Iowa City Public Library resumes regular schedule after bomb threat

No credible threat was discovered in Iowa City Police Department’s investigation of Tuesday’s bomb threat to the public library.

August 30, 2023

Avi Lapchick

An Iowa City police car is seen on March 2, 2023.

After receiving an online bomb threat Tuesday afternoon, the Iowa City Public Library resumed its regular operating hours Wednesday.

The library received an online bomb threat around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon and closed to the public. No bombs were found on the premises.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the building was evacuated and closed for the remainder of the day so a team of police officers and two bomb-detection dogs could be brought in to do a sweep of the building,” Elsworth Carman, the library’s director, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan.

Since Wednesday morning, the library has received additional online threats, but library staff and Iowa City police decided to avoid further disruption of services and open as scheduled.

“The library and Iowa City Police Department take all threats seriously and a thorough search of the building was conducted,” Lee Hermiston, Iowa City police public information officer, said.

The Iowa City Police Department has not yet determined a credible threat, but the library is continuing to work with the police.

“Keeping staff and patrons safe is a priority for the library, and we will continue to carefully monitor and assess any threats or suspicious activities,” Carman wrote.

About the Contributors

Roxy Ekberg, Politics Reporter

she/her/hers

Roxy Ekberg is a first year at the University of Iowa. In the Honors Program, she is double majoring in journalism and political science with a minor in Spanish. Prior to her role as a politics reporter, she worked news reporter at the Daily Iowan and worked at her local newspaper The Wakefield Republican.

Avi Lapchick, Arts Editor

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Avi Lapchick is an arts editor at The Daily Iowan. A fourth-year student studying English and Creative Writing at the University of Iowa, she previously held the positions of staff photojournalist, summer arts editor, and assistant arts editor at the DI. She is happiest when she is writing or painting.