Lewistown Public Library

Lewistown Public Library sits next to the old Carnegie Library building and first opened to the public in 1908, after construction started back in 1905 with a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie, and ever since then folks have called it a "temple of learning" in the community, and that makes sense since the original library from 1897 only had 269 books and was housed in Mary Hanson's millinery shop before it moved to Elizabeth Peeples' office and then into the current sandstone building designed by T. J. Tubb, and now the place has a dedicated staff and Board of Trustees that work hard to make things run smooth and make sure everyone's welcome, no matter their age or background, and you'll find a wide range of books, eBooks, audiobooks, and digital materials, including digital collections from the Montana Memory Project that show off Montana's cultural heritage and government records, and there's Internet access, eight public computers, free use of the catalog, and various meeting and event rooms. The library's pretty active in the community with programming like Books & Babies storytime each week, book clubs, a monthly book discussion, guest speakers, Montana Writers Critique Group that meets Wednesdays, a summer reading program for all ages, and youth services for both kids and teens. They also do regular outreach to seniors and adults, like weekly visits to nursing home residents and bringing resources to rural, public, and home school students, plus computer usage classes and genealogy research help. The Friends of the Library supporter group meets upstairs and helps out, and anyone can use the Librarian Connect service for reading suggestions, and the Find Books service makes it easy to search for books by title, author, subject, series, or ISBN. You can also follow library news on Facebook, Instagram, and through their newsletter, and there's always something going on, whether it's crafts, arts, or just chatting about books. The library is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, though closed on Federal holidays. Folks can check out art galleries and museums in the area, access vacation planning services, shuttle, taxi, and equipment rentals, and get information on visiting places like Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Montana State Parks, and regions covering Central Montana, Glacier Country, Yellowstone Country, Indian Country, and more, with lodging options like ranches and lodges available, plus guidebooks and adventure tools for visitors. The library maintains a respectful and welcoming atmosphere where freedom of expression is supported, and offers reliable reference and reader advisory services, so folks can always find something new to read or learn, and the building itself has stood the test of time as a civic monument, connecting Lewistown's past with its present in a plain, businesslike way that gets the job done for anyone seeking information, recreation, or just a quiet spot to think.