Special Collections & Archives

Manuscript Group 29

Idaho Library Association

Records, 1915-1988
10 cubic feet

The records of the Idaho Library Association were deposited in the University of Idaho Library, the designated repository of all ILA records, at various times through 1988. They were processed by Judith Nielsen between March and May 1989. Future records of the association will be processed at ten year intervals.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

The Idaho State Library Association was organized on December 29, 1915, at a meeting called by Margaret Roberts, librarian of the Free Traveling Library Commission of Idaho. The meeting was held in the Boise High School and was timed to coincide with the State Teachers Association meeting. About a dozen librarians attended the meeting and elected Gretchen L. Smith of Idaho Technical Institute in Pocatello as their first president. The first constitution stated the object of the association was "to promote the library interests of the state of Idaho."

Traveling in Idaho was difficult, distances were great and roads were not the best, and it was a rare conference when all officers of the organization could attend. In fact, in 1924 and 1928 no officers attended the annual conference. About 1926 it was decided to hold the conference every other year, alternating with district conferences. This practice continued through 1959 when annual conferences were again held.

The years from its founding to World War II were ones of patience and persistence on the part of Idaho's librarians. In spite of low funding, a disinterested population, and travel difficulties the association managed to survive. Although it was unable to operate during the war the situation improved with the war's end. When the association was reactivated it began publishing a journal, Idaho Librarian, whose first issue appeared in April 1945, and the association was also invited to become a chapter of the American Library Association.

The Idaho State Library Association was reorganized in November 1950, and the constitution revised in May 1951. The changed included separating the jobs of secretary and treasurer, they had been combined since 1919, designating the vice president as president elect, adding the PNLA representative and the ALA counselor to the executive board and forming the Membership, Legislative, Library Development, and Publication committees. Dues were set in graduated levels ranging from $1.00 to $3.00.

In 1953 the association was successful in obtaining passage of a bill replacing the three member State Library Commission, all elected officials with other full-time jobs, with a State Library Board consisting of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and three members appointed by the Governor.

In 1955 a constitutional revision added the editor of the Idaho Librarian to the Executive Board as a nonvoting member and added two more standing committees, Public Relations and School Libraries which later, in 1958, became a division rather than a committee.

In 1962 the association changed its name to the Idaho Library Association and on September 23, 1969 became an incorporated organization.

From its original membership of 13 individuals and one institution (Boise Carnegie Library), the ILA, according to 1988 figures, has grown to 450 individual and 27 institutional members.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The records of the Idaho Library Association span the years 1915 to 1988, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1948 to 1986.

The records include correspondence of the officers, minutes of executive board meetings, constitutions, bylaws, procedure manuals, cash books, budgets, financial reports and annual reports of various divisions and committees, as well as committee correspondence. There are also programs for annual conferences, correspondence relating to the planning of the conferences, and tape recordings of some conference proceedings. Finally the records contain correspondence and other material relating to the publication Idaho Librarian and some issues of the journal, both microfilm and paper copies. Although the archival holdings are not complete the Special Collections Library has a complete set of the journal.

Missing from the collection are the financial records from 1975/76 to 1977/78.

Mary Hemingway, widow of Ernest Hemingway, was asked to address the 1968 convention but due to previous commitments she declined. Her letter to President Edward Linkhart concludes, "Anyhow, I don't know anything about libraries." This letter is found with the 1968 speaker correspondence.

ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

Since material in this record group was received at so many different times and was in no particular order it was decided to organize the whole group by function, first separating the material that could be identified as being the papers of a particular officer, then the records relating to divisions and committees, and finally records relating to the Idaho Librarian. Some early records were bound and these, unless relating to a committee, were placed with the secretary's records.

The President's correspondence is arranged chronologically by person holding the office.

The Secretary's Records, 1915-1986, contain the minute books, bound records of the association from 1948 to 1963, the organizational records (bylaws, constitutions, etc.), manuals, correspondence of the executive board, and membership lists. Each type of material is arranged chronologically.

Records of the Treasurer, 1916-1988, include cash books, budgets, financial reports, material relating to two Association for the Humanities in Idaho grants, tax information and correspondence. Although check registers were, as a rule, not retained those for 1980 to 1984 were kept since there are no other records for that period.

Another group of records relates to the various Divisions, Committees and Liaison Areas, 1957-1988. Included are annual reports of the committees as presented at the annual meeting, and records of the individual groups. For ease of filing and retrieval the committees are in alphabetical order, with papers in each folder arranged chronologically. Although the School Library Division became the Educational Media Section in 1985 this change is not reflected in the filing. Likewise when the College, University and Special Library Division became the Academic and Special Libraries Division no change was made in the filing.

The records of the Library Development Committee include the ACONDA (A Codification of New Directions for the Association) report, the Baillie Report on Regional Planning, and a revision of the interlibrary loan procedures.

It was not until 1963 that the Public Relations Committee was put in charge of National Library Week, but to maintain continuity all NLW material was placed with the records of this committee

Material relating to the Annual Conferences, 1924-1988, includes programs, correspondence related to planning, including correspondence with speakers, some tape recordings of speeches and videocassettes of Richard Etulain's speech "Roles of Women in Western Literature" from the 1984 conference.

Records relating to the Idaho Librarian, 1960-1988, include correspondence, financial records, mailing records and plans for issues, including some paste-ups and advertising copy.

The published issues of Idaho Librarian in the archives are not complete. Since, for the sake of continuity of location, all future issues of the journal will continue to be added to this manuscript group, this series is the only one which remains open.

The cash books give a detailed financial account of the association, therefore it was decided to discard all canceled checks, bank statements, and check registers, with the exception of the check registers for the years 1980 to 1984 where these are the only available records. Also discarded were invoices, receipts, duplicate deposit slips, ALA mimeographed material, duplicate copies of manuals, programs, and other print or near print material. Many recent accessions consisted of one or two folders which were placed in half-Hollinger boxes and counted as 0.5 cubic feet for statistical purposes. Through the combined processes of discarding, refoldering and reboxing the material was reduced by 10 cubic feet.

ILA PAST PRESIDENTS

1915-1918	Gretchen L. Smith	Idaho Technical Institute, Pocatello
1918-1919	M. Belle Sweet	University of Idaho
1919-1922	Ruth Cowgill	Boise Public
1922-1923	Jessie Fraser	Twin Falls Public
1923-1924	Jessie S. Millener	Pocatello Public
1924-1926	Helene C. Norton	Coeur d'Alene Public
1926-1928	Edith Hibbard	Lewiston Normal School
1928-1930	Marion C. Orr	Idaho Falls Public
1930-1933	Jessie Fraser	Twin Falls Public
1933-1935	Lalla Bedford	State Library
1935-1937	Olive T. Bess	College of Idaho
1937-1938	Lucile Hood	Pocatello Public
1938-1939	Edna Gillespie	Blackfoot Public
1939-1942	Annette Crogster	Pocatello Public
1942-1945	Eunice von Ende	Boise Public
1945-1948	Eldon C. Hart	Ricks College
1948-1950	Paul C. Scott	Pocatello Public
1950-1953	Eli Oboler	Idaho State College
1953-1955	Marion Bingham	Boise Public
1955-1956	Martha M. Guenther	Idaho State College
1956-1957	Ruth McBirney	Boise Junior College
1957-1958	Fern Prior	Boise School District
1958-1959	Arthur DeVolder	Twin Falls Public
1959-1960	Lee F. Zimmerman	University of Idaho
1960-1961	Blanche Kurtz	Mountain Home High School
1961-1962	Dorothy Hickey	Idaho Falls Public
1962-1963	Alice McClain	Idaho State College
1963-1964	Dorothy Kiesz	Coeur d'Alene High School
1964-1965	Alice Dunlap	Caldwell Public
1965-1966	Charles Webbert	University of Idaho
1966-1967	Francis Lamb	Wendell High School
1967-1968	Edward G. Linkhart	Nez Perce County
1968-1969	Richard Beck	University of Idaho
1969-1970	Mary Faith Bollinger	Jefferson Junior High
1970-1971	Gaylin S. Fuller	Ricks College
1971-1972	Rex A. White	Idaho State University
1972-1973	Mabelle E. Wallan	Boise Public
1973-1974	Peter W. Ahlstrom	Idaho Falls Public
1974-1975	Marguerite Laughlin	State Library Board
1975-1976	Dianna D. Hull	Moscow/Latah County Public
1976-1977	Ruth Seydel	State Dept. of Education, Boise
1977-1978	Milo Nelson	University of Idaho
1978-1979	Jeanne Goodrich*	Idaho Falls Public
1979-1980	Gerry Jacobs	Madison County, Rexburg
1980-1981	Helen Rambo	Northwest Nazarene College
1981-1982	Sam Sayre	Idaho State University
1982-1983	John Hartung	Kootenai County, Coeur d'Alene
1983-1984	Anna Green	Portneuf District, Chubbuck
1984-1985	Vera Kenyon	Wilder School District
1985-1986	Janet Strong	Boise State University
1986-1987	Adrien Taylor	Boise State University
1987-1988	Jerry L. Glenn	Ricks College
1988-1989	Margaret McNamara	American Falls

*William J. Wilson, CDA Public Library, resigned July 26, 1978, replaced by vice president.

CONFERENCE LOCATIONS

Year	Place
1946	Twin Falls
1948	Boise
1950	Boise
1951	Boise
1952	Caldwell
1953	District Meetings
1954	Pocatello
1955	District Meetings
1956	McCall
1957	District Meetings
1958	Sun Valley
1959	District Meetings
1960	McCall
1961	Sun Valley
1962	McCall
1963	Sun Valley
1964	McCall
1965	Sun Valley
1966	Lewiston
1967	Jackson, Wyoming
1968	Twin Falls
1969	McCall
1970	Burley
1971	Boise
1972	McCall
1973	Boise
1974	Boise
1975	Coeur d'Alene
1976	Burley
1977	Boise
1978	Sun Valley
1979	Pocatello
1980	Moscow
1981	Boise
1982	Sun Valley
1983	Coeur d'Alene
1984	Sun Valley
1985	Boise
1986	Coeur d'Alene
1987	Sun Valley
1988	Boise
1989	Coeur d'Alene

SERIES LIST

Containers

I. President's Correspondence, 1919-1986 1

II. Secretary's Records, 1915-1986 1-3

A. Bound, 1915-1963

B. Unbound, 1937-1986

III. Treasurer's Records, 1916-1988 4

IV. Divisions, Committees and Liaison Areas, 1957-1988 4-6

V. Conferences, 1924-1988 6-8

A. Annual Conferences, 1924-1988

B. Audio Visual Material, 1967-1984

C. Other Conferences, 1958-1980

VI. Idaho Librarian, Correspondence and Planning, 1960-1986 8-9

VII. Other Records, n.d. - 1987 9

VIII. Publications, 1945-1989 10

Inventory

IDAHO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Box Folder Description Items

I. President's Correspondence, 1919-1986

1	1	Belle Sweet, 1919-1920	2
	2	Eli Obler, 1950-1953	55
	3-4	Blanche Kurtz, 1960-1961	82
	5-6	Dorothy Kiesz, 1963-1964	194
	7-8	Alice Dunlap, 1964-1965	135
	9	Charles Webbert, 1965-1966	58
	10	Frances Lamb, 1966-1967	57
	11	Edward Linkhart, 1967-1968	22
	12	Richard Beck, 1968-1969	89
	13	Mary Faith Bollinger, 1969-1970	48
	14	Gaylin Fuller, 1970-1971	38
	15	Other Library Associations, 1970-1972	51
	16	Rex White, 1971-1972	161
	17	Mabelle Wallan, 1972-1973	85
	18	Peter Ahlstrom, 1972-1974	129
	19	Marguerite Laughlin, 1974-1975	16
	20	Dianna Hull, 1975-1976	74
	21	Milo Nelson, William Wilson, Jeanne Goodrich, 1977-1979	64
	22	John Fogarty Case, 1978-1979	19
	23	Gerry Jacobs, 1970-1980	66
	24	Helen Rambo, 1980-1981	64
	25	Sam Sayre, 1981-1982	60
	26	John Hartung, 1982-1983	70
	27	Anna Green, 1983-1984	49
	28	Jerry Glenn, 1984	7
	29	Janet Strong, 1985-1986	53

II. Secretary's Records, 1915-1986

A. Bound Volumes, 1915-1963

	30	Minute Book, 1915-1946	1
	31	Minutes of Meetings, 1948-1956	1
2	32	Correspondence, 1926-1948	1
	33	Correspondence and Miscellany, 1948-1956	1
	34	Correspondence and Records, 1956-1957	1
	35	Correspondence and Records, 1957-1958	1
	36	Correspondence and Records, 1958-1959	1
	37	Correspondence and Records, 1959-1960	1
	38	Correspondence and Records, 1960-1961	1
	39	Correspondence and Records, 1961-1962	1
3	40-41	Correspondence and Records, 1962-1963	2

B. Unbound Records, 1937-1986

	42	Articles of Incorporation, 1968-1970	17
	43	Constitutions and Bylaws, 1937-1964	12
	44	Organization of the Idaho Library Association, n.d.	1
	45-58	Executive Board Correspondence, 1961-1986	229
	59	Executive Board. List of Officers, 1951/52-1964/65	1
	60-61	Executive Board. Minutes of Meetings, 1960-1985	105
	62-63	Membership Lists, 1947-1977	34
	64-71	Procedure Manual/Handbook, 1961-1984	10
	72	Secretary's Correspondence, 1966-1983	20
	73	Idaho State Library Legislative Publications, 1962-1972	4
	74	ALA and PNLA Membership Cards, 1966-1982	5
	75	Proclamations, 1957-1986	6
	76	Negative for special membership certificate, n.d.	1
o.s.	77	Scrapbook, 1951-1958

III. Treasurer's Records, 1916-1988

3	78	Cash Book, 1916-5/28/57	1
	79	Cash Book, 6/28/57 - 3/24/66	1
4	80	Cash Book, 4/5/66 - 5/18/70	1
o.s.	81	Cash Book, 6/l/70 - 5/31/72	1
	82	Cash Book, 6/2/72 - 6/24/75	1
	83	Cash Book, 8/24/78 - 12/23/82	1
4	84	Check Registers, June 1980-December 1984	2
	85	Savings Records, 1980-1985	2
	86	Audits, 1959-1980	7
	87	Budgets and Proposed Budgets, 1962/63-1983	26
	88	Financial Reports, 1948-1988	100
	89	Membership Reports & Forms, 1951-1988	30
	90	Association for the Humanities in Idaho. Grant 337L, Intellectual Freedom and Censorship in Idaho's Libraries, 1982.	6
	91	Association for the Humanities in Idaho, Grant 468 LLP, Western Literature, 1984.	28
	92	Robert S. Bohrer Grant, 1972	3
	93-100	Treasurer's Correspondence, 1958-1985	562
	101	Idaho State Library	30
	102	Procedures and Notes, n.d.	4
	103	Scholarships, 1966-1973	25
	104	Tax Exemption Application, 1968-1970	17
	105	Taxes, Insurance, Agreements, etc., 1969-1984	33

IV. Divisions, Committees, Liaison Areas, 1957-1988

	106-110	Annual Reports, Original, 1965-1986	64
	111-112	Annual Reports; Printed, 1962/63 - 1983/84	18
	113-117	General Correspondence about Committees, 1963-1979	159
	118-11;	College, University, and Special Libraries Division, 1965-1988	67
	120-123	Public Libraries Division, 1964-1980	204
5	124	School Library Division Minutes, 1958-1971	16
	125	School Library Division Workshops, 1966-1968	8
	126-129	School Library Division Correspondence, 1957-1985	191
	130-132	Trustees and Friends Division, 1960-1986	126
	133	Awards Committee, 1969-1984	19
	134	Audio-Visual Committee, 1976	1
	135	Bibliography Committee, 1976-1984	5
	136	Certification and Standards Committee, 1964	2
	137	Committee on Committees, 1976	1
	138-139	Constitution and Manual Committee, 1961-1972	22
	140	Convention Site Committee, 1964	3
	141	Federal Relations Coordinator, 1964-1972	61
	142	Index Committee (Idaho Librarian), 1963-1964	7
	143-145	Intellectual Freedom Committee, 1963-1983	120
	146	Intellectual Freedom Committee. John Fogarty, 1978	23
	147-150	Legislative Committee, 1962-1987	18
	151-155	Library Development Committee, 1965-1972	344
	156	Library Development Committee. ACONDA, 1971	5
	157-158	Library Development Committee. Regional Planning, 1969-1979	64
	159	Library Development Committee. Interlibrary Loan Revision, 1980-1982	45
6	160-162	Library Education Committee, 1960-1977	231
	163	Library History Committee, 1964	1
	164	Membership Committee, 1962-1965	14
	165-168	Nominating Committee, 1963-1984	164
	169-176	Public Relations/National Library Week, 1957-1986	327
	177-178	Publications Committee, 1969-1986	65
	180	Recruitment Committee, 1963-1965	69
	181-183	Scholarship Committee, 1963-1967	120
	184-185	Scholarship and Recruitment Committee, 1967-1979	121
	186	Social Responsibility Committee, 1971-1972	3
	187	Title III Advisory Council (Library Cooperation), 1969-1970	42
	188-190	ALA Councilor, 1964-1986	88
	191	PNLA Representative, 1964-1985	29
	192	Department of Education Representative, 1973	2

V. Conferences, 1924-1988

A. Annual Conferences, 1924-1988

	193-194 Printed Programs for Conferences, 1924-1986	27
	195	1960, McCall. Proceedings (Bound), 1960	1
	196	1961, Sun Valley, 1960-1961	3
	197	1962, McCall, 1961-1962	113
7	198	1963, Sun Valley, 1962-1963	84
	199-200	1964, McCall, 1963-1964	152
	201-202	19659 Sun Valley, 1964-1965	141
	203	1966, Lewiston, 1964-1966	86
	204	1967, Tri-State Convention, Jackson, Wyoming, 1965-1968	24
	205	1968, Twin Falls, 1966-1968	69
	206-207	1969, McCall, 1968-1969	92
	208	1970, Burley, 1969-1970	140
	209	1971, Boise, 1970-1971	23
	210	1972, McCall, 1971-1972	48
	211	1973, Boise, 1972-1973	21
	212-213	1974, Boise, 1974	98
	214	1975, Coeur d'Alene, 1974-1975	4
	215	1976, Burley, 1975-1976	14
	216	1977, Boise, 1975-1977	8
	217	1978, Sun Valley, 1978	26
	218-219	1978, Pocatello, 1977-1979	93
	220	1980, Moscow, 1979-1980	54
	221	1981, Boise, 1980-1981	85
7	222	1982, Sun Valley, 1981-1982	108
	223	1983, Coeur d'Alene, 1982-1983	77
	224	1984, Sun Valley, 1984	39
	225	1985, Boise, 1985	77
	226	1986, Coeur d'Alene, 1985-1986	81
8	227	1987, Sun Valley, 1986-1987	54
	228	1988, Boise, 1987-1988	7

B. Annual Conference Audio Visual Material, 1967-1984

	229	7" reel to reel tape recording, 1967-1968	1
	230	Public Library Division Meeting (5" reel to reel), 1969	1
	231-233	7" reel to reel, 1970	3
	234-236	7" reel to reel, 1972	3
	237-239	Cassette recording, 1973	3
	240	Thursday Evening, Friday Noon (7" reel to reel) 1974	1
	241	School Division Meeting, Ruth Seydel (cassette) 1974	1
	242	Trustee Division, Bill Roden, Barbara Hume (cassette) 1974	1
	243	College, University & Special Libraries meeting, Richard Dougherty (cassette), 1974	1
	244	E. Landau (cassette) 1976	1
	245-246	Richard Etulain "Roles of Women in Western Literature" videocassette, 1984	2
	247	unidentified. 3" reel labeled Master	1

C. Other Conferences, 1958-1980

	248	Governor's Conference on Libraries, 1960-1980	34
	249	State Library Planning Committee, 1958	5
	250	Conference on Interlibrary Cooperation, 1967	1
	251	Tri-State Workshop, 1969	16
	252	McCall Seminar, 1969	7
	253	ILA Planning Conference, 1970	1

VI. Idaho Librarian, Correspondence and Planning, 1960-1986

	254-258	Correspondence, 1967-1986	390
	259	Advertising Correspondence, 1980-1986	81
	260	Business Correspondence, 1980-1982	20
	261	Steve Hall Book Review Correspondence, 1984	19
	262	Keith Petersen Column Correspondence, 1983-1984	17
	263	Review Copies & Book Reviews Correspondence, 1980-1986	129
	264	Subscription Correspondence, 1981-1982	28
9	265	Financial Records, 1960/61; 1981/82	2
	266	Budget and Finances, 1982-1986	56
	267	Printer Bids, 1982-1984	8
	268	Sample Copies Sent, 1984-1986	8
	269	Single Issue Sales, 1982-1985	17
		Post Office Mailing Records, 1980-1986
	270		Instructions and Correspondence, 1980-1986	26
	271		Second Class Mailing Forms, 1981-1986	22
	272		Ownership, Management & Circulation Statement, 1981-1986	6
	273	Instructions to Authors, n.d.	1
	274	University Microfilms Royalty Statements, 1980-1985	9
	275	Congressional Information Service Microfiche, 1982-1985	10
	276	Reader Survey, 1981	5
	277	Other Journal's Surveys, 1981-1985	7
		Plans for Individual Issues
	278	January 1981	36
	279	April 1981	26
	280	July 1981	32
	281	October 1981	32
	282	January 1982	24
	283	April 1982	15
	284	July 1982	24
	285	October 1982	52
	286	January 1983	65
	287	April 1983	48
	288	July 1983	43
	289	October 1983	40
	290	January 1985	34
	291	April 1985	30
	292	July 1985	38
	293	October 1985	26
	294	January 1986	39
	295	April 1986	29
	296	July 1986	32
	297	October 1986	9

VII. Other Records, n.d.-1987

	298	Idaho Book Award Design, 1984	1
	299	Patent Search Workshop, 1984	23
	300	Recruitment brochures, Other brochures and forms, n.d.	8
	301	Purple Press (a publication of the Legislative Committee) 1986-1987	13

VIII. Publications, 1945-19

10	A. Idaho Local History; a bibliography with a checklist of library holdings. Ed. Milo G. Nelson & Charles A. Webbert for the Idaho Library Association. University Press of Idaho, Moscow, 1976.
	B. Idaho Librarian (microfilm copy)
v.1-12, April 1945-October 1960 

v.13-20, January 1961-October 1968

v.21 no.1-4 January-October 1969

v.22 no.1-4 January-October 1970

v.23 no.1-4 January-October 1971

v.26 no.1-4 January-October 1974

v.27 no.1-4 January-October 1975

v-30 no.1-4 January-October 1978
	C. Idaho Librarian (paper copy)
v.10 no.1-4 January-October 1958 

v.11 no.1,2,4 January, April, October 1959 

v 12 no.2-4 April-October 1960 

v.13 no.2 April 1961 

v.14, no.2,4 April, October 1962 

v.15, no.1,4 January, October 1963 

v.18 no.1 January 1966

v.22-23 January 1970-October 1971

v.24-25 January 1972-October 1973

v.26	no.1,3,4 January, July, October 1974

v.27	no.1-4 January-October 1975

v.28	no.1-4 January-October 1976

v.29	no.2,3 April, July 1977

v.30	no.3 July 1978

v.31	no.1-2 January-April 1979

v.32	no.1-2 January-April 1980

v.33	no.1,3 January, July 1981

v.34	no.1-3 January-July 1982

v.35 no.1-4 January-October 1983 

v.36 no.1-3 January-July 1984 

v.37 no.1-3 January-July 1986 

v.38 no.1-4 January-October 1987 

v.39 no.1-4 January-October 1988 

v.41 no.1-2 January-April 1989

July 1997/ mg029.htm