The Idaho Freedom Foundation made a thoughtless proposal to completely eliminate the Idaho Commission for Libraries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is an article by Brett Farruggia at the Idaho Freedom Foundation on November 21, 2025 titled Ending Bureaucratic Excess in Idaho. It also was posted on November 22, 2025 at the Gem State Patriot News blog. It has a totally  thoughtless proposal – to completely eliminate the Idaho Commission for Libraries:

 

“Further savings can come from eliminating unconstitutional agencies that promote DEI ideology such as the Hispanic Commission ($557,283) and the Library Commission ($6,947,300).”

 

Back on September 1, 2025 the Idaho Freedom Foundation had an article titled Public Recommendations to Idaho’s DOGE Task Force to Increase Government Efficiency which listed the Idaho Commission for Libraries at #5 under recommended Agency Eliminations, but left off the DEI claim.

 

The Idaho Commission for Libraries is responsible for Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) which has databases with magazines and newspapers for public libraries in the state. It’s our public utility for information - a critical set of research tools for keeping the public informed. Back on February 23, 2020 I blogged about Finding speech topics and doing research. LiLI databases include, among others these 26 from EBSCOhost:

 

Academic Search Premier

Business Source Premier

Computer Source

Consumer Health Complete

ERIC – Educational Resource Information Center

GreenFILE

Health Source: Consumer Edition

Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition

History Reference Source

Legal Collection

Literary Reference Source

MAS Ultra (for high school students)

MasterFILE Premier

MEDLINE

Middle Search Plus (for middle school students)

Military and Government Collection

Newspaper Source Plus

Primary Search (for elementary school students)

Professional Development Collection

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Publication Finder

Religion and Philosophy Collection

Small Business Source

Teacher Reference Center

TOPICsearch

Vocational and Career Collection

 

Based on a state population of 2,032,120 that expenditure ($6,947,300) is only $3.42 per person – and a tiny part of the overall budget for Idaho.

 

Mr. Farruggia has the combination of arrogance and incompetence I have come to expect from the Idaho Freedom Foundation. I suspect he does not know much about what vital services the Commission for Libraries provides.

 

My cartoon was adapted from this one at OpenClipArt.