Portneuf Library History
The Portneuf Free Library was
established through the efforts of a group of parents who wanted to
secure library services for all residents of School District 25 outside
of the Pocatello city limits. Interest in the project grew through the
activities of such groups as the PTA and the Friends of the Library. On
July 28, 1958 a successful election was held and the Portneuf Library
District came into being. The County Commissioners appointed a
temporary Board of Trustees, which included Floyd Barber, Helen Smith,
Daisy Johnson, Boyd Neider and Mrs. Victor Warning.
The
Marshall Public Library, simply called the Pocatello Public Library in
those days, was asked to extend bookmobile service and borrowing
privileges to the residents of the new district beginning in September
of 1958. A two-room shop, formerly Alameda Electric, at 120 East Walnut
was renovated; 1800 books were loaned from the Pocatello Public Library
and the Portneuf District Library opened its doors to the public in
February 1959. Three years later they were able to return the loaned
materials after building a basic collection of their own.
In
1966 the Library was moved to a renovated grocery store at 401 East
Maple. They rapidly outgrew their building, and in 1975 with revenue
sharing funds from Bannock County and a construction grant from the
Idaho State Library, the Library was able to build a new facility at
5210 Stuart Avenue in Chubbuck. The building was expanded in 1995. In
2003 a bond election passed with a 72% margin for $400,000 and a second
addition and renovation of the facility was undertaken by librarian
Karen Pettinger; the new facility openned to the public January 2005.
For
ten years, between 1975 and 1985, the Library served as the
headquarters for the Gateway Regional System, which administered
interlibrary loans to 16 libraries in 7 counties in southeast Idaho. In
1985, the State Library ceased funding the regional system. In 2000 the
library joined the Eastern Idaho Library Network Consortium. In 2003
the consortium merged with Marshall Library to form the Library
Consortium of Eastern Idaho (LCEI) which shares an internet accessible
catalog and circulation system. In 2007 Portneuf merged its database with Marshal so county residents could see one catalog for both libraries rather than changing sites.
The Portneuf Library was at first
staffed at Pocatello Public Library by several employees of the Public
Library. Anna Green, who started at the Pocatello Public Library,
became the first director of the facility and remained director until
her retirement in 2000; serving 52 years. The current and second
director in the library's history is Karen Tate-Pettinger. A
board of five persons, each of whom is elected for a five-year term,
governs the present Library. Currently they are Jim Tullis, Ranee
Richman, Dean Hazen, Ardys Holte and Jason Mendenhall who replaced 26
year veteran, Floyd Johnson in July of 2003. Four full-time Librarians
and nine part-time employees staff the Library. It is supported by a
tax levy from the district and is open 56 hours a week.
The name Portneuf is taken from the river running through the valley. Portneuf is a French word translating "Newport".
