Lewis & Clark Library unveils redesigned Mobile Library for county outreach

For Canyon Creek School, Jim Darcy Elementary, assisted-living lobbies and other county stops far from the Helena branch, the Lewis & Clark Library's redesigned Mobile Library is meant to deliver books, Wi-Fi and staff help where transportation can be the barrier. The vehicle was unveiled Tuesday evening in Anchor Park outside the library, where live music, tours and a free scoop of Rocky Road from Big Dipper turned the launch into a block party instead of a ribbon cutting.

The upgrade came with a clear cost. The Lewis & Clark Library Foundation said it committed $250,000 toward the $550,000 price of the replacement vehicle, which it said would replace a bookmobile that had been in service for more than 12 years. Fundraising began on April 3, 2024, when the campaign raised more than $5,000, and it added almost $4,000 during Greater Helena Gives on May 1-2, 2024.

Library officials say the Mobile Library will do more than lend books. It is designed to serve residents countywide and bring books, technology, programming and library services directly to neighborhoods, schools, senior living facilities and community events. Visitors can check out and return items, use free Wi-Fi, get a library card and ask staff questions, and residents can request a stop for a special event or community site. The library says not every request can be guaranteed, but all returned forms are considered, giving staff a direct record of where demand is strongest. Outreach Librarian Bretagne Brumm is the contact for those requests at 406-447-6687.

The outreach network around the new vehicle already reaches beyond one route. The library's calendar shows recurring stops at Canyon Creek School and Jim Darcy Elementary, while the wider fleet includes an Outreach Van for places too small for the Mobile Library, the WoW Library bicycle donated by the foundation in 2019 and a Play Bookmobile for children. At an April 30 history program, the library traced Montana outreach from traveling libraries sponsored by clubwomen to Missoula's boxcar library and Works Progress Administration bookmobiles. Lewis & Clark Library says it was the first library in the state, and that Helena citizens created the first free public library in Montana Territory on August 7, 1886. That history matters now because the county is still working on access fixes, including a planned new East Helena branch facility, and the Mobile Library is being asked to prove that library service can reach people without making them travel first.