The Madison Library District is located at 73 North Center, Rexburg, Idaho 83440. It serves Rexburg and the approximate geographic area of the Madison School District including BYU-Idaho students. On this website you can learn about the library, what it has to offer, and how to utilize the library and its online services.

In the fall of 1920, a group of civic-minded citizens met at the home of Mrs. S. H. Abbott, with Mayor John L. Ballif presiding to discuss the establishment of a public library in Rexburg.

A committee of five ladies was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws of the Rexburg Improvement League, which was to have as its main objectives the establishment of a library and other civic improvements. Members of the committee were Mrs. Abbott, Mrs. L. F. Rich, Mrs. C. W. Poole, Mrs. C. A. Walfrom, and Mrs. Parley Nelson.

The results of that organization were as follows: The county commissioners gave the use of two connecting rooms in the courthouse; the Commercial Club donated tables and chairs; the City Council voted to donate $25 per month for the librarian's salary; and the school superintendent cooperated in a drive for books which gathered 800 books, many of which were suitable for the library. Mrs. Parley Nelson was appointed librarian.

On December 28, 1921, the library was opened to the public with 500 books on the shelves.

The name of the Rexburg Improvement League changed to Rexburg Improvement Club and then to Rexburg Civic Improvement Club. In 1927, these ladies initiated a rummage sale which became an annual event, netting approximately $350 each year for the library.

With the growing number of books and patron use of the library, a separate building was needed. By order of the Madison County Commissioners, on September 8, 1958, the library was formed into the Madison County Free Library District, which was described as all property in Madison County except property in School District No. 322. With this new stimulus, the ladies of the Civic Club began an all-out drive to raise the funds for a library building. Local contractor and engineer Richard Davis and his father, David Davis, donated their expertise and labor to this $35,000 project. The city of Rexburg donated a lot next to city hall on North Center Street, and the community got behind the energetic leadership of the Civic Club women.

The fund-raising was under the direction of Trustee Chairman, Lola Webster. On February 22, 1961, the new building was dedicated. In 1968, the basement of the building was remodeled to accommodate a children's library. Little did anyone dream that in fifteen short years another library building would be needed.

With the collapse of the Teton Dam on June 5, 1976, the flood waters so badly damaged the library building that it had to be demolished. The furniture and most of the collection were also destroyed. The Federal Disaster Assistance Administration sent crews to survey the damage, and together with Mrs. Geraldine Jacobs, Librarian, and Gale D. Reeser, Ricks College Librarian, costs of the building, furniture, and collection were estimated. FDAA agreed to replace everything lost in the flood.

A 12,000 square foot building with basement storage was designed and built at a cost of $405,667. Besides government reimbursement, grants were obtained from the State Library and the Economic Development Administration. A new site was obtained across the street on North Center for the building.

Within two weeks of the flood, a temporary library was set up in the Ricks College Library and an upstairs room turned over to the staff for ordering and cataloging new materials. In September, the staff moved into temporary quarters in the remodeled City Hall. Over 35,000 books were sent in trucks from Utah, which proved to be a gigantic task of sorting for those suitable for library use. The others were given away to families who had lost their collections in the flood.

The new library on the corner of North Center and First North was dedicated on July 27, 1978. The new community meeting room was named the Lola M. Webster Room in recognition of her many years of long service on the library board.

In 1983, the library joined with the Idaho Falls and Pocatello Public Libraries to obtain cataloging and circulation software for the use of computers in the library. In 1991, public access terminals were added for patron use, making the card catalog obsolete. A Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant bought five computers for public internet access in 2000.

Also in 2000, it was determined the collection had outgrown the allotted space, and the Webster Room was remodeled to house the children's section. This meant the library no longer had a meeting room for public use.

The library was again the recipient of funding in 2005 courtesy of the Gates Foundation, replacing four aging public computers. And in May of 2006 the Madison Library District became the first library in Southeastern Idaho to install a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, including a self-checkout station for patron use. Public response was immediate and very positive. Another Gates Foundation grant in 2007 added five more public internet computers, bringing the total to 13.

By Cheryl Reeser, Director, March 2, 1992
Edited and Amended by Judith M. Dewey, Director, May 2008

The Madison Library District will:

• Assemble, preserve, and make available materials in a variety of formats;
• Be a preschooler's door to learning through children's reading programs;
• Serve as a center for lifelong learning;
• Be wise stewards of public funds.

The Madison Library District is a tax-supported entity existing under the laws of the State of Idaho. Although the geographic area served by this library is nearly the same as the Madison School District, the library district is not connected to the school district, the City of Rexburg, or Madison County.

The library is governed by a Board of Trustees. These five trustees are elected officials who serve without pay. Each trustee is elected for a term of five years, with one new trustee elected each year.

The Board meets once each month on the third Tuesday at 5:00 pm. The public is always welcome at board meetings.

If you are interested in serving on the Board of Trustees, please email or call the Director at 356-3461 for more information. Deadline for filing declarations of candidacy for 2008 was Friday, March 21, 2008 at 5:00 pm. The form is available at the library.

Chairman: Blaine Robertson
Vice Chairman: Gordon Timothy
Treasurer: Vacant
Trustees: Pamela Beard and Jeanna Huff
Library Director: Judith M. Dewey

Seat C - 2009 - Blaine Robertson
Seat D - 2010 - Pamela Beard
Seat E - 2011 - Vacant
Seat A - 2012 - Gordon Timothy
Seat B - 2013 - Jeanna Huff

The Director, Judith M. Dewey, has lived in Idaho since 1987. She attended the University of Redlands in Redlands, California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. Her Master of Arts in Library Science is from Indiana University (Bloomington). She also holds a law degree from the University of Idaho. She has five grown children and a number of grandchildren. Judy and her husband live in Egin.

In the past five years, the library has experienced tremendous growth. Circulation has increased 89%. Visitors to the library have increased 57%. In fiscal year 2006-07, 172,210 people visited the library, up 10,444 from the previous year. They checked out 328,854 books and other materials. The staff answered 19,663 reference questions, and 19,650 folks used the computers.

Here are the great people who serve our patrons:

Assistant Director / Reference Librarian: Lorna
Technical Processing / Interlibrary Loan Librarian: Colleen
Adult Services Librarian: Valerie
Children's/ Young Adult Librarian: Vivian
Programs Coordinator/Grants Officer: Amber
Catalog Librarian / Computers: Robin
Circulation Clerk: Anette
Part-time: Miranda, Terri, Josh, Brenda, Sterling, Melissa, & Ray