Funding uncertainty affects Iowa program for interlibrary loans

Citing rising costs and the desired maximization of federal funding, the state of Iowa is making changes to the system that allows libraries across the state to share books with one another.

The State Library of Iowa is in the process of transitioning its IA Shares program to a once-weekly delivery service through a new partnership with the Iowa Area Education Agencies van delivery service.

IA Shares is a statewide program that enables public libraries to easily share materials with those in other parts of the state and facilitate interlibrary loans so cardholders can request and check out materials not available at their home library.

“I truly believe this is a win-win opportunity for the State Library, Iowa AEAs and public libraries,” Interim State Librarian Brenda Hall said in a news release. “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to get plans put into place, and it’s exciting to see all of this work come to fruition.”

IA Shares previously operated on a twice-a-week delivery schedule. In an FAQ prepared for Iowa library workers, State Library staff wrote that library directors were made aware of the upcoming change to once-a-week delivery on May 16 “due to rising costs and federal budget uncertainty.”

Recommended Reading

Library leaders react to Trump’s proposed elimination of federal library agency

Around that same time, the State Library entered into discussions with the AEAs about the feasibility of transitioning to their van delivery service to save additional costs and partner with another state entity.

To facilitate that transition and partnership, the IA Shares program was paused on July 23 with AEA van service expected to begin Monday, Aug. 4. During that period, the delivery of interlibrary loans will be delayed.

However, the release states that the State Library “continues to look for effective and efficient weekly service models to avoid bottlenecks and keep materials moving.”

A select group of high-volume lending libraries will retain their twice-a-week IA Shares schedule after the transition, as part of that process, including the Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Residents with additional questions about the change and potential impacts to interlibrary loan delivery should contact their local library.

Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com