Iowa City Public Library evacuated for bomb threat

The Iowa City Public Library was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after receiving a bomb threat, according to a Facebook post from the library.

The threat was received around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Iowa City Police Department responded and the library was evacuated out of an abundance of caution, according to the police department. The library stayed closed for the rest of the day Tuesday.

“We understand that this situation may cause concern and inconvenience to our patrons. Please know that we are doing everything we can to address the situation as quickly and safely as possible,” the Facebook post states.

The library is scheduled to be open Wednesday with regular hours, according to the post.

State Sen. Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, was scheduled to host an education form at the library Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. The forum was intended to hear from educators about their concerns with changes to state legislation as the new school year starts, according to the library’s calendar.

Weiner posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that because of the library’s closure, the event was being moved to Chauncey Swan Park along South Gilbert Street, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Hey everyone - the Iowa City Public Library is closed because of a bomb threat so …

Join us for our EDUCATION FORUM/LISTENING POST at the park next to the Chauncey! Will be here starting at 6:30 this evening.

Please let others know!

— Janice Weiner (@janice4iowa) August 29, 2023

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