Or: Your Friends in Boise!
When you run into a question you can’t answer by yourself, there are resources available to you. The mission of the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) is to build the capacity of libraries to best serve their communities. This includes support of statewide databases and online resources, continuing education, consulting, programming, and building library community.
The Idaho Legislature created the State Library in 1901 with an annual operating budget of $3,000. Charged with organizing new libraries and improving existing ones, Idaho took pride in its State Library services. The traveling library brought books to 51 settlements — including large towns like Boise, Moscow, and Pocatello and small ones like Preston, St. Anthony, and Salmon. By 1904, 100 communities were receiving books.
As the State Library continued to grow, so did its offerings to Idaho libraries. In the mid-1970s, the State Library ushered in technology by awarding library automation grants. In 1998, the Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) network debuted. Today’s state library agency complements its traditional services and programs with more high-tech offerings and solutions for Idaho’s library community.
On July 1, 2006, the Idaho State Library changed its name to the Idaho Commission for Libraries. The board of trustees was renamed the board of commissioners. The State Librarian is the chief executive of the Idaho Commission for Libraries.
Watch the 100th anniversary video and visit the ICfL History page to learn more!