Libraries and Library Resources

Links to useful information on the Internet

American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

Awesome Library
Awesome Library organizes the Web and provides resources, carefully reviewed for usefulness and appropriateness. In order to be included in the Awesome Library, resources need to meet all of the standards: only child-safe links; useful for teachers, students ("kids" or "teens"), parents, or librarians; "real stuff" (actual documents, projects, pictures, and discussion groups); current; load quickly; small percentage of "dead" links; and best version available.

Federal Depository Libraries
Federal publications and other information products are made available for free public use in Federal depository libraries throughout the United States. In addition to the publications, trained librarians are available to assist in their use

Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends & Foundations (ALTAFF)
United for Libraries is a national network of enthusiastic library supporters who believe in the importance of libraries as the social and intellectual centers of communities and campuses. No one has a stronger voice for libraries than those who use them, raise money for them, and govern them. By uniting these voices, library supporters everywhere will become a real force to be reckoned with at the local, state, and national levels.

Iowa Library Association
Promotes the development of the libraries that all Iowans depend on for information and lifelong learning. The Association provides leadership, education and support to enable its members to meet the challenges of providing quality library service to all Iowans.

Iowa Library Directory
A listing of all public libraries in Iowa, maintained by the State Library of Iowa

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators; Ready Reference, Librarian and Copyright Resources.
A categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. It is updated often to include the best sites for teaching and learning.

Library Service Areas in Iowa
Iowa's Library Service Areas provide consulting, continuing education, interlibrary loan and reference services to libraries throughout the state. There are seven Library Service Areas, each serving a part of Iowa; each Area is governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees.

Library Spot
A virtual library resource center for educators and students, librarians and their patrons, families, and businesses exploring the Web for valuable research information. The site’s stated purpose is to break through the information overload of the Web and bring the best library and reference sites together with insightful editorial in one user-friendly spot. Sites featured are hand-selected and reviewed by an editorial team for their exceptional quality, content and utility.

LibWeb
Libraries on the Web; academic, public, national, state, special and school

Public Libraries
The mission of this site is to serve people with an easy access to the use of public libraries and promote reading. This goal is made possible through participation of local libraries. It is meant to be a very resourceful site for individuals, families, schools and organizations.

State Library of Iowa
The State Library of Iowa actively champions libraries. Its two roles are improving library services in Iowa and delivering specialized information services to state government and to Iowans. Its mission is to advocate for Iowa libraries and to promote excellence and innovation in library services, in order to provide statewide access to information for all Iowans.

WWW Virtual Library
Site is arranged by specialized areas. Unlike commercial catalogs, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers, who compile pages of key links for particular areas in which they are expert; even though it isn't the biggest index of the Web, the VL pages are widely recognized as being amongst the highest-quality guides to particular sections of the Web.