Since the late 1990's, the City of Boise has been looking at affordable options for expanding library services to meet the needs of our growing population. 

While library usage continues to grow, our city has outgrown its current facilities and gets poor marks for library services compared to comparably-sized cities.  Citizens have consistently told us that they want more libraries, closer to home.

Library Usage Continues to Grow

• During FY2006,  Boise Public Library facilities received about 1,122,414 visits - an average of 3,300 visits per day.

• Visitor count is up 3% compared to last year, and up 29% since 2000.

• Library customers checked out almost 1.5 million books, movies, recorded books and other materials.

• They asked librarians almost 190,000 reference questions, and conducted over 100,000 database searches through the library’s website. (Databases include online magazine and newspaper articles on a variety of topics.)

• Over 35,000 children and adults attended around 750 library programs and classes, ranging from preschool story times and after-hours programs for teens to computer classes and programs for adults and seniors.

• Approximately 3700 children and teens participated in the library’s Summer Reading program, designed to help students maintain and improve reading skills over the summer. Another 1881 entries were received from adults.

Boise Has Outgrown Its Library

While library usage continues to grow, it is limited by current capacity. Boise’s current library facilities were intended to serve a city less than half its size.

The current Main Library, renovated from the Salt Lake Hardware Warehouse in 1973, was designed to serve up to 75,000 people, vs. Boise’s present population of over 200,000.

As you may have experienced personally, parking is inadequate for the daily average of 3,300 visitors, and the main library is stretched to capacity in terms of computer ports, books and materials, children's programming and many other services.

Boise Gets Poor Marks Versus Peer Cities

Compared to comparably-sized cities, Boise provides minimal library services.  We're the only city of our size in the nation without full-service branch libraries.  And, in terms of space and materials offered to our citizens, we're dead last compared to our peer cities in the West.

See Peer Comparison charts.

Wanted: Libraries Close to Home

During the ten-plus years that Boise has been looking at options for expanding library services, citizens have provided input in surveys, public meetings and other venues. (See Historic Planning Timeline.) They've consistently expressed a desire for libraries located "close to home."

This input was confirmed in the February 2006 bond election for branch library construction - while the bond did not receive the two-thirds majority required to pass, a solid majority of 57% voted in favor of the bond.

For More Information, or to Comment

Review Proposed Plan for Branch Libraries

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Last Updated: 02/15/2007