Advocacy
Advocacy
Lobby Day & Legislative Priorities
2024 REQUEST SUMMARY
Please ask for appropriations staffer to request that their lawmaker:
• Support at least $211 million for Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) and $30 million for Innovative Approaches to Literacy Act (IAL).
•Reject cuts to LSTA in the House bill.
•Visit a library in the district and learn about the services provided to their constituents.
LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT (LSTA)
With bipartisan support, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018 reauthorized the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) through Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. However, funding for LSTA remains below levels from FY 2010. LSTA is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Advocacy Tools For Members
For Immediate Release: April 19, 2024
Iowa Library Association's Response to SF496
Contact: Julie Finch, 2024 ILA President, admin@iowalibraryassociation.org
Statement from the Iowa Library Association on Filing an Amicus Brief Regarding SF496
The Iowa Library Association (ILA) stands firm in its commitment to protecting the fundamental rights of access to information and intellectual freedom for all Iowans. With deep concern regarding the implications of Senate File 496 (SF496), the ILA has joined the Freedom to Read Foundation and American Association of School Librarians in filing an amicus curiae brief in the two cases pending (GLBT Youth in IA Schools v. Reynolds and Penguin Random House v.
Robbins) in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Iowa Library Association's Response to SF496
1. What is SF496, and why is it concerning to libraries?
SF496 is a legislative proposal that introduces measures potentially impacting access to certain materials in libraries. It raises concerns regarding clarity of First Amendment standards, censorship, intellectual freedom, and the ability of libraries to provide diverse and comprehensive resources to their communities.
Iowa Library Association Statement on SF496
Oral Arguments in 8th Circuit Court
The Iowa Library Association (ILA) stands firmly against the censorship embodied in SF496, a legally ambiguous law currently facing an injunction and under review by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. This law threatens the principles of free access to information and intellectual freedom, which are cornerstones of libraries and healthy democracies.
Statement on Legislative Action
Iowa Library Association Statement on HF 718 in Regard to Library Levies
The Iowa Library Association urges Iowa communities and local government officials to discuss the levy bill-related changes that will diminish and harm library services throughout the state.
In order to create the necessary pressure to sustainably fund library services, ILA implores library supporters to:
- email their City Council members
- call their Library Board of Trustee members
- participate in library advocacy initiatives
In Iowa, special levies are taxes that have been petitioned for and then passed by local citizens through an election. A special levy specifically ties the funds to a particular purpose, like supporting local libraries. Special levies represent the will of the people. Of all the special levies approved by Iowa citizens, library levies have been the second most heavily utilized.
In the fiscal year ending in 2023, 97 Iowa communities benefited from special library levies. Those levies guaranteed funds for libraries that could not legally be allocated to any other purpose. Some of these libraries depend heavily on library levies for their operational budgets. Iowa libraries are connected through collaborative services, like sharing databases and materials. When one library loses funding, it negatively impacts every library in the state.
This year, the state legislature passed a property tax reform package to reduce property tax bills across the state. One of the provisions of the bill, known as HF 718, combines 15 of the state’s individual levies into a single general levy. With the passage of HF 718, funds will be collected as part of the general levy but can no longer be guaranteed for a special purpose — like the library.
This bill stripped Iowans of their right to grow library services through local elections. In addition, Iowa communities were stripped of the budget they were legally pledged and no longer have guaranteed funding. Other communities no longer have the ability to locally petition for a library-directed levy.
Library funding is an access and freedom issue that impacts all. Fewer resources mean fewer books and ebooks, less programming, and diminished return on Iowans’ investment in libraries. The voices of the people must be heard. Iowans must speak loudly to ensure library services do not suffer as they compete for limited funds.
Letter to the Iowa Department of Education regarding Senate File 496
The Iowa Association of School Librarians and Iowa Library Association have identified logistical and practical matters which must be addressed in order to adhere with emerging law through Senate File 496. Read the full letter here.
Iowa Library Association calls on Iowans to remember our historic values for broad informational access and intellectual freedom and to continue to lean into the work we do together to promote literacy, learning, and free inquiry. ILA urges Iowans to support their local board members and commissioners in their efforts to safeguard free speech. ILA implores Iowans to tell their elected officials that they trust the representational stewardship provided by library workers through essential library services. ILA asks Iowans to stand united against book bans by utilizing their libraries for their educational, social, and entertainment goals.
Iowa Library Association calls on its membership, partners, advocates, and all concerned with the future of free people reading freely to exercise their right to read, to access information, and to demand the right of Iowans to govern themselves through local control of library governance.