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.

• 1915 - 1918 : Gretchen L. Smith - Idaho Technical Institute, Pocatello
• 1918 - 1919 : M. Belle Sweet - University of Idaho
• 1919 - 1922 : Ruth Cowgill - Boise Public
• 1922 - 1923 : Jessie Fraser - Twin Falls Public
• 1923 - 1924 : Jessie S. Millener - Pocatello Public
• 1924 - 1926 : Helene C. Norton - Coeur d'Alene Public
• 1926 - 1928 : Edith Hibbard - Lewiston Normal School
• 1928 - 1930 : Marion C. Orr - Idaho Falls Public
• 1930 - 1933 : Jessie Fraser - Twin Falls Public
• 1933 - 1935 : Lalla Bedford - State Library
• 1935 - 1937 : Olive T. Bess - College of Idaho
• 1937 - 1938 : Lucile Hood - Pocatello Public
• 1938 - 1939 : Edna Gillespie - Blackfoot Public
• 1939 - 1942 : Annette Crogster - Pocatello Public
• 1942 - 1945 : Eunice von Ende - Boise Public
• 1945 - 1948 : Eldon C. Hart - Ricks College
• 1948 - 1950 : Paul C. Scott - Pocatello Public
• 1950 - 1953 : Eli Oboler - Idaho State College
• 1953 - 1955 : Marion Bingham - Boise Public
• 1955 - 1956 : Martha M. Guenther - Idaho State College
• 1956 - 1957 : Ruth McBirney - Boise Junior College
• 1957 - 1958 : Fern Prior - Boise School District
• 1958 - 1959 : Arthur DeVolder - Twin Falls Public
• 1959 - 1960 : Lee F. Zimmerman - University of Idaho
• 1960 - 1961 : Blanche Kurtz - Mountain Home High School
• 1961 - 1962 : Dorothy Hickey - Idaho Falls Public
• 1962 - 1963 : Alice McClain - Idaho State College
• 1963 - 1964 : Dorothy Kiesz - Coeur d'Alene High School
• 1964 - 1965 : Alice Dunlap - Caldwell Public
• 1965 - 1966 : Charles Webbert - University of Idaho
• 1966 - 1967 : Francis Lamb - Wendell High School
• 1967 - 1968 : Edward G. Linkhart - Nez Perce County
• 1968 - 1969 : Richard Beck - University of Idaho
• 1969 - 1970 : Mary Faith Bollinger - Jefferson Junior High
• 1970 - 1971 : Gaylin S. Fuller - Ricks College
• 1971 - 1972 : Rex A. White - Idaho State University
• 1972 - 1973 : Mabelle E. Wallan - Boise Public
• 1973 - 1974 : Peter W. Ahlstrom - Idaho Falls Public
• 1974 - 1975 : Marguerite Laughlin - State Library Board
• 1975 - 1976 : Dianna D. Hull - Moscow/Latah County Public
• 1976 - 1977 : Ruth Seydel - State Dept. of Education, Boise
• 1977 - 1978 : Milo Nelson - University of Idaho
• 1978 - 1979 : Jeanne Goodrich - Idaho Falls Public (William J. Wilson, CDA Public Library, resigned July 26, 1978, replaced by vice president.)
• 1979 - 1980 : Gerry Jacobs - Madison County, Rexburg
• 1980 - 1981 : Helen Rambo - Northwest Nazarene College
• 1981 - 1982 : Sam Sayre - Idaho State University
• 1982 - 1983 : John Hartung - Kootenai County, Coeur d'Alene
• 1983 - 1984 : Anna Green - Portneuf District, Chubbuck
• 1984 - 1985 : Vera Kenyon - Wilder School District
• 1985 - 1986 : Janet Strong - Boise State University
• 1986 - 1987 : Adrien Taylor - Boise State University
• 1987 - 1988 : Jerry L. Glenn - Ricks College
• 1988 - 1989 : Margaret McNamara - American Falls

• 1946: Twin Falls
• 1948: Boise
• 1950: Boise
• 1951: Boise
• 1952: Caldwell
• 1953: District Meetings
• 1954: Pocatello
• 1955: District Meetings
• 1956: McCall
• 1957: District Meetings
• 1958: Sun Valley
• 1959: District Meetings
• 1960: McCall
• 1961: Sun Valley
• 1962: McCall
• 1963: Sun Valley
• 1964: McCall
• 1965: Sun Valley
• 1966: Lewiston
• 1967: Jackson, Wyoming
• 1968: Twin Falls
• 1969: McCall
• 1970: Burley
• 1971: Boise
• 1972: McCall
• 1973: Boise
• 1974: Boise
• 1975: Coeur d'Alene
• 1976: Burley
• 1977: Boise
• 1978: Sun Valley
• 1979: Pocatello
• 1980: Moscow
• 1981: Boise
• 1982: Sun Valley
• 1983: Coeur d'Alene
• 1984: Sun Valley
• 1985: Boise
• 1986: Coeur d'Alene
• 1987: Sun Valley
• 1988: Boise
• 1989: Coeur d'Alene

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