| NetDescriptions | The Belgrade Community Library was established in 1932 by the Belgrade Women’s club. Since then, Gallatin County has experienced rapid growth and change. To accommodate the needs of our growing community, volunteers built our current facility in 1989. An addition was constructed in 2002, adding 5,500 square feet. We continue to serve all residents of Gallatin County, including low- and moderate-income families, by providing access to information and educational programming. The Mission of the Belgrade Community Library is to provide access to information that inspires lifelong learning, advances knowledge, and strengthens our community.
The Belgrade Library offers a variety of programs for adults and children with an emphasis on literacy and community enrichment. Attendance at all programs is free and open to the public. Ongoing programs include Babies & Books, preschool story time, Stories to Grow (daycare outreach), game days, LEGO Club, summer reading, book clubs, Book-a-Tech instruction sessions, and Wonderlust presentations sponsored by First Interstate Bank.
The library serves nearly 6,200 registered borrowers and provides access to over 48,000 books, DVDs, and ebooks. This collection includes a variety of fiction, non-fiction, and children's materials. To better accommodate all borrowers, we also offer materials in large type, audio, and Spanish formats.
Our print and media collections are supplemented by online content. Access to library databases, the web, and basic Office software is available for free use on public computers. Visitors are welcome to use the library’s wifi.
Most recently, the library was named by the Library Journal and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the 2015 Best Small Library in America. This recognition was received in honor of the library’s ability to reimagine library services and to develop new outreach efforts to meet the community’s changing needs. These efforts have resulted in “intense engagement and support from the community and an impact beyond Belgrade’s borders through leadership to small libraries throughout the state” (Library Journal). The Belgrade Community Library was also recognized by the Montana Library Association as the state’s “Library of the Year” in 2011. This award was granted in recognition of the library's accomplishments in user services, programming, and collection development. The library is a multiple-year recipient of the State Library’s Excellent Library Services Award (ELSA), a recognition bestowed upon libraries that meet and exceed public library standards in several areas including policies, finance, administration, community access, collection, public relations, and services. |