Iowans Visit Congressmen in Support of Federal Funding for Libraries

State Librarian Mary Wegner, Iowa Library Association president Susan Craig, and ILA Governmental Affairs Committee chairman Duncan Stewart were among those urging Capitol Hill legislators to support libraries as part of National Library Legislative Day held May 1 and 2 in Washington D.C.  The event is sponsored by the American Library Association and other concerned organizations to raise awareness about the importance to local communities of federal funding and programs.

Wegner, Craig and Stewart met with Senator Charles Grassley, Representative Jim Leach, and legislative staff from the offices of Senator Tom Harkin and Representatives Leonard Boswell, Steve King, Tom Latham and Jim Nussle. 

The Iowans shared good news about increases in the use of Iowa public libraries over the past 10 years - visits up 30%, checkouts up 10%, and public library card holders up 15%.  They also stressed the importance to Iowans of the federal funding that the State Library receives from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). 

According to Mary Wegner, "The annual Congressional visits give us the opportunity to tell the story of Iowa libraries.  We discussed how the State Library uses federal LSTA funds to improve library services for Iowans.  More than half of all Iowans benefit from the LSTA.  The EBSCOHost databases for academic and public libraries, the Iowa Center for the Book, the SILO Locator and interlibrary loan program, and the public library Summer Reading Program are all supported in Iowa with LSTA funds."

Susan Craig noted, "The American Library Association (ALA) does a wonderful job of arranging for this lobbying effort.  The staff of the ALA Washington Office are very well informed and work very hard to promote the issues important to the library community."