Library tales

The Hungry Horse News office was the location of Columbia Falls Branch Library back in 1946-47.

We had a bookcase for library books and Mel (Ruder) received $15 per month as librarian. The newspaper office is now the location of Randy's Barber Shop.

Next books were in the grade school with teachers as librarians.

It was a great day when a construction shack at Anaconda Aluminum Co. was donated as a library building. It was moved just south of Columbia Falls High School on Fourth Avenue West.

Volunteers from Business and Professional Women's Club spent hours cleaning, painting and finally placing books in the new building. It was small, but adequate.

The Columbia Falls Library Association was formed. We had a unique situation. The property where the library was located was owned by School District 6; Flathead County owned the books, and our Library Association owned the building. We worked well together.

Several years later long-time residents who wanted to be anonymous approached us wanting to donate two city lots for a library location. We met with the county commissioners and were informed they would not finance a building. If the Association wanted to finance the structure the county would lease it from us. Of course, this was an impossibility and we had to refuse the property gift.

I was Association president when informed that Anaconda Aluminum Co. wanted to sell their clubhouse to the City of Columbia Falls. This building included a bowling alley, bar, large auditorium used for AAC social and some community events.

It appeared that the city was not interested. I was approached by a businessman asking if the library would want the clubhouse. I informed my board members. We held at least one meeting every week planning and extra meetings with Mabel Brewer, Flathead County librarian, county commissioners, and the state librarian concerning obtaining the building.

Meanwhile, the City did go ahead with plans to obtain what is now City Hall. We next approached city officials to obtain a large auditorium in the building for our library. Arrangements were finally concluded with City and county sources for remodeling and financing. One drawback was the fact that City officials would not put a handicapped entrance in the front of the building as required by library regulations. As a result, we made our handicapped entrance at the back end — near the Police Department.

It was November, 1973, when we finally celebrated our large, new Flathead County Branch Library location in Columbia Falls City Hall. Our hours and hours of planning and negotiating finally became a reality.

Most of our officers spent many more years as board members.

Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News.