A Librarian’s Vision for Iowa City
Why should you elect a librarian to the Iowa City Council? First and foremost– librarianship is a career in customer service and problem-solving. Every decision librarians make, whether it is about purchasing new materials or setting a budget, revolve around the needs of the communities they serve. City Councilors should be acting on the same principles! As a librarian, Reynen has been trained to think creatively to meet the needs of everyone who might step into a library, paying special attention to factors that contribute to marginalization in other areas of their lives in order to pursue equity, not just equality.
She is committed to bringing the American Library Association’s core values to her position as city councilor. These values inform her approach to highlighting and improving existing city resources and introducing new policy. At its core, Clara’s belief is that with a well-researched, measured, and informed approach Iowa City is capable of reimagining public safety to protect all community members more holistically.
Reynen’s Top Priorities for Iowa City
Implementing AI policies for Iowa City that protect people and the environment
This should include: regulating harmful AI use in the private sector, leveraging land use authority to prevent environmental harms, and ensuring policies and transparency exist in local governance as well.
Expanding our definition of public safety beyond to include public health initiatives as a critical factor in community safety
This can be done through facilitating conversations about the systemic harms of the current model of policing and incarceration, along with supporting existing community-led safety initiatives and engaging in opportunities to invest in additional diversion and intervention practices.
Creating opportunities for permanent supportive housing to be expanded exponentially through partnerships, education, and action
Housing is a basic human right, and having access to a safe place to call home each night shouldn’t even be a question. Everyone in the Iowa City community deserves to be taken care and feel like they belong and this cannot be done without supporting the basic human dignity inherent in everyone.
Bolstering education initiatives available to community members
It is important to ensure community members know what resources available to them and that they feel empowered to access them. Every community member should know they have the ability to come to council meetings and voice concerns with elected officials through various forms of engagement in the meetings.
ACCESS
〰️
EQUITY
〰️
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM & PRIVACY
〰️
PUBLIC GOOD
〰️
SUSTAINABILITY
〰️
ACCESS 〰️ EQUITY 〰️ INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM & PRIVACY 〰️ PUBLIC GOOD 〰️ SUSTAINABILITY 〰️
-
Access is a crucial part of ensuring a safe and protected community. Utilizing the resources our city has available shouldn’t require major disruptions to daily life.
-
Equity is about dismantling barriers and creating alternatives to systems that historically have been inaccessible to community members. This is a continual effort that requires addressing biases and inequalities.
The City of Iowa City already has many programs in place to promote equity, such as the Human Rights Commission.
-
As the state and federal government are becoming increasingly authoritarian, courageous leadership is more important than ever. Ensuring individuals’ rights to privacy and freedom of movement without surveillance is incredibly important.
-
Public good encapsulates all of the work the city does to improve institutions, infrastructure, and systems already in place.
-
Climate action is already a major piece of Iowa City’s strategic plan for 2023 - 2028 and this means balancing environmentally friendly choices with economically sound decisions for our city. Library workers are trained for disaster preparedness and to support climate resiliency while maintaining equity.