Waterloo Public Library

Our Reference Librarians and Library Assistants have been hard at work adding local history postcards to the library’s Historical Cedar Valley database, uncovering fascinating pieces of Waterloo’s past along the way. We’re excited to share some of their favorite finds with you.

In 1907, Waterloo citizens began talks with the Order of Franciscan Sisters from St. Louis with the intent of establishing a larger city hospital. The city was expected to supply 10 acres of ground and $30,000 towards the cost of construction, and the Franciscans would build a hospital at a cost of not less than $100,000. It took several years to complete negotiations and raise the money, but a 43-acre site was purchased in 1908, and construction started in 1911. The 121-bed hospital opened in December 1912 at 1407 Independence Ave. After the new St. Francis Hospital building was constructed in the 1960s, the building was purchased by Black Hawk County to serve as a health center, county residential care facility and later the home for the Black Hawk County Health Department. It is now known as the Pinecrest Building.

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Check out these upcoming Tech classes we're offering. Topics to be discussed in October: Facebook basics, Ancestry/Genealogy, smartphones and tablets 101, and computer basics.

Registration is required and limited to 10 participants per session. Be sure to grab your spot while you can!

https://tinyurl.com/WPLTechClassesNEW

Photos or videos may be taken at this program.

Looking for something spooky, adventurous, creative, or new to learn this fall? Explore these upcoming events at the library! ⁠
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https://tinyurl.com/OctoberProgramsWPL

The Waterloo Community made their mark on the Waterloo Public Library celebrating this year's Dot Day! 🎨🖌️

The Waterloo Public Library got a whole lot more colorful after our recent Dot Day celebrations. Waterloo students helped fill the library with colorful dots, inspired by the powerful story from Peter Reynolds.

The celebration didn't end there! Families got to enjoy a special Storytime at the farmer's market, exclusive Dot Day merch, and experience the joys of screen printing with special help from Pretty Good Co. and Humanize My Hoodie.

From one-of-a-kind creations to collaborating at the farmers market, we love seeing so many different pieces of our community come together for special moments like these. 💗

Missed this year's Dot Day? No worries, follow along to make sure you're up-to-date on different community events and opportunities.

Learning, connecting, and getting ready for what’s ahead! 💡

Our staff spent the day together for professional development, sharing ideas, learning new things, and finding ways to make the library even better for our community.

Days like these give us a chance to step away from the day-to-day, connect with the community, and bring fresh ideas back to the library.

Here's a peak at a few moments from our day together 👀💖

Our Reference Librarians and Library Assistants have been hard at work adding local history postcards to the library’s Historical Cedar Valley database, uncovering fascinating pieces of Waterloo’s past along the way. We’re excited to share some of their favorite finds with you.

Grace Methodist’s congregation organized in 1861 and built its first church in 1865 at Lafayette and E. Fifth Streets. A larger church rose in 1877 at 327 E. Fourth (current site of the Lincoln Park Building). The church at 633 Walnut became the third home for the then 700 plus members when it was dedicated on July 14, 1912. At that service worshipers entered under “six immense Bedford stone columns” and were seated in quarter sawn oak pews, while fifty feet above a dome of art glass imported from Chicago glimmered. Other features included a glazed brick exterior with terra cotta trim; a basement dining hall for 500 and an $8000 pipe organ with cathedral chimes. Construction costs totaled $100,000 - equivalent to over 3 million dollars today.

One of the largest funerals in Waterloo history occurred at Grace Methodist on May 15, 1921 for local star athlete and WWI Marine hero 2LT Fred H. Becker. According to the Courier, 2,000 mourners packed the 1,400 seat capacity church. Hundreds more waited outside, joining an estimated crowd of 5,000 at Fairview Cemetery for the internment.

Grace Methodist was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

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🚨 TEMPORARY LIBRARY CLOSURE: OCTOBER 19–23 🚨

The Waterloo Public Library will be closed October 19–23 for critical preparation work for our future public elevator replacement.

We will reopen October 24 at noon.

Why are we closing?
Crews will be drilling approximately 45 feet beneath the current elevator to create the pit needed for a new hydraulic elevator. This work will create extreme levels of noise throughout the building, so the Library must close to protect the safety and comfort of visitors and staff.

During the closure:
No materials will be due.
Materials will not be checked in.
Please do not use the outside book drop.

This is the first step toward replacing our public elevator. The elevator itself will be installed later, with construction expected to take several months. During that time, we will have an alternative option for visitors who rely on the elevator to travel between floors.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work toward a better Library for everyone!

The library will be closed on Friday, September 18, for staff training. We'll open again on Saturday, September 19 at 9am!

Our Reference Librarians and Library Assistants have been hard at work adding local history postcards to the library’s Historical Cedar Valley database, uncovering fascinating pieces of Waterloo’s past along the way. We’re excited to share some of their favorite finds with you.

In this mid-century postcard aerial view titled “The Dairy Capitol of the World - - the National Dairy Cattle Congress,” the black-roofed Hippodrome is visible in the center. Built in 1919, it’s one of the oldest such arenas in the nation. Known as the R. J. McElroy Auditorium from 1965 on, it was returned to its original name in 2018. With over 5,000 seats and excellent acoustics it’s been a popular concert venue showcasing musical artists from Glenn Miller to Rob Zombie.

Country stars Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks headlined but a female superstar graced the stage early in her career: Dolly Parton. Dolly played the Hippodrome while touring with Porter Wagoner. The September 26th, 1969 Courier concert review described the young singer as “all a-glitter with rhinestones and crystals,” with her artistry bringing “many in the hushed audience to their feet in acclaim.”

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The library will be closed Monday, September 7, for Labor Day.