Idaho budget panel reviews library digital-access grants and summer reading funding

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Thursday heard from the Idaho Commission for Libraries about its plans to use federal funds to expand broadband access, digital literacy and local library services across the state.

Brooke Dupree, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the commission expects to spend about $2.5 million a year under the Digital Access for All Idahoans grant authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. "Some of this money will be used to buy laptops to then subgrant to those libraries," Dupree said, and other funds will support "digital navigators" and community organizations that provide training and tech support.

The request presented to the panel would add $2,500,000 ongoing to the commission’s base for the Digital Access initiative and raise the base for broadband reimbursement to about $275,000. Dupree said the commission is also expecting additional notices of award from the federal grant program that extend through 02/1932 and that some funds may be reappropriated for capital facilities work funded by earlier ARPA Capital Projects awards.

Why it matters: the commission says 80% of the federal funds will be passed through subgrants to Idaho organizations — community colleges, school districts and nonprofits — to hire digital navigators, deliver training and provide devices. Commission leaders say the money addresses barriers such as affordability, device access and basic cybersecurity awareness.

State Librarian Stephanie Bailey White said Idaho was the third state awarded its allocation but that the commission did not receive the money until November, which delayed spending. "We've launched subgrants. Those were due just a couple weeks ago. We're ranking those," Bailey White said, adding that the commission received 39 applications in the first round.

Legislators sought more detail about program timelines and spending plans. Senator Carlson asked for an itemized explanation of what the $2.5 million would buy and how subgrants are distributed; Dupree and Bailey White said they would follow up with a breakdown and an explanation of the commission's competitive scoring process. Dupree described the subgrant process as competitive and vetted against a rubric, then sent to NTIA (and NIST on the federal side) for federal review before awards are finalized.

Committee members also raised concerns about summer reading materials and how libraries source incentives. Dupree explained that summer reading programs have been funded primarily through ESSER/ARPA funds routed to the commission and then passed through the miscellaneous revenue fund; the commission’s youth services consultant orders small paperback books for prize distribution through a vendor, and the commission has encouraged libraries to prioritize books rather than non‑book tchotchkes. Bailey White said the commission received a $17,500 donation from the Scottish Rite Foundation this year for paperback books and that about 107,000 children participated in Idaho summer reading programs last year — a 30% increase over the previous year.

What the committee will get next: legislators asked for follow‑up materials including (1) an itemized plan for how the Digital Access funds will be spent over the next three to five years, (2) a description of how summer reading materials are selected and distributed, and (3) additional detail about the commission’s subgrant scoring and distribution process.

No formal vote was taken; the governor recommended the commission’s enhancements as presented.