Groundbreaking ceremony held for new Inkom library

INKOM — For the first time in the city’s history, Inkom will be constructing a public library for all of its residents to enjoy.

Citizenry of Inkom and Pocatello, representatives from the South Bannock Library District and supporters of public libraries assembled at 321 Holstein St. on Thursday for a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the beginning of construction of a new public library in Inkom.

Securing the monetary funds required for such an endeavor has taken some time, but South Bannock Library District Director Megan Short was steadfast in her mission to see the library erected.

“We’ve been trying to find funding for a while,” Short said. “We had our plant facilities (funds) in place but that didn’t quite cover all the costs we needed because it ends in 2025. We were able to obtain a facilities improvement grant from the Idaho Commission for Libraries and that was for ($500,000). We went to bid in December of 2024 and our low bid came in at about $1,020,000 which made us short another $200,000. In May of this year we were able to renew our plant facilities fund which secured the remaining funding that we needed.”

Ammon-based Construction Solutions Co. came in with the low bid and coincidentally worked on the Downey Library remodel and addition.

Using the McCammon Library as a blueprint, Short will offer similar library services with a few adjustments made for Inkom. The usual gambit of programs like story time, Friday fun labs and game days will be provided along with a meeting room that is available for the community to use.

“I think it’s important to have a library,” Short said. “It’s a center point for a lot of communities. It provides resources beyond books. Programming, resources, services, databases, we have it all for just about any need that you have and if we don’t, we can direct you to who does.”

Regarding the newly implemented “harmful materials bill,” which was enacted in July of this year, Short feels confident that there won’t be any issues regarding the Inkom Library.

“We updated our policy to kind of match what the bill wanted us to say and do,” Short said. “We’re really supported by our community. I feel like my collection development has fallen in line with our community needs. I feel like we don’t have anything to worry about.”

Completion of the new Inkom Library is still some time away with Short predicting a late fall debut in 2025. Once everything is finally completed, the city will have access to countless books and resources and will be able to provide the nearby Inkom Elementary School students with a space to learn and grow.

“I just feel like libraries are the last good thing (in our communities),” Short said. “You don’t have to pay to be there, everybody is welcome. There is something for everybody. Whether you’re looking for entertainment, to better yourself or you need help with a new business that you’re starting, we really have it all.”