Public libraries are a community treasure in Iowa

“I can do it, I believe in myself, but I need help,” Dara Schmidt describes the 89-year-old woman who visited the downtown Cedar Rapids library because she wanted to open an email account. Her son had told her she could get regular pictures of her grandchildren if she just would get an email address. The staff helped her through the process and are now treated to adorable pictures every Tuesday morning, when she makes her regular visits.

There are over 500 libraries in Iowa, and they are filled with so much more than books. They hold countless stories like this one.

Two bills that would have negatively impacted libraries may have stalled in the House and Senate, but there still is reason to be wary. As Deborah Caldwell-Stone said of the wave of legislation that could impact libraries, “This is not a culture war; it’s a threat to our democracy.”

Schmidt, Library Director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, described what she sees as the beauty of Iowa libraries. “Where else can you go where a young family is going to story time and having a time of their lives and a young professional is also there using it as a working space? Someone down on luck that can have a warm place to be and just read a book. Seniors use us because it is a safe place to be.” They can escape isolation, “What a wonderful thing to be able to be in public — they can interact with others or sit quietly in a comfortable chair and just not be alone. And no one needs to pay any money to walk in the door.”

Libraries provide an ever-expanding role in the lives of Iowans. Beyond lending books and other materials, they offer access to computers and the internet, offer free programs for all age ranges, and provide climate-controlled environments for the unhoused or those without access to heating and cooling, a consideration that is increasingly important given the weather extremes we have experienced in Iowa.

They provide meeting spaces for all groups, even groups like Moms for Liberty who would like to remove some of their offerings. Schmidt is adamant that everyone has the right to use public library services. “There is an active chapter here and they meet at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. They are welcome to do so. I don’t have to agree with others to let people meet in public spaces. We are open to everyone.”

Libraries act as navigators and safe spaces, and their staff provide their valuable research skills to patrons on a broad range of topics. During the pandemic they were a lifeline to parents struggling with home schooling. They are now partnering with public health to improve the lives of Iowans by posting Community Health Workers in some locations. Public libraries empower communities and are vital to our democracy.

Which is why HSB 678 and SSB 3131 were so concerning. They go beyond the so called culture war of banning certain books (don’t get me wrong, discrimination and threats to intellectual freedom are very concerning) but they threaten the very existence of libraries by changing language that municipalities “may” levy taxes to fund public libraries instead of mandating this funding (SSB3131) and having already busy city councils more actively involved in replacing library board members and library operational issues (HSB 678).

The ways Cedar Rapids libraries and library staff help residents can be heartwarming, but also life-changing. Rebecca Vernon, Librarian at the Cedar Rapids library shared in a Director’s Report her impact on a library visitor last year “I was helping a patron release a print job. She shared that, thanks to the library's computers, she was able to get a new job recently. She was excited that soon, she would now be able to get her own computer!” Whether it is finding a job, gaining citizenship, or developing a reluctant child’s love of reading, the investment made in this public institution are returned multifold.

Schmidt’s first job was a shelver at the Manchester library. She moved away from Iowa and tried other occupations but realized that what she really loved was working in the public library. “People who work, volunteer, use libraries, these people actually believe in them.” Cedar Rapids has been able to build a new west side library and will eventually move out of the currently rented space, thanks to the estate donation of Nadine Sandberg. Schmidt describes this was not the result of a cultivated relationship but instead a random act of faith “Her estate lawyer said she wanted to leave her legacy to some place that would do great things with it. What an incredible and humbling honor and responsibility that people care out there and have faith and belief that libraries do and will continue to do great things for their community.”

Matt McGarvey, Executive Director of Telligen Community Initiative also sees the immense value of libraries and has invested considerably in them, “Our experiences with grant support to projects that utilize libraries to address place-based health disparities is real. Libraries have much to offer beyond books. They are a marker of community vitality. Similar to parks, community centers, and schools, library settings can and do have a potential as a venue for health knowledge and activity in any community if viewed creatively.”

What can you do? Keep writing to your legislator, showing up at the Capitol, but more than anything, invite others to understand the value that libraries offer all Iowans, regardless of politics or socioeconomic standing. Schmidt encourages Iowans to begin the conversation with their legislators with an invitation instead of just talking at them, by saying “I would love to invite you to a program so you can see what value us Iowans get from libraries.” She continues “engage them in a positive way to show the value. We need people who are passionate. We need people to get mad, but we also need to be able to have conversations.”

Chris Espersen is a Gazette editorial fellow. chris.espersen@thegazette.com