ILA supports efforts of advocacy for the mission of Iowa libraries.  Whether it’s public libraries, K-12 libraries, college/university libraries, or special libraries like the State Library of Iowa. ILA endeavors to defend challenges to intellectual freedom and the Freedom to Read, while also advocating for critical funding, access to information, local control, and the importance of teacher-librarians in every school.  

The Intellectual Freedom Committee and the Governmental Affairs Committee have long been part of ILA’s framework and diligently work to provide support and resources to Iowa libraries.  Access to assistance, workshops, strategies, and templates are offered not only in reaction to immediate needs, but also as proactive opportunities. 

• Governmental Affairs Committee(GAC)
  • 2023 Legislative Agenda
• Intellectual Freedom Committee

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.

Click here to read the full statement.

February 7: Lobby from Home Day

Contact your state legislator to say "Thank You" and to remind them how important you library is to your community!  They love hearing from local constituents even more than from librarians!  Find a way to get your patrons involved! Check out ILA's Lobby From Home Guide.

March 7, 12 to 2pm: ILA Advocacy Day 

State Capitol  Law Library,  2nd Floor

Join ILA in reaching out to legislators in person to discuss library-relevant issues.

The Iowa Library Association Libraries Transform Taskforce created six “because” statement postcards focusing on issues related to Iowa libraries for you to use as advocacy tools to help communicate the importance of libraries to stakeholders in your communities.

ILA encourages you to use these “because” statements as a story starters to share the impact your library has to the community, its citizens, city leaders, and constituents. Visit Libraries Transform to get involved with this campaign.

You'll get access to downloadable marketing materials, helpful tips for using the Libraries Transform campaign locally, and updates about the campaign from the American Library Association. Here’s a quick video to get you started with the toolkit: https://youtu.be/RQvAJh9FRWU