West-side Busse Branch to replace Ladd Library
The city’s longtime Ladd Library closed its doors Sunday to make way for the new Busse Branch, a 40,000-square-foot facility planned for Cedar Rapids’ west side. Library officials said the closure will allow staff to move books, furniture and other materials into the new building at 1845 Sandberg Lane ahead of a public opening scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19.
The Busse Branch will open with a morning grand opening celebration beginning at 10 a.m., including remarks and a ribbon-cutting, followed by activities, refreshments and tours through 2 p.m. The library will remain open until 5 p.m. that day and resume regular hours the next day.
Expanded spaces, programs and outdoor amenities
City and library leaders say the new branch was designed to provide more room for programming and for library customers to work, study and gather. Among the features announced:
- Dedicated children’s library and programming room
- Young adult library and expanded technology space
- Eleven study rooms and additional meeting space
- Drive-up book return and a holds pickup window
- Two courtyards and a north glass facade that overlooks the planned Allsop Park
- Bloomhall Discovery Garden with an outdoor reading room, classroom, discovery nooks and native plantings
Library Director Dara Schmidt said the staff and trustees are looking forward to welcoming people into the new building. "We’re so excited to welcome our community into the Busse Branch," she said, adding that libraries serve as hubs for learning, exploration and connection.
“This library is possible because the community believed in it. Donors big and small came together to invest in this dream and make it a reality.” — Charity Tyler, Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation executive director
Funding and community investment
The project combined private fundraising and federal relief dollars. The Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation’s Inspiring Big Dreams campaign raised more than $10 million, which includes a $3.5 million naming gift from the Lavern T. and Audrey Busse Foundation. The city and Linn County also contributed American Rescue Plan Act funds.
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Library Foundation (campaign total) | $10,000,000+ |
| Lavern T. and Audrey Busse Foundation (naming gift) | $3,500,000 |
| City of Cedar Rapids (ARPA) | $6,000,000 |
| Linn County (ARPA) | $4,000,000 |
Charity Tyler, executive director of the library foundation, described the new branch as an investment in the west side and in Cedar Rapids’ future, noting that the fundraising effort included donors of varying means who helped make the project possible.
What residents should expect next
With Ladd Library closed, patrons who used that location will be redirected to the Busse Branch once it opens. Staff are undertaking the physical relocation of collections and furnishings in the weeks before the opening. The branch’s larger collection, expanded meeting and study spaces, and improved technology areas are intended to better serve students, families and community groups across the west side.
As the Busse Branch becomes operational, the library system will continue to offer programming and services from its other locations. Officials have said the site’s design seeks to integrate indoor learning spaces with outdoor features such as courtyards and the Bloomhall Discovery Garden, and to provide direct access to the new Allsop Park as that project is completed in phases.
The closure of Ladd Library marks a transition for longtime patrons, but library leaders hope the additional space and amenities at Busse will broaden access and serve more residents across Cedar Rapids.
