Idaho Library Association

The Idaho State Library Association was organized on December 29, 1915, at a meeting called by Margaret Roberts, librarian of the Free Traveling Library Commission of Idaho. The meeting was held in the Boise High School and was timed to coincide with the State Teachers Association meeting. About a dozen librarians attended the meeting and elected Gretchen L. Smith of Idaho Technical Institute in Pocatello as their first president. The first constitution stated the object of the association was "to promote the library interests of the state of Idaho."

Traveling in Idaho was difficult, distances were great and roads were not the best, and it was a rare conference when all officers of the organization could attend. In fact, in 1924 and 1928 no officers attended the annual conference. About 1926 it was decided to hold the conference every other year, alternating with district conferences. This practice continued through 1959 when annual conferences were again held.

The years from its founding to World War II were ones of patience and persistence on the part of Idaho's librarians. In spite of low funding, a disinterested population, and travel difficulties the association managed to survive. Although it was unable to operate during the war the situation improved with the war's end. When the association was reactivated it began publishing a journal, Idaho Librarian, whose first issue appeared in April 1945, and the association was also invited to become a chapter of the American Library Association.

The Idaho State Library Association was reorganized in November 1950, and the constitution revised in May 1951. The changed included separating the jobs of secretary and treasurer, they had been combined since 1919, designating the vice president as president elect, adding the PNLA representative and the ALA counselor to the executive board and forming the Membership, Legislative, Library Development, and Publication committees. Dues were set in graduated levels ranging from $1.00 to $3.00.

In 1953 the association was successful in obtaining passage of a bill replacing the three member State Library Commission, all elected officials with other full-time jobs, with a State Library Board consisting of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and three members appointed by the Governor.

In 1955 a constitutional revision added the editor of the Idaho Librarian to the Executive Board as a nonvoting member and added two more standing committees, Public Relations and School Libraries which later, in 1958, became a division rather than a committee.

In 1962 the association changed its name to the Idaho Library Association and on September 23, 1969 became an incorporated organization.

From its original membership of 13 individuals and one institution (Boise Carnegie Library), the ILA, according to 1988 figures, has grown to 450 individual and 27 institutional members.

From the guide to the Records, 1915-1988, (University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives)