When you run into a question you just 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 better serve their clientele. This includes support of statewide databases and online resources, continuing education, consulting, programming, and building library community.
The 1901 Idaho Legislative Session created the State Library 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 a civilizing and educational force 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 of services to Idaho libraries. In the mid-1970’s, the State Library ushered in technology by awarding library automation grants. In 1998, the Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) network debuted. And today’s state library agency complements its traditional services and programs with more high-tech offerings and solutions for Idaho’s library community.
Effective July 1, 2006, the Idaho State Library changed its name to the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the board of trustees was renamed the board of commissioners. The State Librarian is the chief executive of the Idaho Commission for Libraries.
A history of the Idaho Commission for Libraries—formerly the State Library—from 1901 through 2000 is available here.