ICPL advances to Sweetums16 for Leslie B. Knope Award
The Iowa City Public Library is
in the running for the best library in the United States!
Presented by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL), the Leslie B. Knope Award is
meant to highlight “organizations and individuals that motivate, inspire and
attract the best and brightest to local government.”
ICPL was one of nearly 90 public libraries initially nominated
for the award, which is named after local government champion Leslie B. Knope on
NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” Knope is played by actress Amy Poehler.
Public votes determine which libraries advance in the
competition. Thanks to support in the first
two rounds of voting, ICPL is now in the Sweetums16 Ron Swanson bracket,
competing for Big Ten bragging rights against Schlow Centre Region Library, in
State College, Penn., home to Penn State University.
Voting in the Sweetums16 round continues through
Friday, February 9. Visit http://bit.ly/2EGOeVa to vote for ICPL. Voters may only vote once. The libraries with the most
votes will advance to a group of eight. Currently, Iowa City and the City of
Cedar Rapids are the only libraries in Iowa still in the contest.
The overall winner will be announced on March 2.
While the award is named after Leslie Knope, “Parks and Recreation” viewers know she’s not a fan of public libraries. Part of
Knope’s dislike of the Pawnee library is due to its director, Tammy Swanson.
Played by Megan Mullally, Tammy Swanson is the ex-wife of Knope’s colleague and
friend, Ron Swanson, played by Mullally’s real-life husband, Nick Offerman.
ICPL does not employ anyone named Tammy. What the
Library does have is a Bookmobile that brings ICPL to those unable to visit the downtown location. The Library also has a dedicated area for its teen
patrons and a recently remodeled children’s room with space for Tween visitors.
Located in the UNESCO City of Literature, ICPL is the
busiest public library in the state, averaging 235 visitors per hour. The Library circulated
1.3 million items during fiscal year 2017, with digital materials – eBooks, audiobooks and digital magazines – accounting for nearly 15
percent of that total.
The Library circulates Wi-Fi Hotspots as well as
laptop computers, and has a mobile app. MyICPL allows patrons to
conveniently access and manage their accounts, search the catalog, add events
to a personal calendar, and contact the library. Framed art pieces, book
club kits and storytime kits also are available to check out.
ICPL has received national attention for its Autism Accessible Browsing Hour, during
which the Library opens an hour early on Saturdays to serve those on the autism spectrum. The Library also supports and promotes area musicians through the Local Music
Project, a collection of
albums from eastern Iowa performers. Patrons are able to stream or download the
music by logging in to the website with their ICPL Library Card.
For more information, call the Library at
319-356-5200.
