Enrich Iowa Frequently Asked Questions

Eligible libraries that want to participate in any of the Enrich Iowa programs are required to submit a signed Letter of Agreement each year. The Letters of Agreement are normally due on April 30. The letter must be signed by the library director or other signatory authority, such as the Board President.

Funding is distributed in the first quarter of the state fiscal year. Libraries are encouraged to receive funding via direct deposit, but paper checks can also be mailed.

If Enrich Iowa funds are unexpected revenue, your city will have to amend its budget. Unexpected revenue cannot be spent unless the budget is amended to include this additional income. The city clerk or city budget manager should be consulted to determine the date when the library’s amendment must be submitted for inclusion in the city’s budget amendment hearing. A legal form for requesting an amendment will be provided by the city.

Most cities routinely amend their budgets and library budget amendments should be included in these amendments. Amendments must be approved and published by city officials before May 31 of the current fiscal year, the statutory deadline for city budget amendments. 

The Open Access Program is open to Tier 1 or higher libraries.

The Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement Program is open to all Iowa public libraries, including Tier 0 libraries.

The Direct State Aid Program is open to Tier 1 or higher libraries. To participate in Direct State Aid, public libraries are also required to participate in the Open Access and Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement programs.

The following types of libraries are eligible for each program:

• Open Access: Iowa public and academic libraries.
• Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement: All Iowa library types, including public, K-12 school, AEA, special, and museum libraries.
• Direct State Aid: Iowa public libraries only.

To receive Direct State Aid funds for FY25 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) the public library must:

• Have been established two full years (or on or before July 1, 2022 in accord with the Code of Iowa).
  •  A copy of the library’s most recent ordinance or other legal documentation establishing it as a public library must be on file with the State Library.
• Submit an FY23 Public Library General Information Survey (“Annual Survey”) to the State Library by December 1, 2023.
• Return a signed Enrich Iowa Letter of Agreement for public libraries by April 30, 2024.
• Meet the standards requirements of Tier 1, 2 or 3.
• Participate in Open Access and Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement.
• Expend FY24 Direct State Aid funds by June 30, 2024. 
• File FY24 Direct State Aid report by July 31, 2024.

The State Library, the Iowa General Assembly, and the Governor’s Office are interested in knowing the impact of Direct State Aid funding on your community.

The legislation requires each library to maintain a listing of the Direct State Aid payments received and expenditures made. This listing will be submitted to the State Library as part of the library’s final report due July 31 each year. The State Library may ask your library for additional information for auditing purposes.

To determine your library’s Tier Level, the State Library used the most recent accreditation report with information provided by your library in the Public Library Annual Survey.

If a public library does not meet the requirements of at least Tier 1, the library is considered Tier 0. A Tier 0 library:

• Is not eligible to participate in the Open Access program.
• Is eligible to participate in the Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement program. 
• Is not eligible to receive Direct State Aid.

Direct State Aid is tied to the achievement of certain public library standards determined by the Accreditation & Standards program. The three-part funding formula includes:

• Base amount (Tier 1: $1,000; Tier 2: $2,000 or Tier 3: $3,000) dependent on compliance with three tiers of standards.
• Per capita amount (Tier 1: $0.20; Tier 2: $0.40 or Tier 3: $0.60) dependent on compliance with three tiers of standards. Certified decennial population figures from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office are used.
• Three percent (3%) of the amount of funding received by the library in the previous fiscal year for service to rural residents and to contracting communities. The percentage is the same for all tiers.
• The full amount is then factored by the percentage of Direct State Aid funding available for the current fiscal year. For FY25, there was $1.1 million available for Direct State Aid, which is 35.45% of the total amount needed to pay all libraries according to the formula.

Refer to In Service to Iowa: Public Library Standards for each Tier Level's requirements.

Tier 1 Funding Example

Any Town Public Library has a population of 500 and received $6,000 of county funding last fiscal year. The library complies with Tier 1 requirements. The formula is:

• Base amount for a Tier 1 library = $1,000
• Per capita amount for a Tier 1 library of 500 population ($.20 x 500) = $100
• County funding ($6,000 county funding x .03) = $180

Direct State Aid at full funding for this library should be $1,000 + $100 + $180 = $1,280, but the percentage of funding available for FY25 = 35.45%  

This library will receive ($1,280 x 0.3545) = $453 in Direct State Aid for FY25. 

Tier 2 Funding Example

Any Town Public Library has a population of 500 and received $6,000 of county funding last fiscal year. The library complies with Tier 2 requirements. The formula is:

• Base amount for a Tier 2 library = $2,000
• Per capita amount for a Tier 2 library of 500 population ($.40 x 500) = $200
• County funding ($6,000 county funding x .03) = $180

Direct State Aid at full funding for this library should be ($2,000 + $200 + $180) = $2,380, but the percentage of funding available for FY25 = 35.45%  

This library will receive ($2,380 x 0.3545) = $844 in Direct State Aid for FY25. 

Tier 3 Funding Example

Any Town Public Library has a population of 500 and received $6,000 of county funding last fiscal year. The library complies with Tier 3 requirements.  The formula includes:

• Base amount for a Tier 3 library = $3,000
• Per capita amount for a Tier 3 library of 500 population ($.60 x 500) = $300
• County funding ($6,000 county funding x .03) = $180

Direct State Aid at full funding for this library should be ($3,000 + $300 + $180) = $3,480, but the percentage of funding available for FY25 = 35.45%  

This library will receive ($3,480 x 0.3545) = $1,234 in Direct State Aid for FY25. 

The amount of money each library receives is dependent on the:

• Amount of Direct State Aid funding available
• Tier status achieved by the library
• Number of libraries that apply for Direct State Aid funds

The State Library determines the amount each library receives using these steps:

1. Determine the library’s Tier Level (based on information the library has submitted to the State Library). 
2. Apply the Tier Level formula to determine the amount the library would receive if Direct State Aid were fully funded.
3. Multiply the library’s full funding amount by the percentage of Direct State Aid funding available.

Each local public library determines how to use the Direct State Aid funding received. Direct State Aid funding for FY25:

• Must be used to improve library service.
• Must be spent by June 30, 2025.
• Must supplement, not replace, any other funding received by the library.