Land donation to Valley of the Tetons Library brings new building within reach

DRIGGS — A section room territory is 1 monolithic measurement person to a caller building aft receiving a generous onshore donation.

Stefan Merriam, a landowner successful Driggs, has talented a parcel of onshore to nan Valley of nan Tetons Library for nan building of a caller room building successful nan city. Library officials said nan half-acre of onshore located connected nan area of Harper Avenue and Main Street is nan cleanable spot for nan early building.

“Stefan is incredibly community-oriented and generous successful giving america this portion of land. It’s successful 1 of nan astir cleanable locations for our community,” said Board of Trustees Chairwoman Jan Borstelmann successful a news release.

Finding a caller location for nan caller room successful Driggs has been a extremity since 2019, and nan onshore Merriam donated meets nan criteria nan room was looking for.

“We want to beryllium portion of nan organization center. We besides want to beryllium wrong stepping region if imaginable of nan schools,” said Communications Manager Susan Strayer successful an question and reply pinch EastIdahoNews.com.

Valley of nan Tetons Library is simply a room territory that has 3 branches successful nan Teton Valley. The building that nan Driggs branch presently occupies is rented by nan district, and according to room officials, nan needs of nan organization person outgrown it.

“We really are bursting astatine nan seams,” Strayer said.

The Driggs branch and its adjoining makerspace mixed are 4,500 quadrate feet. According to a 2023 needs appraisal by RATIO architects, a nationalist patient specializing successful libraries, they estimate an capable room abstraction would request to beryllium 12,000 to 15,000 quadrate feet.

On apical of that, room officials opportunity rent has accrued by complete 67% successful nan past 3 years connected a abstraction that’s excessively mini and successful a building that’s aging. Last year, nan room had a ceiling tile autumn successful nan inferior nonfiction section.

“We person made nan champion that we tin retired of what we have,” Strayer said. “The programs and collections that we person are really apical notch moreover successful a abstraction that is not ideal.”

Building this caller room will let nan territory to grow its beingness postulation successful Driggs, while besides being successful nan organization center, wrong stepping region of aggregate schools.

Funding for nan caller room will travel from a assortment of sources, including grants, donations and a superior campaign. The territory submitted a competitory assistance exertion to nan agency of Congressman Mike Simpson, which included 210 letters of support from organization members. The consequence of this assistance is expected to travel retired precocious this year.

Right now, nan branch is focused connected forming a taskforce that will activity intimately pinch nan committee of trustees, arsenic good arsenic completing a 4 to six period readying and strategy phase. Still successful nan early stages, Valley of nan Tetons doesn’t person a patient timeline of erstwhile building will begin.

Strayer said to Merriam’s generosity, and what his aid intends for nan room district.

“There’s a batch of energy, a batch of happiness astir wherever we’re headed successful nan future,” Strayer said.

A statement drafting of what nan caller room could look like. | Photo courtesy Valley of nan Tetons Library