Cedar Rapids Public Library seeks support in November election

CEDAR RAPIDS - Petitioners canvassed the Farmers Market Saturday morning, gathering signatures that will let them put a funding levy on the November ballot. The levy would ask for $0.27 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The approved levy would ensure ongoing library access to the community.

Doug Elliott, a member of the board of trustees, spent his Saturday morning shaking hands with everyday Cedar Rapidians, the same people who use the public library every day.

'Thanks for being a library supporter,” Elliott said to one couple signing a petition.

As of Saturday morning, board of trustees president Joe Lock said the board had already collected more than 1,000 signatures, on the way to their goal of 2,017. That's the magic number of valid registered voters needed to get the measure on the ballot.

'The Iowa Legislature has made a library levy the vehicle that 77 cities in Iowa utilize in order to provide ongoing, sustainable operational support,” Lock explained.

Lock said he's not looking for a 'yes” vote right now, just a chance to get those 'yes” votes.

'They can go to any U.S. Bank Location, any Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust location, or any Wells Fargo location to sign this petition to help us get it on the ballot,” Lock told us. 'Last year more than 660,000 people came to the library. That's more than two and a half times the number that came to the U.S. Cellular Center for events there.”

Lock said that translates to one item from the library's collection being checked out every eight seconds.

Earlier this year, the library asked the city council for a nearly $670,000 funding increase for 2016. Officials said at the time the increase from the city was necessary due to increased library usage and the end of a previously passed levy.