Your Hometown Eureka Library
The most recent official statistics for the population in Eureka indicate that we have 1,101 great people living here. We aren't a bustling metropolis by any stretch but we do have a remarkable number of things going on here in the valley. For instance, there is the public library conveniently located on the main street between Montana Market and the Twisted Leash. It's that small white building on the corner with the amazing murals painted on the north and west sides, and the lovingly attended rose garden in the front.
The library may seem small but it offers a large array of services. First, there are all sorts of books - fiction, nonfiction, children's, large print and audio. There are computers which are available for public use. And films to borrow. The library maintains archives of the local paper in case you are doing research as well as recorded oral histories. And of course there are newspapers and magazines that can be perused on a rainy afternoon.
Esther Brandt, the librarian, sets up reading events for children both during the winter months as well as in the summer. And (one of my personal favorites) the Eureka library offers interlibrary loan. Even though the number of books housed in our local library might appear limited, it is possible to order (for free!) books from any of the partner libraries in Montana and beyond. So there really isn't a need to drive to a larger town or to purchase a book off the internet. All you need is a library card. You can request a book through interlibary loan using a computer from wherever you happen to be. And then at some point you will get a call or an email letting you know it can be picked up right in downtown Eureka at our local library. What could be easier?
The Eureka library is open Tuesdays to Fridays 11am-5pm and on Saturdays from 11am-2pm. And just in case you are interested....the Eureka library was officially opened back in 1923. The mural on the west side of the Eureka library commemorates Inez Herrig’s contributions to Lincoln County. Inez served as a librarian in Lincoln County for over sixty years. The mural portrays Inez in the foreground and the bookmobile she used to serve rural patrons in the background. So stop by the Eureka library when you have time to check out a book and to admire the murals.
About the Author: Rita Collins. I am a believer in the power of community and for now I call the Tobacco Valley home. I have lived in nine states and three counties and this community here amazes me - how people reach out to neighbors and even travelers. I've never lived in a place that demonstrates people caring for each other so well. And I've never lived in a place that has such a high percentage of talented musicians and artists. I work with the the Sunburst Community Service Foundation, a nonprofit that began in Eureka twenty years ago and now serves numerous communities in western Montana. And I just started a new business, St. Rita's Amazing Traveling Bookstore and Textual Apothecary. I never could have imagined life being this exciting in my sixth decade.
