September is library card signup month, but did you know some 280,000 Idahoans live outside a public library service area? As a semi-rural library, we provide service not only to residents of Caldwell, but to much of the surrounding unincorporated Canyon County area. One of my least favorite aspects of issuing new library cards is having to inform people that they are a non-resident and therefore must pay a fee to check-out items. But what exactly is a non-resident, and what is a public library service area?
Library coverage is sort of spotty in Idaho. Libraries are typically organized and funded by cities, counties, or special-purpose districts. For instance, Boise Public Library is a city library, Ada Community Library is a county system, and the Meridian Library District is a special-purpose tax district. Essentially, if you live in Ada County you are most likely covered by at least one type of library system.
However, things are a little different if Canyon County where we're located. Like other more rural parts of the state, if you don't reside in a city with a library you may have to pay to borrow materials. There's no county library system here, and no special district. Each library is city funded, which means residents of each city fund their library through their property taxes. When county residents come to apply for cards, we must therefore charge a non-resident fee to account for what they would have paid into the library from taxes.
Obviously, being told there is an upfront cost to access a public library can catch some people off guard and be very irritating. While some see it as contributing their fair share, it's a barrier to access for those that may not be able to pay. Thankfully, the Idaho Commision for Libraries has been working to close this gap with the creation of IDEA. The Idaho Digital E-book Alliance is an OverDrive digital collection that focuses on children and Teens but has materials for all ages and reading abilities. Those living in library service gaps can apply through ICFL's website to obtain a digital card for IDEA collection access.
It is my sincerest hope that in the future we can expand library access to all Idahoans, and that no one has to be told they don't reside within whatever taxing situation funds their access. Until then, ICFL's IDEA collection is an important step in breaking down barriers to access and inequity.
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