Banned Books Week, October 4 - 10, celebrates the freedom to read and the power of books to open doors to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This year’s theme, “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read,” arrives as books continue to be challenged in Idaho and across the nation, raising questions about who gets to decide what young people can read—and what libraries and schools can provide. Starting October 5, The Community Library is offering a banned books display in the stacks … [Read more...] about Banned Books Week 2026
Fresh from the Stacks
Words in War: Writers, Readers, and World War II
On Exhibit in the Wood River Museum of History and Culture Ernest Hemingway was a world famous writer. Ray Trautman was a behind-the-scenes librarian. Both believed fervently in the power of the written word. Their stories illustrate the importance of writing and reading during World War II, as spectacles of book burnings in Germany and Victory Book Campaigns in the United States were broadcast around the world. In 1940, Ray Trautman became Chief Librarian of the U.S. Army. From this post, … [Read more...] about Words in War: Writers, Readers, and World War II
The Art of Correspondence
Handwritten letters have connected people for centuries. The letters in this exhibit are among many held in the archive of the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History at The Community Library. They show how personal correspondence can carry declarations of love, offerings of comfort, news of triumph and loss, as well as the ordinary details of daily events that compose our lives. In these letters, postcards, and notes, … [Read more...] about The Art of Correspondence
Review: Idaho Dyslexia Handbook
Executive Director Jenny Emery Davidson recommends the Idaho Dyslexia Handbook. For four days last week, 118 teachers from around southern Idaho convened in The Community Library’s Lecture Hall to analyze how children learn to read. One of the texts serving as a touchstone for the Sun Valley Early Literacy Summit, in its fifth year, has been the Idaho Dyslexia Handbook. It is a slim, taut, powerful guide to how reading happens in the brain, and how all children, including children with … [Read more...] about Review: Idaho Dyslexia Handbook
Review: HOPE
Director of Philanthropy Carter Hedberg recommends HOPE by Cristina Mittermeier. The old adage that a photograph is worth a thousand words feels especially apt when reading Cristina Mittermeier’s most recent book, HOPE. Having recently finished it, I found myself thinking not only about the extraordinary quality of the photography but also about the unique power of images to convey stories that words alone often cannot. Mittermeier’s photographs are dramatic, luminous, and frequently … [Read more...] about Review: HOPE
Architecture in Action
Students Draft Big Ideas, Build Creative Solutions, and Design the Future by Alex Vallejo-LopezJune 05, 2026 Every spring, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) hosts Architecture Week across the nation to introduce and discuss architecture with K-12 students. During the Spring 2026 school year, thirteen local architects from the AIA Idaho Mountain Section visited classrooms at Hemingway Elementary, Sun Valley Community School, and Wood River High School, connecting with over 80 … [Read more...] about Architecture in Action
