COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — A bill making its way through the Iowa House of Representatives could move control over public libraries from volunteer library boards to city councils. The mayor of Council Bluffs, Matt Walsh, says that city councils have enough on their plates without adding library management.
- Walsh: “Not everybody’s an expert on everything and city council members have their hands full doing business of the city and not making philosophical decisions about reading materials.”
- The context of this bill: the Pella city council had a conflict with its local library over a controversial LGBTQ+ book. The city council tried to get control over the library through a referendumin 2023, but the voters rejected it.
- PREVIOUS STORY:Iowa bill gives city councils more control over public libraries. CB mayor calls it 'not a best practice'
- Read the bill here: House Study Bill 678
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Who gets to run Iowa's libraries? I’m your southwest Iowa reporter Katrina Markel and there’s a new effort in the legislature to move control over public libraries from library boards to city councils.
A subcommittee in the House advanced a bill on Thursday that would put library management in the hands of politicians, instead of volunteer boards.
Council Bluffs mayor, Matt Walsh, is not in favor of that.
Walsh: “Not everybody’s an expert on everything and city council members have their hands full doing business of the city and not making philosophical decisions about reading materials.”
This comes on the heels of the Pella city council attempting to take over the town’s library after a disagreement, but voters rejected the idea
The president of the Council Bluffs Library Board of Trustees says there is already oversight.
Cindi Keithley: “Our library board is appointed by the mayor, or proposed by the mayor, and approved by the city council, so there’s already political control of the library board.”
At the Council Bluffs Public Library, I'm your southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter, Katrina Markel.
