State Library of Iowa


The State Library of Iowa is a library service in the American state of Iowa. Founded around 1840, it is based in Des Moines and is run by the Iowa Department of Education. The State Library supports local libraries in the state and itself acts as a resource for the state government and its citizens.

History

The first legislative assembly of the Territory of Iowa convened at Burlington on November 12, 1838. In his first message to this assembly on November 12, 1838, Governor Robert Lucas referred to a library, reporting that prior to leaving Ohio, and with the assistance of several library friends, he had made a catalogue of standard works he deemed as most important as the foundation of a library, and had commissioned an agent in Cincinnati to purchase the books. This having been done and the books expected in a short time, he recommended to the assembly the appointment of a librarian, defining his duties, who should be custodian of the library.
The second legislative assembly of 1840 passed an Act for the appointment of a librarian and defined his duties. The library was open every day during the sessions of the legislature and Supreme Court and for four hours on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons the remainder of the year. The library was moved to the new Capitol in Iowa City in 1857.
In January 1894, the library was moved to its new quarters in the west wing of the new capitol building in Des Moines. The new library was an addition of true architectural beauty to the new capitol. Its four galleries were reached by winding stairs at either end of the room. It was furnished in ash and chestnut, with marble wainscoting and pilasters, and had an encaustic tile floor. This original state library is still occupied by the state law library and its architectural beauty is admired by thousands of tourists each year.
While the legal materials remained in the capitol, in 1857 the rest of the state library’s collections were moved to the west wing of the new State Historical, Memorial and Art Building. The State Library moved to the east wing of the building in 1912 where it remains today. A total renovation of the building meant to bring back the original colors and design features began in 1999 and ended in 2001.
The original mission of the State Library was to provide services to state government. Over the years, this mission grew to include the planning and development of library services on a statewide basis. Today, the State Library, a division of the Iowa Department of Education, offers a multitude of services and programs to the libraries and citizens of Iowa.

Support for local libraries

The law library provides Iowa lawmakers, government employees, the Iowa legal community and the general public with a highly specialized legal collection of treatises and both state and federal statutory, regulatory and case law. The collection also contains the abstracts and arguments of the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, legal periodicals, and materials produced by the Iowa Legislature.
The State Data Center of Iowa is the source for population, housing, business and government statistics about Iowa, including data from the US Census Bureau, Iowa state agencies, and other state and federal sources.