Community invited to grand opening of Ucon library branch
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UCON — A local library district is inviting the community to a grand opening of its new branch this Saturday.
The Bonneville County Library District will debut its Ucon branch on Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. It is located at 10918 North Yellowstone Highway.
The celebration will include free cotton candy, snow cones, and giveaways. Volunteers helped move books and materials into the library in preparation to open for the public.
“I am so thrilled! I know from seeing volunteers come in…that they are so thrilled to have a place together as a community and to have resources for library services,” said Library Director Michelle Tolman. “That brings me so much joy because I know it’s making a difference for a lot of people.”
Guests can check out the new library branch and meet library staff. Patrons will have access to a variety of e-resources, including more than 219,000 digital titles available through Libby. There’s also Scholastic Digital, which includes thousands of children’s books, curated educational videos, and themed lesson plans, according to a news release.
Tolman told EastIdahoNews.com that the Ucon branch has been in the works since the middle of June. The building is one level and 2,000 square feet. She said it used to be the Fybercom building. While they do not own the building, they are currently renting it.
“We’re hoping if we can show the taxpayers that it’s a valuable resource, that they will support it in eventually purchasing the building because it will save them tax money down the road,” Tolman said.
She said that she is proud to bring a library branch to Ucon, which has been underserved.
“There’s been a lot of research nationally that shows that if a library is more than five miles away from your house, you’re dramatically less likely to go to the library,” she said. “That has been a focus… how can we bring library services closer to the people? Because we know it is more than just a place to get a book. It’s a place to connect with others.”
So, who can use the Ucon branch? Tolman said the district can use any of the five branch locations. She said there are reciprocal agreements.
“We have reciprocal agreements with most of the libraries in our area like Madison, Rigby, North Bingham, Portneuf, and Marshall. So if they have a library card with them, they can get a library card with us free of charge,” Tolman said. “Idaho Falls has not chosen to do a reciprocal at this time, but we try to make it affordable for everyone.”
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The Ucon branch’s operating hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Other branches of the Bonneville County Library District include:
- Ammon — 3015 South 25th East, Ammon
- Iona — 3548 North Main Street, Iona
- Swan Valley — 3389 Swan Valley Highway, Irwin
- Westside — 250 South Skyline Drive, Ste. 6, Idaho Falls
“We’d love to have you come to the grand opening. We’d love to have you keep coming back and seeing our growth,” Tolman added. “Get involved at the library. It has so much more to offer than people realize.”
