Idaho is one of the biggest hotspots for book banning and anti-library rhetoric in the country.
Last year on the City Cast Boise podcast, Boise Public Library Director Jessica Dorr was unequivocal in her defense of libraries around the state: “I want to start by being very clear and saying there is no problem at the Boise Public Library or any library in Idaho. There is no pornography in our children’s section … And there are no materials I would consider harmful to minors.”
While their profession is assailed by misinformation, librarians in the Boise Public Library system are still working to provide our community with books, TV shows, movies, video games, and a plethora of other offerings waiting for you to take advantage of. Hillcrest Library Branch Manager Huda Shaltry joined City Cast Boise a few months ago for a dive into the unexpected things your library card can do.
💳 What Your Card Can Access
One of the biggest benefits to a Boise Public Library card is that you can use it at other libraries around the Treasure Valley, from Eagle to Caldwell. So at any Treasure Valley library, you can get help in accessing:
- A two-week pass to the Idaho Botanical Garden.
- Libby, a free audiobook and ebook app.
- Databases from historical journals to how-to car repair manuals.
- News publications like the New York Times.
- Private meeting and study rooms.
- Community events.
🎣 Items You Can Borrow
For this smattering of items that Shaltry mentioned, I included specific locations if you can’t get them at any library. In most cases, that means you have to go to the specific library to fetch the item — a fishing pole, for example.
According to Shaltry, sharing materials other than books is uncommon in big city library systems, but it’s a practice our local consortium of libraries is proud of. Here are some of the things you can get:
- Seeds from the Collister branch’s seed library (which you can donate to).
- Memory kits for people with dementia, which caregivers can use with their patients.
- Sewing machines.
- Fishing poles at the Garden City library.
- Cake tins in Eagle.
Remember: While you need a library card to access online materials or take something home, you don’t need one to spend time in a library or ask for someone for help.
“We have felt [the library love] a lot more than the library negativity, and I have to say it’s amazing,” Shaltry said. “Thank you to the community for loving our libraries so much.”
Let’s keep it going! 💌⬇️
