Idaho Commission for Libraries

Read about our goals, activities, resources, and staff.

Our Goals

Parents and child care providers

• understand the value and joy of reading aloud to their children from birth on, and
• use the library as a valuable community resource for reading.

Idaho communities support reading projects for at-risk children and their families.

Libraries and community partners establish ongoing partnerships to encourage family reading.

Our Activities

Library Outreach

We support library participation in several outreach initiatives including Child Care Reads, First Book, and Summer Reading.

Public Information

We provide resources for libraries and community partners to get the word out about the importance of reading aloud to children. We sponsor Idaho Family Reading Week in November.

Professional Development

We provide early literacy workshops, early literacy books and videos through the State Commission's collection, online training modules, and networking opportunities for Read to Me libraries and their community partners.

Project Resources

Reading Support Materials

See our support material order form , available for Idaho librarians and community partners.

Traveling displays

The traveling displays may be checked out for a two week period and will be shipped free of charge (Idaho sites only) to locations outside the Boise area.

• Building Bridges (multicultural literature)
• Great Books for Young Children

Family Reading Week packet

In September, a packet of information for celebrating reading is mailed to over 1800 Idaho public libraries, elementary school libraries, and community partners.

Training and technical assistance

The Read to Me program has sponsored a variety of training opportunities since 1997. For technical assistance, see project staff below.

Basic Youth Services e-course for librarians

We provide an online course for librarians who work in Youth Services. Modules are available for Early Childhood (birth to 8), School-age, and Young Adults.

Project Staff

Stephanie Bailey-White /Co-Coordinator

Peggy McClendon / Co-Coordinator