Today (Saturday, Feb. 10) the Thomas Jefferson Gardens board hosted State Senator Jesse Green and State Representative Carter Nordman, during “Meet Your Legislator.” It was standing room only, with numerous Greene Countians and several from out of county present to hear Jefferson statesman, Rick Morain, pose constituency generated-questions to the elected leaders.
The dialogue was videotaped, and I listened intently as the both men portrayed their legislative work as seeking effective, efficient government. They both praised Governor Kim Reynolds for seeking to control the Area Education Agencies by moving them to the Department of Education, and for combining substance abuse and mental health services into seven combined regional agencies.
There were numerous questions about the legislative bills regarding Iowa libraries. The Iowa Library Association was accused by Rep Nordman of lying about the legislative bill being put forward by him.
Our Rippey library, like many of the other 500 libraries in Iowa, has become the hub of our community. In my little town, there is no school or grocery store, one of the banks was shuttered within the last year, all the result of a diminished rural population.
Our Rippey library is the gathering place for children to meet the shuttle bus to transport them the 20-mile commute to school in Jefferson. The supplemental summer lunch distribution for children occurs on the library grounds. The library has computer access for people who may need online income tax filing, be seeking employment, or just communicating with others by email. Our Rippey library recently purchased a sewing machine that may be used at the library or to be checked out for home use by the patrons. The basketballs for the newly built court, and pickleball paddles are also available for check out from our library.
The children’s summer reading program certainly helps young children improve their reading skills and learn socialization skills. All good services and needed things for our community.
A senate study bill offered by Sen Green and then withdrawn Feb. 6 was to move the responsibilities of the library boards to the city councils. Greene County’s House Rep Carter Nordman introduced House Study Bill 678 on Feb. 8. It was advanced through subcommittee on a 2-1 vote over the objections of a host of librarians, administrators, and residents from across the state. HSB 678 will repeal the process requiring city officials to put any proposed change to the library board in front of voters.
With that referendum process removed, city councils could unilaterally remove and replace members of the library board. The bill would also empower them to oversee hiring a library director and determine how tax dollars for library projects and initiatives, including books and magazines, will be spent.
Nordman said in an interview with the Des Moines Register, “For me, it’s not really about the content (of the books), but for the most is for the city administrators and city council members. It’s about the personnel issues and [how the] taxpayer dollars are being spent.”
Nordman, when asked what mayor or city council approached him with concerns, glossed over the question and left it unanswered. When prompted by moderator Morain, Nordman acknowledged that the city council would be able to control the books, magazines, and programming done by the library. He also stated, though, that no one in the statehouse is interested in doing anything about a library’s collection.
The history of our Rippey library goes back 90 years. Through the efforts of several women community leaders the first library was housed in the grocery store. Notice the Saturday evening hours available as the rural people came to do their weekly shopping on Saturday evenings. Here is the article from the Jefferson Herald of Sept. 7, 1933:
“The P.T.A Library hours are the same as they were during the summer months: Tuesday afternoon 4-4:30, Saturday afternoon 3-5:30, and Saturday evening 7:30-9:30. In addition to three hundred volumes of books belonging to the library, we have a loan of sixty excellent books, both fiction and non-fiction, for adults, from the State Library in Des Moines. These books from Des Moines are free. It is hoped that everyone who enjoys good reading will patronize the library in the Rippey Mercantile store.”
The numerous problems we Iowans are experiencing such as young people fleeing our state, lack of mental health services, inadequate nursing home care, teacher shortages, hungry children, lack of childcare, health care institutions facing financial struggles, high cancer rates, contaminated water, and diminishing educational test scores….. but our Senator and Representative introduce legislation to alter the functioning of libraries?
In my view, every Iowan deserves an independent, non-politicized volunteer public library board to oversee community libraries. When public libraries become politicized, citizens’ literary choices will diminish.
Mary Weaver writes VIEW FROM MY WINDOW two times per month from her residence in rural Rippey.
