All Three Author Presentations in July

This is great programming news to share with your library staff, Friends Group, and local book clubs. The three authors of the 2022 All Iowa Reads titles will appear in virtual visits come July. The State Library is sponsoring these conversations to give Iowans a chance to hear from the All Iowa Reads authors. The author presentations are free and open to the public, but note that registration is required. 

At each event, the authors will be joined by a moderator to discuss their books, their creative process, and to address questions from the virtual audience. Attendees will have the option to submit a question ahead of time when registering; otherwise people are encouraged to ask questions in chat during the event. Reading any of the three 2022 All Iowa Reads titles in advance is encouraged, but not required. The author visits will NOT be recorded.

This will be especially interesting programming for local library book clubs to enjoy. Library staff can facilitate and promote these author talks by downloading printable PDF posters to display in the library and to send in direct marketing to book club members. Find the promo posters at the button below.

July Dates & Registration

The dates and times for each author visit is listed below and also on the webpage linked at the button below. PLEASE NOTE: for these three events, registration is not handled through IALearns.  Instead, click on the DATE(s) to open the online registration form.

Thursday July 14 @ 4:30PM | Jennifer Longo, author of the 2022 Teen All Iowa Reads title What I Carry

Tuesday July 26 @ 4:30PM | Kate O'Shaughnessy, author of the 2022 Kids All Iowa Reads title The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane

Wednesday July 27 @ 7:00PM  | Rachel Mans McKenny, author of the 2022 All Iowa Reads adult title The Butterfly Effect

About All Iowa Reads

Established in 2003, the purpose of All Iowa Reads is to foster a sense of unity through reading. Iowans are encouraged to come together in their communities to read and talk about a single book title in the same calendar year. All Iowa Reads consists of three programs, each with one title chosen per year: adults, teens ages 12-18, and kids ages 8-12.

All Iowa Reads is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services  under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of Iowa.

Register For AIR Virtual Author Visits

State Data Center Launches New Website

Just weeks ago, the State Data Center unveiled a newly designed website.  Under the administration of the State Library, the mission of the State Data Center is to increase the availability of census data in Iowa and to assist people in using it.  The State Data Center is also an advocate for policies to improve census data about Iowa.

The newly revamped website site was created from the ground up and presents data in new ways to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.  For instance, when users visit the site, they are presented with a banner of animated tickers that count up to the total population and the total occupied housing units in Iowa. Below the banner are buttons of major subject areas, as well as links to the U.S. Census Bureau, a featured visualization, and a section of recent news items.

State Data Center Coordinator Gary Krob writes “We’re really pleased to present the data in two ways with the new website, both by data source and by subject category. We believe this will help users find the data they need, but we’re still happy to assist with any specific requests.”

Library Planning Relies On State Data

The State Library has long recommended that public libraries incorporate this important  demographic data into long-range planning efforts.  Information gleaned from the State Data Center will inform library boards and staff about shifts in their county population, median ages of their city residents, education and income levels, race and ethnicity stats, even time spent for people commuting to work.  Links to City Quick Facts and County Quick Facts are especially helpful.

This type of community data is required of all libraries that need to submit a strategic plan, especially significant for those in the next accreditation cycle coming February 2023.  According to Standard #17 [Tier2] “The library has a current written plan that projects up to 5 years into the future and outlines the library's goals and objectives to meet community needs. To meet this standard, the plan must address community needs based on community data … “

Comment and Explore

The new State Data Center website is a result of more than six months of work by State Library staff and required moving hundreds of data visualizations to new pages. The website will continue to be updated and improved on a regular basis. We welcome feedback on the new website via the Website Feedback Form.  Explore it all at the button below.

Explore the State Data Center

Iowa Public Library Statistics FY21

Published on State Library Website

Speaking of data, be sure to take a look at this document newly published on the State Library website--the Iowa Public Library Statistics (FY21)  Also known as the Big Library Stats Book, this is the culmination of the Annual Library Surveys which public library directors complete every October.  And an incredibly useful resource at budget time or any time.

Each year, once the Annual Library Survey filing window closed, Scott Dermont and team set to work distilling an amazing amount of data from Iowa’s 543 public libraries.  The compilation of that data—the Iowa Public Library Statistics—includes information from city and county appropriations to library budgets, library expenditures, collections, circulation, programming, and many other measures of yearly activity. 

From the publication’s introduction: “Each section is arranged by size code, then alphabetically by city. The totals, averages, and percentiles for each size code grouping are given immediately following the alphabetical listings.  The total population served by the 543 libraries is 2,370,058. 2010 decennial population data is used to determine per capita figures throughout the publication. Library size codes are based on the population of the city that the library was established to serve. Population figures are from the 2010 Census or most current special census. County library populations are based on rural county population and contractual agreements.”

How To Use

Public library statistics are used at the local, regional, state, and national levels. They are used to compare library performance across population groups, to justify budget requests, to track library usage over time.  These statistics assist in planning and evaluation, as well as provide valuable information needed for grants.  

All 50 states collect information according to guidelines and definitions established by the Public Library Statistics Cooperative (PLSC) The PLSC provides state-by-state rankings for public libraries in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Fun Fact: in FY19, the latest national data available, Iowa had 543 independent public libraries, ranking 4^th nationally behind New York, Illinois, and Texas.

Read More: Iowa Public Library Statistics FY21

Reminder to Verify ...

Request To Verify

This request comes from Scott Dermont: by June 30, he asks that you verify the Tier status your library has achieved in meeting standards,.  This is one last check to ensure that you agree with your library’s Tier status—as given to you in a letter from Scott last month—so that Scott and team can proceed to determine Direct State Aid funding for all eligible libraries.

Scott writes “Once the checks are cut, it is too late and we'll no longer make changes to accommodate any errors. This especially applies to anyone in the standards / accreditation reporting cycle this year [Feb2022] although I’m asking everyone to double check, just to make sure.” 

Again, refer back to the letter you should have received from Scott last month. If all looks good, there’s no need to contact him.  But if your opinion about your library’s Tier status differs from Scott’s assessment, please contact him quickly to discuss.  ( [email protected] )

Webinars Take A Holiday

Webinars from the State Library take a holiday until after the July 4^th fireworks.  But there are classes from other education providers out there, including WebJunction, InfoPeople, and PLA, to  name a few. Find them with a button click!

Opportunities From Other Education Providers