right to you. Open any hour, any day.

It holds 235 titles for every age, color-coded so they are easy to browse. Yellow for youth, red for teens, blue for adult nonfiction, green for adult fiction. DVDs too.

💙 The Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation is proud to have purchased the kiosk that makes this possible, bringing library access closer to home for the whole neighborhood.
Have you checked out a book from the kiosk yet? Tell us what you grabbed.

06/30/2026

🌟 Free books for little readers in Council Bluffs! 🌟

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a free book every month to enrolled children from birth to age five—helping families build a love of reading right at home.

Thanks to generous community support, the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation is proud to help make this early literacy program available to local children at no cost to their families.

Know a parent, grandparent, or caregiver with a child under five who should hear about this? Tag them in the comments so they can learn more and get signed up!

👉 Learn more and enroll on the Council Bluffs Public Library website.

06/25/2026

Teen Central got an upgrade. 📚

The space teens already love inside the CB Library now has brand-new furniture, fresh tables, comfy chairs, and room to spread out. Perfect for homework, test prep, and study group sessions.

The Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation is proud to have sponsored the new furnishings to make it an even better place to focus and hang out.

Come check out the new look and tag a friend who lives at the library.

06/16/2026

The Council Bluffs Public Library Summer Reading Challenge is not just for kids.

While the little ones are reading their way to pool passes and ice cream, adults have their own challenge running all summer too.

Sign up and receive a pollinator seed mix with an eco planter just for registering. Then, every day you read or listen to a book for more than 15 minutes earns you raffle tickets for a chance to win a year-long membership to the Durham Museum, Henry Doorly Zoo, Lauritzen Gardens, or Pottawattamie County Conservation.

The whole family reading together this summer. That is a great summer activity.

Register at councilbluffslibrary.org or through the free Beanstack Tracker app.

Prizes supported by the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation.

Address

400 Willow Avenue
Council Bluffs, IA
51503

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(402) 515-1200

Website

https://www.councilbluffslibrary.org/about/library-foundation

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