MT Governor Steve Bullock was at the Belgrade Community Library last week to celebrate a national award. The Belgrade Library was recently named the Best Small Library in America. Find out why:

The Belgrade Community Library was recognized as the 2015 Best Small Library in America, presented by Library Journal and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The award was created in 2005 to showcase the exemplary work of public libraries serving populations under 25,000. Library Journal said, quote,

Over the last decade, Belgrade, MT, has grown and shifted from a small agricultural town to a diverse community of 12,700 in the exurbs of nearby Bozeman. In tandem, the Belgrade Community Library has reimagined library services and aggressively developed new outreach efforts to meet the community’s changing needs. The result is intense engagement and support from the community and an impact that extends beyond Belgrade’s borders through active partnerships and state-level leadership. This expansive approach to service makes BPL a model to watch. Its incredible story illustrates how program by program, applying innovative ideas, a small library can be transformative for the community it serves and with which it collaborates.

In addition to national exposure, Belgrade Library was awarded $25,000 to spend on the library. To learn more, visit lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/01/awards/the-loaves-and-fishes-library-best-small-library-in-america-2015/

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