Exciting News @ the Library
This year has brought many changes for the Clinton Public Library. We have a new director, Amy Birtell. She is a welcome addition to our library and has already made some changes that have made the library a much more user friendly place.
Also, we have a new online system for our library. Starting November 1st, 2011 you are now able to view our catalog online. Go to our website www.clinton.lib.ia.us and click on Catalog and you will be able to manage your account. For more information, please stop in the library. We will be glad to help with any questions. We are still very much in the training mode for this new system, but every day we are learning more things that we can do to make it easier for our patrons.
See you soon!!
Events
Hey You Guys!!
Every Wednesday
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Clinton Public Library
grades 1-5
Each week will be different: you might play Wii and PlayStation games, make some crafts, or maybe even go on a treasure hunt.
Come ready for surprises and fun!And be sure to come on time, our space is limited to the first 18 kids!
MORE SPECIAL EVENTS
Sustainability Club | Take & Sew Boomerang Bags!
November 1 – December 30, 2025
The Clinton Public Library is looking for volunteers to sew Boomerang Bags at home! Boomerang Bags is a global movement to help tackle plastic pollution and to upcycle and recycle fiber to make home-sewn reusable tote bags as an alternative. These bags will then be provided to library patrons to carry their library books.
Take & Sew Kits will be available at the front desk during library hours this November & December. You will return the bags when completed. To volunteer for this project, you will need your own sewing machine and thread. If you have any questions, please call (563) 242-5355 or email the makerspace at cplmakerspace@gmail.com.
Let’s Learn American Mahjong!
Thursday, November 6 & 20
4:30PM – 6:30PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Registration is required; we encourage you to register for both sessions so you will learn how to play. Sign up online (click HERE for Nov 6 or HERE for Nov 20) or call (563) 242-8441.
Come join us for a beginner-friendly, two-hour workshop and learn to play American Mahjongg! You will learn the basics of how this game is played with Clinton native, Lori Kennedy. This is a very welcoming space for total beginners—no experience necessary, just bring your curiosity and a willingness to learn.
American Mahjong Open Play
Saturday, November 8
1:00PM – 3:00PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Registration is required; click HERE or call (563) 242-8441. Age 18+.
Interested in practicing your American Mahjong skills? Join us for an open play session! Open play is for those who already know how to play. It is an opportunity to enjoy the game with other members of the community in a relaxed and friendly environment. We have 2 Mahjong sets and 8 cards, enough for 8 players. Groups are welcome to bring your own cards & sets also.
Puzzle Exchange!
Drop-Off: Monday, Nov. 10 – Saturday, Nov. 15
Pick-Up: Wednesday, Nov. 19 – Saturday, Nov. 22
Swap your old jigsaw puzzles for gently-used ones through the Clinton Public Library’s third-annual puzzle exchange!
Here’s how it works:
- Bring in a gently used jigsaw puzzle —with all of its pieces, please — to the Main Branch from Monday, Nov. 10 – Saturday, Nov. 15 during open hours. Please note that the library will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 11th.
When you drop off your puzzle(s), you’ll get a ticket to pick up a “new” puzzle — or puzzles! — the following week. - Present your ticket and choose a new-to-you puzzle(s) at the Main Branch from Wednesday, Nov. 19 – Saturday, Nov. 22 any time during open hours. Puzzle selection will be on a first come, first serve basis.
- The best part: Begin your new-to-you jigsaw puzzle!
Questions? Call the Main Branch at (563) 242-8411 or email Kate at kstruble@clintonpubliclibrary.us
Genealogy Night Lock-In & Ribbon Cutting for our Memory Lab!
Friday, November 14
5:00PM – 8:00PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Registration is required for Genealogy Night; click HERE or call (563) 242-8441. No registration needed for the Ribbon-Cutting portion.
Join us for a special evening as we unveil our brand-new Memory Lab: The Maker Space of Memories—a community resource designed to help preserve personal and recorded histories. This exciting addition was made possible through a generous grant from the Clinton County Development Association and support from the Friends of the Library.
Event Schedule:
- 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
- Ribbon-cutting ceremony
- Light Refreshments
- Explore the Genealogy Department and preview Memory Lab Equipment
- 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- Genealogy Night Lock-In
- Use our resources to dive into your family history. Computers are limited- feel free to bring your own laptop!
Franken Plush – Teen Craft Workshop
Friday, November 21
2:00PM – 7:00PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Stop in between 2PM and 5PM* to channel your inner mad scientist to tear apart stuffed animals and sew them back together to create your own plush monster!
And enjoy some snacks!
*Official end time is 7PM but if you want to do that later time, you will need to be in the library before closing at 5PM!
Holiday Bunco & Potluck Night
Thursday, December 4
5:00PM – 7:00PM
Friends of the Library Bookstore (105 Main Ave)
Registration is required; click HERE or call (563) 242-8441. Ages 14+.
Please join us for a Holiday Bunco & Potluck Night! Bunco is an easy to learn dice game that is lighthearted and friendly. We will provide sloppy joes and a drink & attendees are welcome to bring a dish to pass.
As this is also a potluck event and dishes will be prepared in personal kitchens, bring a printed copy of your recipe, ask questions if you have allergies, and eat at your own discretion. Please bring your own plate, cup & cutlery.
Christmas Art: Altered Moments
Wednesday, December 3
5:00PM – 6:30PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Registration is required; click HERE or call (563) 242-8441. Ages 14+.
Please join us and turn a Precious Moments figurine into a fun, holiday decoration for Christmas! All you need to bring is your creativity and add playful touches to these figurines. We will use air-dry clay and paint to give them makeovers. There will be plenty to choose from!
WEEKLY
Fiber Friends | Weekly Craft Club
Tuesdays, 5:00PM – 7:00PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Registration is encouraged, but not required.
Join us for a cozy and creative gathering of fiber arts enthusiasts! Whether you’re passionate about crochet, knitting, or other fiber crafts like weaving, embroidery, or felting, this club is the perfect place to share your skills, learn new techniques, and connect with fellow makers.
All skill levels are welcome—from beginners to seasoned crafters. Bring your current project or start something new. Limited yarn, crochet hooks/knitting needles are provided. Come stitch, chat, and be inspired!
Sensory Saturday
Explore, Discover, Play!
Saturdays, 10:00AM – 12:00PM
Main Branch, Lower Level
Sensory Saturdays is a hands-on, play-based program that invites young children to explore a variety of sensory stations designed to stimulate touch, sight, sound, smell, and movement. Each session features activities that support early childhood development, creativity, and social interaction, and encourages caregiver-child interaction.
Wiggle Time
Tuesdays at 10:30AM
Main Branch, Lower Level
We will have songs, toys, and bubbles for you and your baby or toddler to interact! This is a great chance for kids and caregivers to socialize with each other and their peers. This program is suited for ages 0-3.
Storytime
Wednesdays at 10:30AM
Main Branch, Lower Level
Storytime is offered continually, with breaks occurring in late December and August. Join us for fun, stories, songs, puppet shows, and a craft to take home!
Creative Explorers
Tuesdays at 3:30PM
Main Branch, Lower Level
Join us for an afternoon of play and learning! The Creative Explorers (formerly Afternoon Adventures) program offers a space for children to create, explore, and discover. Through fun and interactive programs, we aim to provide patrons of all abilities and stages of learning with the opportunity to learn about the world around them in a hands-on way.
Caregivers are encouraged to stay in the building and participate with their children. Children under the age of 8 are not to be left alone in the building without a caretaker at least 14 years of age.
Weekly Schedule:
- Nov 4 – Salt Dough Fossils
- Nov 11 – NO CE – CLOSED
- Nov 18 – Animal Classification (with fur!)
- Nov 25 – Poetry Mad Libs / Blackout Poetry
Vibe Out
Fridays, 2:00PM – 4:30PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Teens, join us on Fridays for anime, crafts, and snacks!
FREQUENT
The following programs may occur several times a month. For more information, please view our calendar or call (563) 242-8441.
All-Ages Chess Club
Where Every Move Matters!
1st & 3rd Saturdays
2:00PM – 3:00PM (may go longer)
Main Branch, Lower Level
Welcome to the All-Ages Chess Club, a vibrant community where chess enthusiasts of all skill levels come together to share their passion for the game! Players of all ages—children, teens, adults, and seniors—can connect over the chessboard. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned grandmaster, our club provides a friendly and inclusive environment for everyone.
LEGO Club
2nd & 4th Saturdays
2:00PM – 3:00PM (may go longer)
Main Branch, Lower Level
Join us on 2nd and 4th Saturdays in an all-ages LEGO club. Show off your building skills, learn some tricks of the trade, complete a mini build challenge, or enjoy some open building time with buckets of bricks.
Virtual Author Talks
Library Speakers Consortium
Click HERE to view more information, register for upcoming events, or view past recordings.
Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity with Award-Winning Journalist Joseph Lee
Wednesday, November 5, 1PM
Author of the Debut Memoir Nothing More of This Land
The Search for Truth and the Persistence of Love Across Time with Novelist Amanda Peters
Thursday, November 13, 6PM
Bestselling Author and Winner of the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
Unlock the Secret Language of Connection with Supercommunicator Charles Duhigg
Tuesday, November 18, 1PM
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Power of Habit
Scheming Wives and High-Stakes Hilarity with Author Sue Hincenbergs
Tuesday, December 2, 1PM
Author of The Retirement Plan and Award-Winning Television Producer
The Legacy of Julia Child’s Kitchen with Author and Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson
Tuesday, December 9, 1PM
A Library Speakers Consortium and Smithsonian Institution Collaboration
MONTHLY
The following programs meet once a month. For more information, please view our calendar or call (563) 242-8441.
#52Stories
Not meeting in November
First Saturdays
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
On every headstone or plaque, there are two dates separated by a dash. How do you define your dash? The #52Stories genealogy project provides the inspiration you need to write down one story every week for a year by using a handwritten journal, blog, voice, or video recording. During this meeting we will chat about what we are doing with our own #52Stories project by sharing our stories & photos.
Bring Your Own Book Club
On break until January
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Formerly Lyons Reads, this book club is relaxed and we have fun conversations about books and authors. We each read our own book and discuss it with our group.
Learn to Sew: A Beginner’s Workshop
Four Classes, 1st Thursdays, Sept-Dec 2025
5:00PM – 7:00PM
Main Branch, 2nd Floor (Makerspace)
Registration is closed.
Let’s Dish: Potluck Club
Fourth Saturdays
Main Branch, 2nd Floor
Calling all foodies! If you have an appetite for new foods and fun conversations please join us in our monthly Let’s Dish: Potluck Club. To participate, each month you will choose and prepare a recipe that matches the theme for our potluck. Bring that dish, and serving utensils, to our potluck to share family style along with the recipe.
Reading Challenges
Clinton Reading Challenge
May 26 – September 1, 2025
WE ARE THE 2025 GRAND CHAMPION!!!
GREAT JOB CLINTON, IOWA!
Final Hours & Rankings
1st Place: Iowa | 27,445 hours
2nd Place: Pennsylvania | 26,650 hours
3rd Place: New York | 25,108 hours
4th Place: Indiana | 19,422 hours
5th Place: Massachusetts | 19,405 hours
6th Place: New Jersey | 14,177 hours
We won the 2025 Clinton Reading Challenge! 
The ending of the Clinton Challenge is often a surprise, and this year was no different.
After fourteen weeks of reading, we won the challenge for the second year in a row! We had a lot of patrons turn in their reading time for the whole summer at the last minute, leading to a total of 27,445 hours read by 238 patrons and 14 staff members. We CRUSHED our goal to have 200 participants this year!
Pennsylvania also had enormous numbers come in for the last week and finished in second place with 26,650 hours.
New York battled for first place for the second half of the summer, and despite a huge gain in week fourteen, finished in third place with 25,108 hours.
The fourth-place finish was really close! In the end, newcomer Indiana (19,422 hours) beat out Massachusetts (19,405 hours) by only 17 hours!!! It was a valiant effort by both libraries.
New Jersey’s Team Captain reported in with 14,177 hours, saying, “I know we lost, but we still had a lot of fun!”
Win or lose, the biggest news is that more than 1,000 people at six libraries read for 132,000 hours. That is a lot of reading happening across the country. Whoever said people don’t read anymore should eat their words!
Which Clinton will join the challenge next? Join us in May 2026 to find out!
Challenge History
The fun began back in 2021 when a librarian from Clinton, New York, challenged the patrons of her childhood library in Clinton, New Jersey, to see who could read the most. At the end of that first summer, New York prevailed with 2,492 hours.
In the second year, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, joined the race. Although the three libraries were neck-and-neck all summer, Clinton, New Jersey, made a last-minute dash and won by just one hour with a total of 5,914 hours.
Clinton, Massachusetts, joined the fun in 2023 and proved to be stiff competition, but New York regained the trophy with 9,901 hours read.
In 2024, Clinton, Iowa, proved to be fierce competition and read for 18,690 hours!
This year, the competition has expanded further with the addition of the Clinton Public Library in Clinton, Indiana. With more than 40 different towns named Clinton in the United States, the competition will keep growing year after year.
LIBRARY TEXT CLUB
Join the Clinton Public Library text club and be the first to hear about events, updates, and announcements – right to your cell!
Sign up by texting LIBRARY to (563) 292-8395.
Clinton Public Library Webinars and Online Events
Enjoy a range of talks from bestselling authors and thought leaders. Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.
Upcoming Speakers
| The Search for Truth and the Persistence of Love Across Time with Novelist Amanda Peters Bestselling Author and Winner of the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction Thursday, November 13th 2025 at 6:00 PM CST See More and Register | |
| Unlock the Secret Language of Connection with Supercommunicator Charles Duhigg Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Power of Habit Tuesday, November 18th 2025 at 1:00 PM CST See More and Register | |
| Scheming Wives and High-Stakes Hilarity with Author Sue Hincenbergs Author of The Retirement Plan and Award-Winning Television Producer Tuesday, December 2nd 2025 at 1:00 PM CST See More and Register |
Past Event Recordings
| Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity with Award-Winning Journalist Joseph Lee Author of the Debut Memoir Nothing More of This Land Wednesday, November 5th 2025 at 1:00 PM CST | |
| Courtly Intrigue and Whispers as Weapons with Historical Fiction Queen Philippa Gregory Bestselling Author of The Other Boleyn Girl and Leading Voice in Historical Fiction Wednesday, October 29th 2025 at 1:00 PM CDT | |
| Finding My Way with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai Bestselling Author and Education Activist Wednesday, October 22nd 2025 at 6:00 PM CDT |