Ucon celebrates opening of new public library

UCON – Ucon officially has a caller library, and members of nan organization gathered for a expansive opening and ribbon-cutting Saturday morning.

The 2,000-square-foot building astatine 10918 North Yellowstone Highway was little than 3 months successful nan making. Community members sounded successful clip and resources to make it happen.

It’s nan Bonneville Library District’s 5th location to unfastened up successful nan past 2 years, and its director, Michelle Tolman, tells EastIdahoNews.com “it’s inspiring” to spot really overmuch has been done successful that time.

“We person (catalogued) almost 10,000 items successful this library, and we person galore much to go. We’ve had group from nan organization measurement up and thief out. It makes you consciousness truthful bully that a organization cares astir a room capable to travel retired and make it happen,” Tolman says.

In summation to thousands of caller and utilized books — immoderate of which were donated by nan organization — nan Ucon Public Library offers acquisition resources to nan public. Some of those resources see kits pinch books, games and activities designed to hole children for kindergarten.

Electronic resources, specified arsenic Libby, springiness patrons entree to much than 219,000 integer titles. There’s besides Scholastic Digital, which includes thousands of children’s books, curated acquisition videos and themed instruction plans. These programs tin beryllium accessed for free astatine nan room but would different costs money.

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This, on pinch nan expertise to person a organization gathering abstraction for events and activities, are immoderate of nan benefits of having a section library, Tolman says.

“I’ve already had group inquire if they tin big a crippled nighttime aliases a book nine here. That’s what it’s for,” says Tolman. “We want it to beryllium a surviving room pinch heart. Our extremity arsenic a squad is to dainty everyone for illustration they’re a room friend.”

Ucon Public Library | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

The Ucon Public Library is wrong a building formerly occupied by Fybercom. It’s cardinal location successful municipality mixed pinch its size made it an appealing spot, says Tolman.

The room territory is presently renting nan building. The extremity is to yet bargain it, which Tolman says would prevention taxpayers money successful nan agelong run.

Other libraries successful nan Bonneville County Library District see an Ammon and Westside Idaho Falls branch, on pinch Swan Valley and Iona.

RELATED | I.F. Public Library and Bonneville County Library District divided complete budget; caller Ammon room successful nan works

The Ammon branch first opened successful 2022 much than a period aft nan room territory opted not to renew its work statement pinch nan metropolis of Idaho Falls. Since 1981, nan region had paid an yearly work interest to nan metropolis truthful that region residents could cheque retired books and person entree to resources astatine nan Idaho Falls Public Library without paying a $120 nonresident fee.

The summation of 5 different locations gives patrons successful different parts of nan region different options.

Books capable nan shelves astatine nan Ucon Public Library. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Though location was immoderate first contention betwixt nan metropolis of Idaho Falls and nan region room territory erstwhile nan entities parted ways, Tolman says nan moving narration has greatly improved.

“Things sewage tense because we had a different constituent of position than they did, but I emotion seeing our librarians link pinch their librarians arsenic we get together for trainings aliases different activities. It’s been lukewarm and friendly, but it will still return a small spot of clip (to build bridges),” she says. “I hope, successful time, that we’ll thief each different retired and stock resources.”

“We tin flooded thing together, but we person to person nan correct mindset,” Tolman adds. “We person to fto spell of ego and pridefulness and opportunity ‘what tin we do to move forward?'”

During nan expansive opening, Ucon Mayor Craig Sturman praised nan efforts of nan room territory successful bringing a room to nan organization for nan first clip successful its history.

He’s looking guardant to seeing really group usage it.

“It’s neat mostly for nan kids. They can’t tally to Idaho Falls, but now they tin hop connected their bikes and tally down nan street,” Sturman says.

The Ucon Public Library is unfastened Monday done Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It’s unfastened 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. connected Saturday.

A Ucon Public Library unit personnel visits pinch organization members astir a book display. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com