A Brief History
According to one of our local nonagenarians, during the 1920s the town library was located in a building on Highway 95 across from the livery station. That building no longer stands nor, sadly, does the livery station. On August 1, 1959 a library service was established in Midvale in one room of a county building located just west of the bridge. Volunteers acted as librarians, while books on the shelves were borrowed from the Idaho State Library. On February 8, 1961 the town board gave the library legal status by appointing the following as trustees of the Library Board: Elizabeth Cada, Laverne Luke, Thelma Whitaker, Alta Loney and Dick Herriot. In July of 1961 the Midvale Library joined the Fort Boise Library federation, and several years later, in 1966, the County commissioners formally approved and established the Midvale Free Library District. In 1975 the Library Board applied for a Library Services and Construction Act grant, administered through the Idaho State Library. This grant was approved and construction on a new building was started late in 1975. The library opened in March of 1976, and was formally dedicated on May 6.
Total cost of the 1800 square foot building was $60,728.00, with $28,000 from LSCA funds, and $32,728.00 local funds. Architects were Gabala and Ziltzow of Boise. Contractor was Tom Holmes of Midvale. Trustees at the time were Elizabeth Cada, Marion Sutton, Cora Jacks, Vivian McClure and Hattie Glascock.