The Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library in Guthrie Center has continued their commitment to providing high quality services to the community through state accreditation.

The State of Iowa announced this month the library has met the conditions for accreditation, recognizing their efforts in all areas of operations including governance and funding, staffing, library collection, services, public relations, access, and facilities. Libraries must reapply for accreditation every three years, and Library Director Pat Sleister says this year’s process posed a lot of new challenges, “I’m really proud that it’s done, I’ve been at this library for 29 years now and this is probably the hardest piece of paperwork I’ve had to do and the most time consuming I think, so I was just thrilled when it was done and we could send it all off.”

Besides achieving the state’s standards for library services, accredited libraries receive a higher rate of compensation through the State Library’s Enrich Iowa program. This validation lasts through June 30, 2022.