State Library of Iowa Move Planned
Despite Recent Renovation
Despite a recently completed renovation to the State Library of Iowa, the state’s legislative council has decided to move the library out of the Ola Babcock Miller Building in Des Moines, its home for the past 100 years.
The library’s space—which had been given new shelves, lighting, and floor reinforcement to bear the weight of the book stacks—would be replaced by state legislative staff offices, the Des Moines Register reported January 24. A new location for the library has not been chosen.
State lawmakers defended the plan, saying they needed to find new space for staff now working in the Capitol building in order to comply with safety codes. State Rep. Charles Gipp (R-Decorah) said the library is “storing books, and books are important, but we have 102 people that are in unsafe conditions that need to be taken care of. We can have books any place,” he said.
Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack sharply criticized the plan at a news conference, countering Gipp’s comment with, “You can put cubicles anywhere. This space was meant for books.” State Librarian Sharman Smith said that much of the building’s renovation would not have been necessary for standard office space.
Posted January 29, 2001.
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