State Library Welcomes IMLS Officer for 5-Year Site Visit

In late September 2024, the State Library welcomed Dennis Nangle, Senior Program Officer with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a site visit to review IMLS-funded programs the State Library offers to Iowa libraries and the public.

The three-day site visit, which happens every five years, began with meetings with State Library staff to share more about the programs and work they do. On the second day, Nangle joined Brenda Hall, Library Program Director; Emily Bainter, Communications Specialist, and Becky Heil, Southeast District Consultant, on a road trip to eastern Iowa to visit and tour five public libraries, including Marion, West Liberty, Swisher, Solon, and Ely. On the final day of the site visit, Nangle and State Library staff attended the Central District Learning Circuit at the Kirkendall Public Library in Ankeny, which featured sessions on artificial intelligence and libraries as well as an interactive misinformation escape room.

“Site visits remain a critical element to the work we do in the Grants to States office: not only are we able to provide on-site guidance and technical support, but having the opportunity to see the tangible impacts of these funds, which are so expertly managed by state libraries, is priceless,” said Nangle.

About IMLS Funding

The federally-funded IMLS provides the State Library with an annual allotment of about $2 million through the Library Services Technology Act via the Grants to States program. The funding makes it possible for the State Library to provide programs and services that benefit Iowa libraries and the public, including:

• IA Shares, the twice-per-week statewide delivery program for public libraries, facilitated by SILO interlibrary loan software.
• Online resources like WhoFi, offering a suite of library management tools and Brainfuse HelpNow, for homework help and tutoring, as well as the People’s Law Library of Iowa website for easy to understand information about Iowa’s laws.
• Access to the Bridges Magazine Collection, with more than 4,000 titles available anytime.
• Promoting literacy and STEM concepts through the Summer Library Program, STEM To Go and Storytime Kits, and the All Iowa Reads program.
• State Library programs such as Standards & Accreditation, Continuing Education & Endorsement, the State Data Center, Iowa Library Statistics, Consulting services, PLOW and more.

Nangle said the highlights from his trip to Iowa included seeing the statewide delivery system (IA Shares) first-hand and participating in the deep fake escape room at the Learning Circuit.

View a slideshow featuring images from the site visit: