Certification and Continuing Education

Iowa Certification Program for Public Librarians

Public library directors should be certified, or be willing to become certified within two years of hire, under the Iowa Certification Program for Public Librarians administered by the State Library of Iowa.  To receive Direct State Aid, a public library must have a director who is certified or who becomes certified within two years of hire at the required level.  The level of required certification is tied to the population of the community.

Please see detailed information about the Certification Program.

Continuing Education

The goal of the State Library's Continuing Education (CE) program is to help library staff acquire, maintain and develop their skills in order to provide the best service possible to their customers and community. 

Our Continuing Education program is integral to Public Librarian Certification. In addition to completing Public Library Management (PLM) 1 and 2, the program requires certified library staff to earn a minimum of 45 Continuing Education contact hours every three years.  The State Library offers a wide array of classes in person, over the ICN and over the Web to help librarians maintain their certification.

To register for and participate in State Library continuing education, first create an account in the CE Catalog.  Make a note of your username and password because you'll be using the CE catalog frequently.