Library Law FAQs

Last week and this, we’ll look to the State Library’s website for new additions and updates to familiar resources.  Last week, it was all about the State Data Center and its updated site in preparation for the 2020 Census.  This week the spotlight shines on a new resource—Library Law FAQs.

The State Library recently unveiled this new resource answering common questions about library law topics in Iowa.  Library Law FAQs is a trove of 75 questions and answers divided into categories ranging from finances to personnel issues to copyright concerns and beyond. This webpage provides an ideal place to start when library directors, staff, trustees, or city officials have questions about the ways local, state, and federal law impacts the library’s operation.

Law Librarian Mandy Easter compiled this Q&A collection based on her frequent interactions with Iowa librarians, drawing on 18 years of experience providing legal reference services for the State Library. The 75 questions are divided into six categories: 

1)    The Library as a City Agency

2)    Human Resources and Labor

3)    Funding and Finance

4)    Policies—Legal Concerns

5)    Programs and Services

6)    Copyright

Librarians are encouraged to reference this list to double-check their understanding of library-related laws.  Also be sure to bookmark the webpage as more questions and answers will be added regularly.

Browse through Library Law FAQs at the button below.  For specific questions or to seek clarification on any published answers, continue to contact Mandy Easter at 515-281-5124 or Law.Library@iowa.gov.

Library Law FAQs

Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey
into the Heart of America

Next up in the State Library’s “Big Ideas Book Discussion” is Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James and Deborah Fallows.  This is a study of small town America—the fly over states—where people are optimistic about the future because they are so much a part of shaping the future.   Among the people the authors interviewed for this book, librarians from small towns feature prominently.

Big Ideas Book Discussions happen online, Our Towns is scheduled for November 30th (9:30-11:00)  Here’s more from Good Reads “…For the last five years, James and Deborah Fallows have been traveling across America in a single-engine prop airplane. Visiting dozens of towns, they have met hundreds of civic leaders, educators, librarians, immigrants, environmentalists, city planners,  and entrepreneurs, all to take the pulse and understand the prospects of places that usually draw notice only after a disaster or during a political campaign…”  In other reviews “…reminiscent of On The Road with Charles Kuralt…and in the  tradition of John Steinbeck…the Fallows have crisscrossed the country in search of the extraordinary strength and character of ordinary people and places. What they’ve found—in towns we know and others off the beaten path—should give us all great hope for the future.”

In Big Ideas Book Discussions, State Library staff and guest stars facilitate discussions using books outside of library management, but with plenty of application to library management. Choosing books on leadership, civic engagement, customer service, presentation skills, etc. we’ll connect those ideas with public library service. In addition to a good assortment of non-fiction titles, there are other spin-off benefits of participating in Big Ideas:  

  titles help with collection development for participating libraries
  titles are good choices for local book discussion groups
  this program serves as another model for how to facilitate local book discussions

Registration is open in the C.E. Catalog--plenty of time to acquire the book and join us for the next good read—Our Towns.

C.E. Catalog

2019 Titles Announced 

At the Iowa Library Association Conference two weeks ago, attendees learned the titles that have been chosen as the 2019 Kids and Teens All Iowa Reads Program.  The 2019 AIR title for teens (ages 12-18) is A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi.  And the 2019 AIR title for kids (ages 8-12) is Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan.

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes: “in a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed.  And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future… As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey.  But while this is one family's story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss…”

Amina’s Voice: “…A Pakistani-American  Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family’s vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community in this “compassionate, timely novel… Amina’s Voice brings to life the joys and challenges of a young Pakistani-American and highlights the many ways in which one girl’s voice can help bring a diverse community together to love and support each other.”

The 2019 All Iowa Reads title for adults will be announced later this month because…next year’s title will be a selection for both Iowa and Nebraska in conjunction with the 2019 joint conference of the Iowa and Nebraska Library Associations, October 2-4 in La Vista Nebraska.  

This Week ....

The State Library’s Learning Circuits are underway today and continuing throughout the week.  Formerly known as “Town Meetings,” the Learning Circuits this year focus on the Edge as we welcome Edge trainers to Iowa. 

If you’ve completed the Edge Technology Assessment, you're ready for the next steps. But that’s not a deal breaker—these are important workshops to help library staff learn more about how to benefit from this entirely free technology toolkit.  

From the C.E. Catalog description: “… Learn to connect The Edge with your local planning efforts, with your advocacy efforts, and with your budget presentations to funders. You will leave with a good understanding of how to use The EDGE to talk to community leaders, with an action plan going forward…”    

Look to the C.E. Catalog for the Learning Circuit date and location nearest you.

C.E. Catalog