 |
|
|
NAVIGATION:
history of boise's library
Boise Public Library traces its roots to February 18, 1895, when the women of the Columbian Club opened a subscription library and free reading room in City Hall. For 10 years, the Club kept the reading room alive while helping to secure funds from Andrew Carnegie to construct a true public library. Andrew Carnegie awarded library grants to 1406 communities in the
early 1900's with the provision that the communities supply land and
on-going maintenance. Columbian Club members persuaded Boise city
fathers to provide the matching funds necessary for the administration
and maintenance of a Carnegie library. In 1965, the Bookmobile service was initiated to expand library service in the city and to reduce crowding in the Carnegie building. Today, the Bookmobile makes weekly stops at six locations throughout Boise. The now defunct Boise Towne Square reading library was added in 1989, soon after the Towne Square mall opened. (This limited-service library facility closed in early 2008, as two new full-service branches opened.) A Homebound Service was also initiated to serve residents who are physically unable to access the library. Branch LibrariesIn the late 1990's, it became obvious that the city had outgrown its library, which had been designed to serve a population of 75,000. The library began to gather community input as a preliminary step to developing a Master Library Facility Plan. The City Council adopted the resulting plan in 2000, and approved building four new branches. Two sites were purchased for branch libraries, but a subsequent City Hall scandal put the project on hold. In 2005, the Boise City Council agreed with the Library Board’s recommendation to place a bond issue on the February 2006 ballot to fund construction of three full-service branch libraries in the Southeast, West and Northwest areas of Boise. The bond received a solid majority of votes (57%), but not the two-thirds majority required to pass. A new Library Facilities Planning Committee was formed to develop a scaled-down plan for branch libraries that could be accommodated within the City's budget. In October 2006, the City Council approved taking the resulting proposal to the public for comment. The proposal included phasing in four branches over four years: two 7,500 square foot leased "storefront" libraries in the Central Bench and Northwest Boise areas; and two 15,000 square foot libraries to be built at the Cole & Ustick and Bown Crossing sites. In February 2007, following a resoundingly favorable three-month public comment period, the City Council approved the proposed branch library plan and allocated funding to begin work on branch libraries. The Boise Public Library system now includes three neighborhood branch libraries. Two branches opened in leased storefront spaces in early 2008: the Library! at Collister, located in the Collister Shopping Center at Collister and State Streets; and, the Library! at Hillcrest, located in the Hillcrest Shopping Center at Orchard Street and Overland Road. In June 2009, a third branch opened in the Library Plaza at North Cole and Ustick Roads - the Library! at Cole & Ustick, the first public library the City of Boise has built with public funds. An additional library, the Library! at Bown Crossing, is planned for Southeast Boise. Computers and Internet AccessAs technology evolved, library services also changed. Today, public computers and Internet access are available on each floor of the downtown facility. Patrons can check out CDs and DVDs of movies, music, recorded books and computer software, as well as traditional print materials. Boise Public Library launched a website in August of 1996, with the assistance of a government grant. The library was the first City department to have a web presence; in fact, the first City website was hosted on the library's server a few years later. The current version of the library's website was launched in early 2006. The library's website functions as a virtual branch, offering access to its online catalog, and providing patrons with the ability to locate information and read articles online. The library subscribes to over 50 subscription databases, providing website access to articles from newspapers, magazines, professional journals and information resources. The Library Brand
Today, the brand is used in building signage, printed promotional materials, advertising and the library’s website. The exclamation point, brand and library card designs are well known to residents and visitors, and have even garnered national attention. They’re a highly visible reminder that a library is an exciting place to learn, and an enjoyable, pleasant place to seek new information and ideas. Quick Facts and FundingCheck out some quick statistics about the Boise Public Library system below:
To learn more about the history of Boise Public Library, check out a "A Light in the Window of Idaho," edited by Kathleen Rubinow Hodges. The book is an extensive account of the first 100 years of public library service in Boise.
Last Updated: 12/16/2011 |
||||||||||||||
Boise Public Library’s brand is
the word “Library!” captured inside a thought bubble. Created by Foerstel Design
in late 2007, the brand embodies the energy and sense of discovery that happens
in libraries. Foerstel further updated the library’s image and added an element
of fun by incorporating the brand in a series of
|
