LIBRARY FOUNDATION

History of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation

• 1995 – Foundation Established.
• Look for space.
• D’Bartolo & Walker Macy studies.
• Received piece of property for Library.
• Many stops and starts as well as challenges from the City.
• 2002 – Change in city administration/council.
• 2004 – General obligation bond proposed to move forward.
• Feb. 2005 – Bond passed by 86 votes.
• 2005 – Bette Ammon came on board as Library Director.
• 2006 – Broke ground for new facility.
• September 2007 – Library open to public.

The Library Foundation was created in 1995 at the request of the Library Board of Trustees in response to a large bequest to the library from the Seagraves family (Emma Seagraves VanLaken). At the time there was no mechanism for inherited funds to be dedicated to a specific city department so all the money went into the city’s general fund.

            Jon Hippler was elected president of the Foundation. The decision to try and build a new library was adopted by the Foundation as a desired goal but not the ultimate reason for forming.

            The first five years of the Foundation involved a variety of fundraisers (Tisket a Tasket, A Literary Basket auction, Art Auction, etc.) all created and run with volunteer Foundation board members and no paid staff. Regular discussions were held regarding finding a site for a new library. Possible locations were considered and frequently generated much outcry. These included McEuen Field, Person Field, Memorial Field, Northwest Blvd, expansion on Harrison, and Appleway and 95. In addition, there was  a large population who felt libraries were irrelevant and unnecessary.

            After much perseverance, in 2000 the City finally agreed to give a small piece of land north of City Hall for a library. The size was totally inadequate but the Foundation and urban renewal agency (now Ignite) agreed to purchase adjacent property – a large old rental property for sale by the Jameson family. These two pieces of property and an agreement from the city to vacate the street between gave adequate space for a new library.

            In 2001 the city approved an overall “footprint” for the space involved for the new library. Architects West was chosen by the Foundation to design the new library after presentations by a number of architectural firms. The initial design was three stories and 54,000 square feet. There were some considerations made to partner with the museum in a joint facility but this never developed. About this time the Foundation decided it needed to hire an executive director to head up fundraising and coordinate a capital campaign. This was the first paid staff. A number of candidates were interviewed and one was selected. Unfortunately the talents on paper and in reality didn’t work out and the executive director was let go. Ruth Pratt was helping at the time as a volunteer and it was hoped she would join the board. It became evident she was the best choice to lead the Foundation and she was unanimously chosen by the board.

            The Foundation’s capital campaign began in earnest with Dr. ERW Fox and Louise Shadduck chosen as honorary chairs. They rented a small space downstairs at 5^th and Sherman and brainstormed a number of fundraisers and events.  These included a calendar featuring local celebrities as well as Patty Duke and Dennis Franz, Big Band bashes, a Hagadone Garden Party and more. However, it soon became clear that the rising costs of construction would make it virtually impossible to ever build a library with only privately raised money.

The Foundation appealed to the City Council to allow a bond issue to help raise the funds. The Council agreed and a campaign was created with the theme “The Library is Overdue” (Hanna & Associates, Inc., project led by Ryan Hill). The size of the library was cut to 40,000 sq. feet to reduce costs. Denny Davis and Sandy Patano were bond campaign co-chairs and Mike Kennedy hired as a consultant. The $3 million bond was approved by a supermajority in February 2005.

            The capital campaign continued with Ruth in the lead to raise the additional $3.6 million needed. Architectural plans were firmed up and naming rights to everything possible sold, many as pledges over time. Grants were applied for and fundraisers continued in conjunction with the successful Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Library. The Friends had strategically purchased property surrounding the Harrison Street location and profitably sold these homes to support the new building campaign.

In 2006 groundbreaking ceremonies were held with hoards of excited children wielding plastic shovels and construction began! In 2007 the new public library – the first new building in Coeur d’Alene built specifically as a library –  was dedicated with several thousand eager citizens pouring into the beautiful building.

            Since that time the Foundation has continued to raise money and collect pledges to pay off the loans from the City for the Foundation portion of the costs. Those loans were completed within five years.

Shifting from the capital campaign to library support, the Foundation continued to write grants and raise funds for a variety of library programs. These included the popular Mudgy & Millie books, trail, and five statues based on Foundation board member Susan Nipp’s books; the ReTool Box program teaching computer literacy with grant funded laptops; popular travel programs called Novel Destinations; author presentations; annual music fundraisers; and more. In 2012 the Library was named Idaho’s Library of the Year by the Idaho Library Association.

            In 2014 Ruth Pratt retired from the position as ED and Kelly Lattin committed to working with the Foundation through 2015 (which would finish out her fifth year with the Foundation). Discussions with the Board continued concerning the Foundation’s ongoing presence and purpose. A meeting with the Library Board of Trustees reaffirmed their desire to keep the Foundation going and their wish that  the endowment would continue to grow. The hope too was to continue fundraising, establish a method to receive bequests, and keep making this excellent library even better.

In 2015 the Foundation hired Holly Stetson as the part-time manager. Her grant-writing skills and experience in the non-profit world matched what was needed for the continuation of fundraising, annual campaigns, program planning, and support for library needs beyond those funded by the City.

Mary Sanderson and Bette Ammon