BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Community Library is celebrating its new Idaho Library of the Year Award with cake!

Library fans are invited to stop by the fireplace for a slice of cake from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30.

The Community Library was named Idaho Library of the Year by the Idaho Library Association at its annual conference in Meridian this month. The award was earned in large part for the library’s championing Idaho libraries during the last legislative session, said Kyla Merwin, communications manager for the library.

“I read books I wouldn’t otherwise, and hearing other people’s perspectives opens my eyes and heart to experiences and opinions outside of my own life,” wrote Stanley resident Julie Rember in “A Little Book of BIG Stories.”

The Library published the “Little Book of BIG Stories”—a book of testimonials submitted by library users throughout Idaho as legislators convened for the last legislative session.

Eighty-seven people of all ages and walks of life, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and a woman recently displaced from Ukraine, wrote about the empowerment, freedom and human connections they experience through their local libraries.

The “Little Book of BIG Stories” was launched at a Freedom to Read-In event at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise at the beginning of the legislative session. A copy of the book was delivered to each of Idaho’s 105 Idaho legislators, as well as Gov. Brad Little, Attorney Gen. Raul Labrador and others.

The book was designed to remind legislators, which passed a bill requiring Idaho libraries to move materials deemed harmful to children or face lawsuits, that hundreds of thousands of people depend on Idaho’s 150 libraries to enrich their lives. It was purposely designed to be little, modeled after the Armed Services Editions that were made pocket size and distributed to U.S. soldiers serving in World War II.

Deb Bohrer’s new painting shows the Statue of Liberty obscured by banned books, including “Grapes of Wrath” and “Of Mice and Men.” It’s hanging right now in The Community Library’s foyer.

“We were forced to move to the USA because a bloody war began in our country. We weren’t prepared for a new life, language, and different cultures,” wrote Mariia, who lives in Sandpoint. “Someone said to me, ‘The library can help you.’ I am very grateful to everyone at the library. I would like to see a similar library program for kids and adults in my city of Dnipro, Ukraine.”

“For my 14-year-old son, (the library is) a hub of knowledge where he explores his interests in science, technology and history through an extensive collection of books and online resources,” wrote Tennille from Pocatello. “My 11-year-old daughter finds solace and adventure within the library’s shelves, devouring novels that transport her to fantastical worlds while also using its resources for school projects… And my 5-year-old son cherishes the library’s colorful children’s section filled with vibrant books and interactive activities that spark his imagination.”

Jenny Emery Davidson, The Community Library’s executive director, said that her staff was grateful to serve Idahoans alongside dedicated library professionals around the state.

“I am proud of our collective efforts to cultivate an environment in which literacy, learning, and community can thrive in Idaho. To receive this recognition from our wonderful peers is humbling and an honor.”

Janet Ross-Heiner noted how The Community Library has made a concerted effort in recent years to recognize Indigenous Day and the Latino community that lives in the Wood River Valley, as represented by this snake icon on the shelves and the opportunity it presented for youth and adults to listen to Salvadoran poet Javier Zamora, whose book retraces his unaccompanied migration at age 9.