New Bigfork Library will open its doors August 6

The new Bigfork library is poised to welcome patrons when it opens following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 6 at 9:30 a.m.  

The Flathead County Library branch, at 186 Bridge Street, has been years in the making. The ImagineIF Library Foundation purchased the Bethany Lutheran Ark Building for $475,000 in 2018 and it was eventually transferred to the county in 2022.   

The library foundation has been raising funds for the renovation of the Bigfork library. It has raised about $2.9 million of its $3.2 million goal, according to the foundation website. The foundation also continues to raise funds for books for the library.   

Library Director Teri Dugan praised the grand opening.   

“Come out to celebrate your new library, browse new collections and enjoy a refreshment with our dedicated librarians,” she said in a release.   

The public is invited to attend the ceremony hosted by the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce. Library staff, members of the library foundation and the Bigfork Capital Campaign Committee will speak at the event to commemorate the years of work and collaboration it has taken to make the project happen.   

The new library has six times the space of the previous location located inside the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center building.   

The new space houses $70,000 worth of new books, CDs, movies and other materials. It includes a children’s section, a teen zone, a makerspace and community meeting room, along with the space to offer more events and programming.   

For more information, visit imagineiflibraries.org.