Library History
Gooding Public Library began as a civic club in the summer of 1910. On December 17, 1912 the city council officially took over the Library in the name of the city. In the early years the library had several different locations including the Commercial Club rooms in the New York Store, The Herald office, the superintendent’s office in the public school building, the Thompson Furniture store, and the Courthouse in the old Lincoln Inn. In 1926 the Library moved to the building on Third and Main formerly occupied by the Citizen’s Bank. It remained there for over fifty years. In the late seventies the City Clerk worked with the Library Board to obtain a federal grant to remodel the old Safeway store at Fifth and California into a City Hall and Library complex. In the fall of 1978 the library moved into it’s current location.
Our Library Today
Today Gooding Public Library occupies 3282 square feet in the City Building. We have 22,000 books, 700 audio books, and over 3000 videos in circulation. Approximately 27,000 people use our library each year. We offer story times for toddlers and preschoolers, as well as other children’s and teen-focused programming such as science and art activities. Through a state grant we also provide an outreach program to local daycares, preschools, and kindergarten classrooms, providing story times and free books for children to keep. We have book clubs for kids ages 7 to 13. The Summer Reading program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summertime. A book club for adults runs year-round. Our “Click-Click” needlework group meets weekly and provides our patrons with an opportunity to relax, work on a craft project, and enjoy good company. Our special programs include Google Maker Camp, Weekly Family Read Night, Summer Reading Program, and more.
We offer computers with internet access for guest use and free Wi-Fi. We have access to 51 databases for research purposes. We also provide copy, scanning, and fax services for a small fee.
The Gooding Public Library would like to thank all of our donors. We really appreciate how much you love our library!
