Land donation to Valley of the Tetons Library brings new building within reach
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DRIGGS — A local library district is one massive step closer to a new building after receiving a generous land donation.
Stefan Merriam, a landowner in Driggs, has gifted a parcel of land to the Valley of the Tetons Library for the construction of a new library building in the city. Library officials said the half-acre of land located on the corner of Harper Avenue and Main Street is the perfect place for the future building.
“Stefan is incredibly community-oriented and generous in giving us this piece of land. It’s in one of the most perfect locations for our community,” said Board of Trustees Chairwoman Jan Borstelmann in a news release.
Finding a new location for the new library in Driggs has been a goal since 2019, and the land Merriam donated meets the criteria the library was looking for.
“We want to be part of the community center. We also want to be within walking distance if possible of the schools,” said Communications Manager Susan Strayer in an interview with EastIdahoNews.com.
Valley of the Tetons Library is a library district that has three branches in the Teton Valley. The building that the Driggs branch currently occupies is rented by the district, and according to library officials, the needs of the community have outgrown it.
“We really are bursting at the seams,” Strayer said.
The Driggs branch and its adjoining makerspace combined are 4,500 square feet. According to a 2023 needs assessment by RATIO architects, a national firm specializing in libraries, they estimate an adequate library space would need to be 12,000 to 15,000 square feet.
On top of that, library officials say rent has increased by over 67% in the past three years on a space that’s too small and in a building that’s aging. Last year, the library had a ceiling tile fall in the junior nonfiction section.
“We have made the best that we can out of what we have,” Strayer said. “The programs and collections that we have are really top notch even in a space that is not ideal.”
Building this new library will allow the district to expand its physical collection in Driggs, while also being in the community center, within walking distance of multiple schools.
Funding for the new library will come from a variety of sources, including grants, donations and a capital campaign. The district submitted a competitive grant application to the office of Congressman Mike Simpson, which included 210 letters of support from community members. The result of this grant is expected to come out late this year.
Right now, the branch is focused on forming a taskforce that will work closely with the board of trustees, as well as completing a four to six month planning and strategy phase. Still in the early stages, Valley of the Tetons doesn’t have a firm timeline of when construction will begin.
Strayer spoke to Merriam’s generosity, and what his donation means for the library district.
“There’s a lot of energy, a lot of happiness about where we’re headed in the future,” Strayer said.
