Bucks for Books logoThe Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho Lottery Commission have partnered to support Idaho’s elementary school libraries. Most elementary school libraries in Idaho have insufficient funds to provide high-quality, age-appropriate books for their students to read at school or take home. With about 43% of Idaho school children qualifying for free or reduced lunch, many students are unlikely to have their own collection of books at home. Consequently, many Idaho children do not have access to enough reading material to become proficient readers, the basis for all other academic learning.

Thanks to the generosity of the Idaho Lottery Commission and those who play the lottery, Idaho’s elementary school libraries have the opportunity to apply for awards ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 to buy library books.

This program is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible by the Idaho Lottery Commission.

Euna/AmpliFund

The Idaho Commission for Libraries is transitioning from Jotform to AmpliFund for grant applications and management. This new system makes the process easier, more transparent, and efficient. Explore user guides and video tutorials to get started.

Euna/AmpliFund

The 2012 Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Plan states: “School libraries should have a minimum of 20 books per child to enable children to take multiple books home at each visit. This figure also takes into consideration the needs of teachers to have access to quality trade books to support the curriculum. In addition, it is recommended that…two new books per child should be added to the school library collection each year to allow for the addition of important new titles. Books and other literary materials must be updated annually…. Research suggests that at least five to eight books per child are necessary to support choice and motivation to read.”

Data from the Commission’s September 2012 Public Elementary School Library Study by Boise State University literacy professor Dr. Roger Stewart shows that most school districts spend very little, if anything, on reading materials for their elementary school libraries. The 2013 average price for a new hardback children’s book is $19.03 (School Library Journal, 6/2013). Dr. Stewart’s study found that 62 percent of Idaho elementary school libraries reported annual book budgets from their districts of under $1,000 – which would purchase a maximum of 52 books. Twenty-eight percent had budgets of under $100 – which would purchase a maximum of five books. These numbers fall extremely short of the Literacy Plan’s recommendations.

Most Idaho elementary school libraries have insufficient budgets to provide quality, age-appropriate books for their students to either read at school or take home. With more than a third of Idaho’s school children qualifying for free or reduced lunch, many of them are not likely to have age-appropriate reading material at home. The result is that many Idaho children do not have access to enough reading materials to become proficient readers, the basis required for all other  learning.

Thanks to the generosity of the Idaho Lottery and its VIP members, $50,000 in funding has been made available to Idaho’s elementary school libraries to purchase age-appropriate books for students to check out from the school library and take home to read with their adults. School libraries may apply for funding in amounts of $1,000 to $3,000 in $1,000 increments.

Grant Application

Congratulations to 2025-2026’s Idaho Lottery Bucks for Books Awardees!

The 2026-27 Bucks for Books application will open August 2026.  Please watch The Scoop, LibIdaho, and this page for updates as August approaches.

Idaho’s publicly funded elementary school libraries that have not yet received a Bucks for Books Award will be eligible to apply for up to $3,000 to buy books for the school library’s collection.  Award recipients may receive a visit from a team from the Idaho Lottery with a big check and some fun extras!

Schools that have already received a Bucks for Books Award are not eligible to apply.  Schools that are participating in the School Library Access Mini-Grant program during the 2025-2026 school year should wait till next year to apply for Bucks for Books.

Application period: August 15 , 2025 – September 30, 2025

Check this document to see if your school has received a Bucks for Books award.

Set up an account with Amplifund and apply for Bucks for Books here!  Click the green Help button for detailed instructions for setting up a free account with Amplifund and submitting an application.  Applicants will set up an account only once and then will have access to all grant applications as they are made available.

2019-2020.

ICfL received 88 applications requesting a total of $232,000 and was able to award $30,000 in Bucks for Books Awards—ranging from $1,000 to $3,000—to 12 schools.  Congratulations this year’s awardees, who were from school districts in all six regions of Idaho.

Check this list for 2019-2020 participating schools.

2020-2021:

In the second year of the Idaho Lottery Bucks for Books Award, the ICfL received application from 37 schools requesting $88,000 in funding.  The Idaho Lottery increased their support to $40,000, and so 19 Idaho elementary schools received awards of $1,000 to $3,000 to purchase new books for their school library collections.

Check this list for the 2020-2021 participating schools.

2021-2022:

ICfL received 43 applications from schools requesting $116,000 in funding.  The Idaho Lottery Commission increased their contribution to $50,000, and the Idaho Commission for Libraries was able to contribute funds from other programs to fund 39 elementary schools for a total of $105,000 in Bucks for Books Awards!  Congratulations to these awardees from across the state!

Check this list for 2021-2022 participating schools.

2022-2023:

The 22-23 Bucks for Books grant year saw 33 Idaho elementary schools request $84,000 in grant funding.  The $50,000 in funding from the Idaho Lottery and their VIP members was awarded to 19 schools from all corners of the state.  Congratulations to the 2022-2023 class of Bucks for Books!

Check this list for the 2022-2023 participating schools.

2023-2024:

The 23-24 Bucks for Books program from the Idaho Lottery and its VIP members funded $50,000 in awards to 20 Idaho elementary schools across all six educational regions of the state.  ICfL received 46 applications for a total of $119,000 in requested funds.  Congratulations to the 2023-24 cohort!

Check this list for the 2023-2024 participating schools.

2024-2025:

The 24-25 Bucks for Books program from the Idaho Lottery and its VIP members funded $50,000 in awards to 17 Idaho elementary schools across all six educational regions of the state. ICfL received 36 applications for a total of $101,000 in requested funds.  Congratulations to the 2024-25 cohort!

Check this list for the 2024-2025 participating schools.

2025-2026:

The 25-26 Bucks for Books program from the Idaho Lottery and its VIP members funded $50,000 and the ICfL contributed another $21,000 for a total of $71,000 in awards to 26 Idaho elementary schools across all six educational regions of the state.  ICfL received 35 applications for a total of $95,700 in requested funds.  Congratulations to the 2025-26 cohort!

Check this list for the 2025-2026 participating schools.

Reporting:

Important Resources for participating schools:

 Resources for Supporting Beginning Readers

Resources for Collection Development

Questions? Contact Grants/Contracts Officer Jamie Thill at jamie.thill@libraries.idaho.gov, (208) 639-4153.