At the Iowa City Public Library, Helmick serves as the community and access coordinator. “I drive a bookmobile for a living,” Helmick says, downplaying their imminent role as 2025–2026 ALA president. Helmick spoke with PW about libraries’ ROI, recognizing class concerns amid the culture wars, and the surprising about-face on public funding that launched their library career.

Have you always been a true believer in librarianship?

Less than 20 years ago, as a nonlibrarian, I actually didn’t support a levy to fund a new library in my community. I wasn’t brought up to understand the benefits of publicly funded access to opportunity and information. When I volunteered at a library and fell in love with it, I recognized that people like me could do a 180. Somebody who didn’t support their local library two decades ago can now be one of the national faces of the profession.

Are people recognizing the importance of federal funding for libraries, especially Institute of Museum and Library Services grants?

I remember advocating during the last Trump administration for more than zero dollars for the IMLS, and now the game has changed—we’re fighting to keep it. I’m humbled to be in this leadership position, because I came from a religious, conservative upbringing, and I’m able to appeal to what matters to folks and relate it to libraries. When somebody asks me, “Why should my public dollars go to this?,” I can tell them the ALA has data that for every dollar that you put in a public library, you get a $5–$9 return on investment. All of a sudden, people sit up.

What has your Iowa experience, notably around censorship, suggested about working at the national level?

My experience has taught me to appeal to voter base versus legislators. When I was chair of the Iowa Governor’s Commission on Libraries, I could talk about that return on investment, we’d get the state to match the IMLS funds, and we’d keep the state library open. Seven years later, that doesn’t matter anymore. This was never about the books on the shelves—it was about whether the bookshelves themselves should exist, for free, in an equitable way. Every piece of legislation I’ve watched sweep the South and move towards the Midwest is first about the content. Then we question the most publicly trusted face of government, library workers. And then we come for the dollars. We’re fighting a cultural war, but it’s meant to distract us from the class one.

What are some strategies for responding to those culture, and class, questions?

Providing training to our membership and advocates is important, and I have learned to answer the question I wish was asked. When I was the first nonbinary president of the Iowa Library Association, and Gender Queer was the most banned book in the state, folks were like, “What’s your favorite banned book?” That is not the question. Do not spend your energy on a title. Spend your energy on a principle. I’d say, “Oh, I’m not sure—it might not have been written yet. My job is to defend the process by which it can be written and discussed in our community.”

How will you approach your term as ALA president, given that we live in such interesting times?

I see myself doing a lot of public-facing media, because we’re a 50,000-member association representing somewhere in the ballpark of 175 paraprofessional and professional organizations and serving 340 million people. I’ll also be satisfied if I get to onboard the next executive director. And it may seem like a soft skill, but I’m a person who likes playing joyful offense and hearing people’s stories. I kind of peddle encouragement and hope, and I look forward to doing that in libraries across the country. By showing a steady hand, continuing to have conferences and programs, we’re reminding people that we’re rock steady. Our mission didn’t change just because the world is different.

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