BOISE, Idaho — Residents of West Boise say they have a problem.
For a couple of months, a group named Citizens for a Library has been petitioning the city for a library in their neighborhood. The petition, which was presented to the city, has almost 1,000 signatures.
They say West Boise has a gap that doesn't exist in any other densely populated area in the city. The area south of Chinden and east of Eagle Road does not have a public library within 2 miles.
“There is a hole that needs to be filled," said Boise Council person Luci Willits during the city's budget meeting on July 11.
Idaho News 6 sat down with the Salisbury's, the family responsible for the petition from Citizens for a Library.
Mark, the father of the family, said for as long as he's lived in West Boise, he has been frustrated by the lack of a library in the area. Now that he has a family of seven, the frustration grows.
The family describes themselves as avid book readers, and they value libraries heavily.
Currently, to access a library, they'd have to go to a branch in Eagle or Meridian.
The Salisbury's say the petition started from a place of curiosity, and conversations with their other West Boise residents.
“Isn’t it weird that we don’t have a library nearby? and they’re like yeah," said Mark about what he asked his neighbors. "You know I think I want to try to do something about it.”
Mark says after that conversation he spoke to Willits shortly after she was elected, who gave support about what could be done.
Amanda Salisbury, the mother of the family, told Idaho News 6 the petition is their way to make a change.
“I think I’ve always thought, well that’s sad that we don’t have a library but what do you do about it, and I guess this (the petition) is what you do about it," said Amanda Salisbury.
The Salisbury's say the library offers much more than just a place for books—Internet connection, services, and programs for families make libraries a community hub.
They also say it would go a long way into making West Boise feel more a part of the city.
"We have this feeling that we're kind of just on the outskirts and people don't even know Boise goes passed eagle road for example," Mark Salisbury said. "I think it would help establish that, yes, this is Boise too."
Earlier this year, the municipality just west of where the Salisbury's live, had a controversial conversation about libraries.
A group called the Concerned Citizens of Meridian petitioned the Ada County Board of Commissioners to dissolve the Meridian Library District, saying the district did not adequately address their concerns over material on the shelves the group said was inappropriate for minors.
After taking community testimony, the Board of Commissioners decided not to put the motion on the ballot.
Related | Meridian Library District will not face dissolution on the November ballot
There was also a handful of bills making their way through the Idaho State Legislature which would have impacted the material that libraries could have available to minors.
Related | Meridian Library District talks about the possible consequences of SB 1187
With both national and local conversations happening about limiting the content in libraries, the Citizens for a Library are on the opposite end of the spectrum.
“As a parent, yes I want to keep an eye on what my kids are reading, But that’s my job as a parent it’s not everybody else's job," said Amanda Salisbury when asked about her groups place among conversations around libraries.
The group has already presented the petition to the city, and they say they were met with positive feedback from officials. However, they say they won't be stopping the petition as they want to continue to push for their library.
