Iowa Veterans Home library technician Catherine Noble is passionate about her career as a librarian. She is also passionate about serving the residents and staff at IVH at the Peterson library in Malloy Hall.

Noble has worked at the library since 2021.

During a recent interview there, Noble said that it has an inventory of 5,000 items available for resident and staff use – ranging from five desktop computers to standard to large-print books to recently-released DVDs to current magazines and newspapers.

“I am an avid reader, and it is a pleasure to read newspapers from Decorah and Storm Lake among others to find out what others are thinking,” said resident and library staff person Steve Badger. “And I enjoy working here a number of hours each month.”

All materials are laid-out in an orderly manner on tables or shelves. The library was spic-and-span clean like many other areas in the large building and campus accessed by residents and staff.

Since a large number of residents use wheelchairs Noble and staff assist them select items from hard-to-reach locations. The five desktop computers can be readily accessed by wheelchair bound and staff are available for basic assistance.

Noble works Tuesday through Thursday and supervises 12 staff, who are actually IVH residents allowed to work a limited number of hours per month and referred to as “incentive therapy.”

The employees work shifts making the library open seven days per week. On Wednesday, Bonnie Bower, a staffer and Malloy Hall resident, was helping with a project.

“I love living at IVH and working at the library,” she said.

Bower is a Des Moines native and has been a resident at IVH with her husband Galen for six years.

Noble feels strongly about the library’s legitimacy, as it is classified by the state of Iowa as a “special library” due to its location at IVH. It is professionally managed and not just a random collection of books and other items assembled willy-nilly. Noble’s attitude was echoed by Bower and Badger.

IVH books are organized by the Dewey-Decimal system and there is a card-catalogue system.

Noble said the library has an extremely limited budget so donations of books, DVDs and other items are critical.

“The MPL, Traer Public Library and others have been extremely generous with donations,” she said. “Additionally, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars in Marshalltown have been generous as well.”

Residents and their families make donations too.

“Books and material featuring military-related topics, westerns, romance novels are popular items that are checked out,” Noble said. “Authors Michael Connolly and John Grisham, among others, are popular.”

Noble said she and staff make use of the state of Iowa’s inter-library loan system which allows the Peterson library to secure requested items for residents and staff at no charge.

Library patrons and other residents can also enjoy at no charge Noble’s Welsh Corgi Violet, a friendly canine who is leashed and at Noble’s side when she is making rounds on campus.

Previously, Noble was the volunteer coordinator at the Marshalltown Public Library (MPL) before the COVID-19 pandemic ended that opportunity.

Noble, a State Center resident, also worked 11 years as director of the renowned Gutekunst Public Library in that community. There, she was responsible for day-to-day operations including ordering materials, children’s programming and building and grounds maintenance.

IVH was opened in 1888, and it provides nursing care and residential services to approximately 400 residents. Honorably discharged veterans, their spouses and Gold Star Mothers are eligible to apply.

For more information about the Peterson Library, contact 641-753-4412.