Idaho libraries seek continued federal digital-access funding as questions raised about summer reading materials

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee heard a presentation from the Idaho Commission for Libraries on its fiscal 2026 requests and on implementation of the Digital Access for All Idahoans program, a federal grant administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The commission, represented at the hearing by Brooke Dupree, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, and by State Librarian Stephanie Bailey White, told the committee the state has received grant awards and has begun awarding subgrants to community organizations, school districts and community colleges to hire digital navigators, provide tech support, teach digital skills and purchase devices for the public.

Why it matters: Committee members questioned the agency’s request to roll part of the federal program into the state base. Lawmakers weighing whether to treat a time‑limited federal program as ongoing funds want clarity about how much has been spent, what the…