History of the Library

History of the East Bonner County Library

The East Bonner County Library District was originally the Sandpoint Public Library. It was located upstairs in the City Hall building on Main and Second. In December of 1967, a chain of high school students from the Class of ’68 moved the books from City Hall to the building at 419 North Second Avenue where MickDuff’s Brewing Company is currently located.

In 1974, the East Bonner County Library District was formed after a vote of the county residents. The district boundaries are shared by the Pend Oreille Hospital District, encompassing the eastern portion of Bonner County from approximately just east of Priest River and extending to the Montana border. By the late 1980’s, the library district had outgrown its Sandpoint facility. In May of 1998, the patrons passed a bond that would build new facilities in Sandpoint and Clark Fork as well as purchase a Bookmobile. The current facility in Sandpoint, on the corner of Cedar and Division, more than tripled the space of the previous building, and an expansion in 2017 added another 7000 square feet.

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