The idea to establish a library, to provide a room for reading and games for the local young people, came about in 1896, when Iowa City had already existed for fifty-seven years.
On June 12, 2004, the library opened the doors of its new facility, built at the same location but nearly double the size of the previous building.
Fiction and nonfiction items are held in many formats besides print, including downloadable eBooks, eAudiobooks, CD and DVD.
In addition to the items in the collection, the library offers many other services to its patrons: various types of audiovisual equipment can be checked out, there are five meeting rooms that can be booked by the public, study space for young adults and general-use study rooms, a large children's room with computers and story time area, forty-two internet/database computers, free wireless Internet throughout the building, Channel 20 (ICPL's local public-access television cable TV channel that shows recorded programming), and a wide variety of programming for adults and children.
Outside of the library's downtown location, it provides and maintains eighteen outreach collections at various community, youth and senior centers in the area.