Blaine County Library

September is Library Card Sign Up Month. If you don’t have a library card, you are missing out! You don’t even have to come into the library to take advantage of a library card. With MontanaLibrary2Go you can download eBooks and audio books to your phone, tablet or computer for free.

“It’s Not Too Late” week will be September 21-25. During the week we encourage anyone who has not completed the Census to come in and get it done. Anyone who comes to the library and completes the Census will receive a gift certificate to the Creamery or Rads. With only 14 days left to count residents in the 2020 Census, the Montana Department of Commerce and State Complete Count Committee are urging every Montanan who has not yet responded to the Census to do so before September 30. For every Montana resident counted, the Census estimates the state will receive nearly $2,000 per person each year in federal funding. The $20,000 per person coming into the state over the next decade is used in every Montana county for medical assistance, educational programs, need-based support, infrastructure, highway planning and over 300 other programs. Census data is also used to shape local voting and school districts and will determine whether Montana will regain a second seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Spending just a few minutes to complete your Census form will help ensure Montana gets its fair share of federal funding. Filling out the form is quick, easy, safe and important. The Blaine County Library and the Harlem Public Library are “Be Counted” sites in Blaine County. What that means for anyone who has not completed the Census, is that you can come into either library and we can help you get online and get you counted. Other options for Montanans who have not yet responded to the 2020 Census are to go to MY2020CENSUS.GOV, or call 1-844-330-2020, or mail in their Census form if they received one in the mail.

Youth Programs have resumed as of this week with safety procedures in place to keep staff and students safe. The library worked with the Blaine County Health Department to come up with a strategy that would enable programs to resume. After School Hangout for 7th and 8th grade will be on Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30. Tuesdays will be Story Time for ages 6 and under. It will continue to be held on the lawn in front of the Grande Villa while the weather is good and then it will move back into the meeting room. Thursdays will be LEGO Club for grades Kindergarten and up. Fridays will be After School Hangout for grades 5 and 6. The first Monday of the month we will have a Family Movie at 5:00 p.m. Masks will be required for anyone age 5 and over during all programs. Hand washing will be required upon entering the building. There will be social distancing where applicable. There will be no food or drinks during programs. To do LEGO Club safely we will be giving each student their own bucket of LEGOs and sanitizing them after each use.