(C) Idaho Capital Sun
This story was originally published by Idaho Capital Sun and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



The libraries of southeast Idaho are thriving hubs of education, creativity and community connection • Idaho Capital Sun [1]

['Michael Strickland', 'Latah County -Area Writers', 'More From Author', 'May', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img']

Date: 2025-05-07

I recently had the pleasure of touring eight public libraries, two school libraries and one academic library across southeast Idaho. Each visit highlighted the incredible work happening in these spaces. If you haven’t stopped by your local library lately, I encourage you to take a moment to visit — you might be surprised by all the great things going on!

The library directors and staff are excited and enthusiastic about what they do to make your libraries a friendly, educational place for their communities.



Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US

At the American Falls Public Library, a visit with the library director, Kindra Munk, revealed many popular programs including IDEA, and “Munching with Monet,” a monthly program where patrons can paint with an artist and enjoy refreshments.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Library debuted a $350,000 American Rescue Plan Act-funded bookmobile in 2023. At that time, it was one of the largest grants awarded by Idaho Commission for Libraries.

Library director Jessica James said it brings patrons weekly access to books, materials, and Wi-Fi at the local elementary school, the high school, Boys & Girls Club, and the Tribal Youth Education Program. The bookmobile has greatly expanded access to literacy materials in communities located on the reservation. Artwork by Paula Top Sky is featured on the wrap of the bookmobile.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. – Marcus Tullius Cicero

The Blackfoot Public Library has been providing library service to the Blackfoot area since 1915. Located in downtown Blackfoot on North Broadway next to the Post Office, the library is on the ground floor of the City Building. A tour with the new director Tammy Bartlett showed their massive book sale with hundreds of books and DVDs at very low cost. Past director, Lisa Harral, recently retired this year after 45 years.

In addition to the city of Blackfoot, the library’s service area includes a library district that covers the Groveland, Rose and Wapello areas.

At A.W. Johnson Elementary in Firth, we were treated to a tour with the school principal, Dave Mecham, and school librarian, Jessie Hadley. In Lewiston, Gooding, Firth and Homedale, students are busting the sobering national headlines about post-pandemic learning declines. In these school districts, the average student has gone beyond catching up and is exceeding 2019 math and reading benchmarks. The school even has a bunker from the cold war era.

North Bingham County District Library in Shelley, Director Kaylene Christensen told us that the first Shelley City Library was opened to the public in 1933 on the balcony of the local drug store. The library became a tax-supported district library in 1992. Five years later, it was moved into its current location, the old Jolley Building Supply store.

At the Bonneville County District Library’s Ammon Branch, the director, Michelle Tolman, leads an expanding operation. Ammon’s first-ever library debuted on Oct. 1, 2022, the day after the contract between the Bonneville County Library District and the Idaho Falls Public Library expired.

Since 1981, the Bonneville County District Library contracted with the city of Idaho Falls for library services. The Bonneville board opted not to renew the contract, in part, because county residents would have assumed responsibility for 42% of the Idaho Falls Public Library’s annual budget, rather than the 31% they were contributing.

The Bonneville County Library District now serves the entire county, except for Ririe and the city limits of Idaho Falls. It has four branches.

Sugar-Salem Community Library, Sugar City Director Chambrae Thornburgh showed us their public library which is in the same building as the high school, and they are a member of the Library Consortium of Eastern Idaho.

At Valley of the Tetons District Library in Driggs we enjoyed a tour with the director, Savannah Wake. They are engaged in future library planning, and have completed the first steps for a new, larger facility on Main Street. They offer laptops, power tools, sun lamps, a seed library, film screenings, cooking demonstrations, free Wi-Fi and a makerspace. The library has three branches.

In 2024, the Valley of the Tetons District Library received a generous land donation. The half-acre parcel in Driggs will house a new library building. The building that the Driggs branch currently occupies is rented and the space is no longer large enough to accommodate the needs of the community. In addition, the rent has increased 67% over the past three years. Funding for the new library will come from a variety of sources, including grants, donations and a capital campaign.

Director Sandi Shopshire gave us a tour of the Idaho State University Eli M. Oboler Library. The library building was finally funded and completed in 1977.

Named after Eli M. Oboler, who was a librarian at Idaho State University for 30+ years, helped found the Idaho Library Association and received the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table award posthumously. It has special collections, inter-library loan services, course reserves and several different branches that serve the students and the community.

From innovative programs like “Munching with Monet” in American Falls to the impactful outreach of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Library’s bookmobile, the libraries of southeast Idaho are thriving hubs of education, creativity and community connection. Whether it’s the historic charm of the Blackfoot Public Library, the forward-thinking expansion of the Bonneville County District Library, or the ambitious plans for a new facility in Driggs, each library demonstrates a deep commitment to serving its patrons.

These visits reaffirmed that libraries are far more than just book repositories — they are dynamic spaces offering technology, cultural enrichment and vital resources for lifelong learning. The dedication of library directors and staff ensures that these institutions remain welcoming and essential to their communities.

If you haven’t explored your local library lately, now is the perfect time to rediscover all the incredible services, programs, and opportunities waiting for you. Southeast Idaho’s libraries are proof that, even in a digital age, these public spaces continue to evolve, inspire and enrich lives every day.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/05/07/the-libraries-of-southeast-idaho-are-thriving-hubs-of-education-creativity-and-community-connection/

Published and (C) by Idaho Capital Sun
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/idahocapitalsun/