Email Transition Resources

• Free personal accounts are allowed for business use; however, in that case, custom domains are not supported (must use @gmail.com).
• Nonprofit Gmail accounts are not available to government entities.
• Gmail stores deleted emails for 60 days and provides a built-in archive folder that is never deleted.
• AtMail archive transfer is supported in Thunderbird.
• Additional plan options offered at an additional cost for more storage and features.

Google Workspace Information & Pricing

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)
• Public libraries qualify for Microsoft nonprofit status.
• Free for up to 300 users.
• Web and mobile versions of Microsoft 365 apps.
• 1 TB of cloud file storage.
• Business-class email and customized domain capability.
• AtMail archive transfer via Outlook.
• Additional paid options offered for more features.

Microsoft 365 Nonprofit Plans & Pricing

• Offers a free plan option with generous inbox storage space.
• Custom domains are not supported for any plan option (must use @yahoo.com).
• Yahoo stores deleted emails for 30 days and provides a built-in archive folder that is never deleted.
• AtMail archive transfer is supported in Thunderbird.

Yahoo Mail Plus Information

• Free plan option offered with customized domain capability (can keep @[cityname].lib.ia.us].
• The $4 plan offers email backup and restoration (up to 50GB in addition to the 50GB for the box).
• Must use an owned domain (@[cityname].lib.ia.us) or there is an option to buy a custom email domain (i.e. @[city]library.com).
• Walks you through the domain setup process and migration of AtMail email archive on initial setup of account, which can take a while but is fairly straightforward. 
• If not completed during setup, AtMail email archive transfer can be manually done after the fact in Thunderbird.
• Additional paid plan options offered for more storage and features.

Zoho Mail Premium Information & Pricing 

Zoho Business Email Setup Guide

Many users have experienced ongoing technical issues with AtMail’s email service. Satisfaction with AtMail and their corporate customer service has been low.

The State Library also has concerns with handling FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests. Because state and local government emails are considered public records, providing email service to libraries puts the State Library in the time consuming and potentially sensitive position of middleman between the city handling the FOIA request and the email service provider. Legally, these situations are best handled in their entirety by the city.

The State Library began offering email service when it was tied to the first generation of PLOW library websites, in the early days of the internet. At the time, few libraries had email service or the staff expertise to set it up. Now, email is ubiquitous, and can be likened to phone or internet service, which the State Library does not subsidize for libraries. There are also no other state library agencies that provide the same level of email service to public libraries on a statewide basis.

The last day for AtMail email service is April 30, 2025. On May 1, 2025, public libraries will have to start using an alternative service for email. 

Libraries can transition to a new service any time before May 1, and are encouraged to do so sooner rather than later. The State Library is giving more than eight months' notice to allow libraries plenty of time to evaluate options, make a selection and move to a new email service.

Yes! The State Library owns and will continue to own the @[cityname].lib.ia.us for all public libraries in Iowa.

If your new email provider supports the use of custom domains, you will be able to continue using your @[cityname].lib.ia.us email address. Follow the setup and domain transfer instructions of your new email provider. 

The main benefit of keeping your @[cityname].lib.ia.us domain is the consistency; you will not have to notify your patrons and stakeholders of the change and you will not have to update your email address in the many resources it’s currently stored in. 

The set up process will depend on the new email provider. Most require creating an account and setting up payment (if not using a free plan). Once your new email service accounts are created and you’ve transferred your email archive (if applicable), contact your District LRT so the State Library can track which libraries have migrated to a new service.

Emails in AtMail will be available until April 30, 2025. After that date, all accounts will be deleted and you will not have access to old emails that were not moved over to new accounts. 

Since emails are considered public records, they fall under records retention rules and must be archived and kept available for potential records requests until the retention schedule lapses. Ultimately, the length of time to retain emails is determined by the city.

Watch a State Library webinar recording for more information on records retention and what that means for your library emails: Reliable Records Retention.

The Iowa League of Cities has also developed a Record Retention Manual for Iowa cities with recommended retention schedules for different types of records.

Library emails are considered public records and employees should have no expectation of privacy when using the library's computers and electronic equipment. 

FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests in Iowa must conform with Iowa Code Chapter 22, entitled “Examination of Public Records (Open Records).”

Each city should have a written policy for handling FOIA requests made to any of its agencies, including the public library. Consider notifying your city attorney of any open records requests to guide your city’s response.

You can read more about FOIA requests for library records and find additional resources in the following Library Law FAQ developed by the Law Librarian: I just received a FOIA request for library records. What do I do?

No, AtMail does not offer individual accounts.

The State Library has provided several options for email service providers that should work for most libraries. Free account options are available, or you may choose to upgrade to a paid option for additional features like custom domains or additional inbox storage space. The State Library does not specifically endorse any of those companies, and you are free to choose a service that is not on the list. These options include:

• Google Business
• Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits
• Yahoo Mail
• Zoho

As a department of the city, you may also want to explore joining your city’s email service provider. This may be a cost effective option and would reinforce the connection between the library and city.

You may also want to inquire with your library’s internet service provider (ISP), which may offer email service to customers. We have seen occasional issues with a few ISPs marking Library Talk and State Library newsletters as spam, so contact your LRT if you have questions about an ISP you’re considering.

There are options for free email service, with the tradeoff being limited inbox storage size, or not being able to customize your domain and keep your @[cityname].lib.ia.us email addresses.

Refer to the table of email service options above to see which offer free accounts and what limitations there are for those accounts so you can make the best choice that fits your needs and budget.

The timeline was dependent on when the State Library’s contract with AtMail officially ends. By giving more than eight months notice, we hope libraries will have time to plan for the expense in their FY26 budget while only having to cover a few months of email service before FY25 ends.

As a courtesy, the State Library will redirect your @[cityname].lib.ia.us email addresses to your new email domain until the end of 2025. Once you have your new email service set up, contact your District LRT for a final check in. You will be asked to provide a list of old and new emails for forwarding. Once that is received, the SILO Helpdesk will set up the forward (redirect) and your AtMail account(s) will be deactivated.

You may want to set up a signature in your new email that includes a notice of your new address, for example: “Please note my new email address of [email address] and update my contact information.”

It is also very important that you update your email address in the following State Library resources (if applicable):

• Iowa Library Directory
• SILO ILL (both the library ILL email address and your personal account)
• Workday Learning
• LibraryTalk
• Koha/State Library Catalog
• Overdrive Marketplace (your LRT will do this)
• Iowa Heritage Digital Collections
• E-rate/USAC

There will likely be other places that you need to update your email address as well, so it’s worth thinking through and making a list of those.

Yes, please contact your District LRT for a final check in and to let them know your AtMail account(s) can be deactivated. This will help the State Library track which public libraries have transferred to a new email service and know which ones need additional contact and reminders.

PLOW websites hosted by the State Library are not connected to your library's email domain and will be unaffected by this change. Note if your email addresses change you will have to update any contact information on your website.