State Library of Iowa

What State Library of Iowa does

State Library of Iowa is a state government agency within the executive branch of the State of Iowa, founded in 1838 and headquartered at the Ola Babcock Miller Building in Des Moines (with a secondary State Law Library location inside the Iowa State Capitol). The agency operates as the central support organization for Iowa's 500+ public libraries and as an information provider to the general public, delivering core infrastructure across resource sharing (SILO ILL, IA Shares weekly van delivery now operated by Iowa AEAs since August 2025), digital content (Bridges eLibrary consortium on OverDrive), website hosting (PLOW on Concrete5), library management tools (WhoFi: WiFi analytics, calendar, program registration, spaces scheduler, with data auto-flowing into the Public Library Annual Survey), cataloging (Iowa CatExpress consortium buying MARC records from OCLC), continuing education (Workday Learning, Director Roundtables, ILOC online conference, Bronze/Silver/Gold Endorsement tiers), and statewide programs (All Iowa Reads, Summer Library Program via iREAD, STEM To Go and Storytime Kits, Mometrix test-prep eLibrary). It maintains Iowa Publications Online, a statutory repository of more than 49,000 digitized state agency documents, and a 100,000-volume State Law Library open to the public.

The agency's revenue model is non-commercial: funding flows from Iowa state government appropriations and from federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It functions as a fund distributor as well as a service provider, channeling Enrich Iowa pass-through dollars (Open Access, Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement, and Direct State Aid — totaling more than $2.4 million disbursed to libraries in FY2025, with $1.1 million for Direct State Aid in FY26) to Iowa public libraries based on tier status. The only paid service line identified is OCLC CatExpress MARC records at $1.55 per record (consortium rate) up to 7,000 records per library per year, with $3.15 overages. The go-to-market is community-led: six district offices staffed by District Consultants and Library Resource Technicians (LRTs) cover all 99 Iowa counties, supplementing digital self-service through the statelibraryofiowa.gov website, email newsletters, social channels, and library community events. Customers are segmented as Iowa Public Libraries (primary), Iowa Residents (primary), and State of Iowa Employees (secondary).

Name

State Library of Iowa

Legal name

State Library of Iowa

Website

https://statelibraryofiowa.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1838

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

State Library of Iowa is a state government agency headquartered in Des Moines that supports 500+ Iowa public libraries through resource sharing (SILO ILL, IA Shares), digital content (Bridges eLibrary), funding distribution (Enrich Iowa, LSTA), training (Workday Learning, Endorsement), and statewide programs such as All Iowa Reads and the Summer Library Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: Primary funding from Iowa state government budget appropriations as a state agency department.
2. Federal LSTA Funding: Library Services and Technology Act funding administered through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), used to fund programs like Summer Library Program, STEM kits, and WhoFi tools.
3. Enrich Iowa Funding Distribution: State Library distributes Enrich Iowa funds including Direct State Aid ($1.1 million available for FY26), Open Access, and Interlibrary Loan Reimbursement to qualifying public libraries based on tier status.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

No substantive content was provided in the input to describe the company's core offering.

Product overview

State Library of Iowa provides a comprehensive suite of programs and services supporting Iowa's 500+ public libraries. The core infrastructure includes SILO (State of Iowa Libraries Online) with the ILL system and catalog, IA Shares delivery service (now via AEA vans), and PLOW hosted websites using Concrete 5. The Bridges eLibrary consortium provides eBooks/audiobooks through OverDrive. Additional services include All Iowa Reads statewide reading program, Summer Library Program (via iREAD), STEM To Go & Storytime Kits for programming, WhoFi library management tools, Mometrix eLibrary test prep, Iowa Publications Online repository, and Iowa CatExpress Consortium for MARC records. Funding programs through Enrich Iowa include Open Access, ILL Reimbursement, and Direct State Aid based on library tier status. Continuing education and endorsement programs delivered through Workday Learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bridges eLibrary: An eBook and audiobook buying consortium for Iowa public libraries, provided through OverDrive
• SILO (State of Iowa Libraries Online)
• PLOW (Putting Libraries on the Web)
• IA Shares
• All Iowa Reads
• Iowa Publications Online (IPO)
• Workday Learning

Quantifiable outcome

• Iowa libraries received $2.4+ million through Enrich Iowa funding in FY2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2025Partnership to fulfill IA Shares delivery service via AEA van delivery network, transitioning from previous vendor. AEAs provide high-capacity cargo vans and trained drivers for weekly library material delivery.
• Iowa State AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Library partners with Iowa state agencies to archive publications in Iowa Publications Online (IPO), fulfilling statutory requirements. Agencies deposit reports, newsletters, and publications for permanent public access.
• OCLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationState Library manages a buying group consortium enabling Iowa libraries to purchase MARC records from OCLC CatExpress. Libraries access WorldCat database for copy cataloging at consortium rates.
• OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationVendor providing the platform for Bridges eLibrary consortium, which provides downloadable eBooks and audiobooks to Iowa public libraries. State Library oversees the consortium with OverDrive providing technical infrastructure.
• iREAD (Illinois Library Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational summer reading program administered through ILA; State Library provides Iowa libraries access to iREAD materials and resource guides. Program funded by IMLS LSTA grants.
• WhoFicoreTechnology or IntegrationWhoFi provides WiFi usage analytics, community calendar, program registration, question sets, and spaces scheduler tools for Iowa public libraries at no cost, funded by State Library's IMLS appropriation.
• Iowa Library Alliance & RivershareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOther library delivery networks in Iowa. Following August 2025, IA Shares operates separately from these systems after transition to AEA delivery. Libraries on those systems continue receiving weekly IA Shares service.
• MometrixcoreTechnology or IntegrationMometrix eLibrary provides test preparation materials for 1,000+ exams available to Iowa residents, funded by Iowa Legislature appropriation. State Library coordinates access for public libraries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• OCLC: A nonprofit library cooperative providing shared cataloging, WorldCat, and interlibrary loan infrastructure used by Iowa libraries via the CatExpress consortium. Adjacent ecosystem participant and key technology partner rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Nebraska Library Commission: Nebraska's state library agency administering statewide programs including continuing education, resource sharing, and library development. Closely comparable in scale, statutory function, and rural Midwestern service context.
• Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas's combined state library and archives agency, providing library development, statewide resource sharing, and state document archiving. Comparable mandate and program portfolio to Iowa's State Library.
• Illinois State Library: Illinois's official state library agency administering statewide library development, continuing education, and resource sharing. Closely comparable to Iowa in program structure and statutory functions.
• New York State Library: The official state library of New York, providing analogous support to public libraries, continuing education, statewide resource sharing, and statutory repository functions. Directly comparable as a state-level library agency administering funding and accreditation.
• California State Library: California's state library agency, operating literacy programs, library development services, and statutory statewide responsibilities similar to the State Library of Iowa. Closely comparable scope and statutory mandate.

Regional players

• Library of Michigan: Michigan's official state library, providing statewide library development, state document archiving, and professional development. Comparable adjacent-Midwest state library with similar program mandate.
• Wisconsin Division for Libraries and Technology: Wisconsin's state library division providing consulting, continuing education, and resource sharing across Wisconsin public libraries. Comparable neighboring-state scope and service portfolio.
• Minnesota State Library Services: Minnesota's state-level library services division, supporting public library development and interlibrary cooperation. Comparable mandate and regional scope, serving an adjacent Midwest library community.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: The federal U.S. library institution that administers LSTA funding and serves as the national library. Overlaps with the State Library of Iowa on resource sharing, professional development, and the broader national library ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/statelibraryia
• Facebookfacebook.com/StateLibraryIA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/state-library-of-iowa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about State Library of Iowa