TheState Library of Iowa is alibrary service in theU.S. state ofIowa. Founded in around 1840, it is based inDes Moines and is run by theIowa Department of Education. The State Library supports local libraries in the state and it itself acts as a resource for the state government and its citizens. It is funded from local taxation.
The firstlegislative assembly of theTerritory of Iowa convened atBurlington on November 12, 1838. In his first message to this assembly on November 12, 1838, GovernorRobert Lucas referred to a library, reporting that prior to leavingOhio, 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 inCincinnati to purchase the books. This having been done and the books expected in a short time, he recommended to the assembly the appointment of alibrarian, 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 andSupreme Court and for four hours on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons the remainder of the year. The library was moved to the new Capitol inIowa City in 1857.
In January 1894, the library was moved to its new quarters in the west wing of the new capitol building inDes 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, withmarblewainscoting andpilasters, and had anencaustic tile floor. This original state library is still occupied by the statelaw 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 newState Historical, Memorial and Art Building. The State Library moved to the east wing of the building in 1912 where it remains today. A totalrenovation 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 tostate 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 theIowa Department of Education, offers a multitude of services and programs to the libraries and citizens of Iowa.[citation needed]
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The law library provides Iowalawmakers, government employees, the Iowa legal community and the general public with a highly specialized legal collection oftreatises and both state and federal statutory, regulatory and case law. The collection also contains the abstracts and arguments of theIowa Supreme Court andCourt of Appeals, legal periodicals, and materials produced by theIowa Legislature.
The State Data Center of Iowa is the source for population, housing, business and government statistics about Iowa, including data from theUS Census Bureau, Iowa state agencies, and other state and federal sources.
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