STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Since the early 2000s the number of patrons using the Hailey Public Library has tripled, with 400 people walking through the doors on a daily basis and more than 100,000 people checkout books in a year’s time.

Yet the number of staff has remained the same, precluding the library’s efforts to expand hours, maybe even opening on Sundays.

In Bellevue, Kristin Gearhart struggles to keep her library open on a budget of $68,000 a year—that, including her salary.

The struggles have led the two libraries to join hands in asking voters to approve what would be called the Big Wood River Library District on the May 19 ballot.

It would not do away with either library; rather, it would provide a guaranteed source of funding for them as they become branches of the district library.

The new district would encompass the area from Greenhorn and East Fork Roads south to the Blaine County line. It would raise more than $2 million as households would pay $28 per $100,000 of taxable assessed property value, allowing the libraries to buy more books and subscriptions and hire more staff so they can expand programming.

Those outside city limits within the library district would have full access to all library materials in both libraries, said Lyn Drewien, the Hailey Library’s director. District residents’ cards would work at both the Bellevue and Hailey libraries. There would be courier services between the two libraries. And, hopefully, books could be delivered to lockers in the Gannett area and at West Magic.

“We’ve got a great relationship with the city, but they can’t keep pace with the funding they need for firefighting and other services,” said Drewien. “Now’s the time to do this while the library is thriving.”

The ask of $28 is less than half of the $60, the libraries are entitled to ask for, said Lee Dabney, children’s librarian at the Hailey Public Library. The committee determining the ask wanted enough that they don’t have to ask voters for more money in a few years but not too much.

The patronage at the Hailey Public Library does not include the programming the library organizes at Hailey Town Center West and in its other nooks and crannies, she said. Books are not inexpensive, with an eBook or audio book costing $100. And the Bellevue Library could very close if the measure does not pass.

“Bellevue is growing and needs a library its people can depend on,” said Drewien.

It will be six months before the district can begin collecting. As the population grows, more people will pay in meaning the bill per household will become less.

“We’re asking people what do you pay for subscriptions? We have DVD’s,” Dabney said.

Laura Rose-Lewis, former executive director of Far + Wise, serves on the advisory committee.

“I believe so strongly that this is an important opportunity to provide consistent funding for our critical resources. As our cities must increasingly address public safety and other critical infrastructure needs, libraries are vulnerable to budget cuts,” she said.

The Big Wood River Library District would bridge the gap of the nearly 20 percent of rural Idahoans who lack access to library services, she said. Libraries would no longer have to compete with other city priorities for funding each year and service levels would be able to keep pace with rising demand.

Last year alone, she noted, patrons visited the Hailey Library 111,532 times, circulating more than 125,000 materials. Moreover, 2,000 adults attended 235 adult programs while 6,450 children attended other library events. And the library provided 80,000 tech and support interactions.

“Library are critical community hubs that offer access to everyone in the community,” she said. “They foster literacy, education and social equity.”

Want to know more? Visit https://www.bigwoodriverlibrarydistrict.org/.