Beyond books: Belgrade Library celebrates first year as community hub

BELGRADE — It’s been a year since the Belgrade Library and Community Center opened its new building, and the community came together Friday to celebrate its new chapter.

Inside the new 26,000-square-foot building, preschoolers darted between shelves and craft stations, some still wearing plastic firefighter hats from firetruck and ambulance tours in the parking lot. As the clatter of drumsticks on upside-down buckets spilled from the children’s room, part of a drum circle led by Many Hands Light Work for the event, library director Alina Prunean said the crowd reflects the library’s primary patrons.

“Our highest circulating books come from the children’s department,” Prunean said. “We’re definitely more of a family-oriented library.”

After the old Belgrade library closed in February 2025, services briefly moved to the Senior Center before the new $22 million facility opened its doors last April. With funding from a mill levy and a mix of donors, including more than $1 million from Tim and Carmen Sheehy, the new space expanded room for programs, gatherings, and collections.

As his young daughter led him by the hand searching for the face-painting station, Belgrade mayor Mike Meis said the growth of the library reflects the city’s growing population.

“Our old library was super fantastic, but we ran out of space,” Meis said. “Having a more localized area, right off of Main Street, and having the community room as part of the library I think really brings people together.”

Prunean said the numbers bear this out. The old library’s foot traffic averaged around 5,000 people a month, while the new space brings up to 13,000. In addition to a large children’s room, the new building has a teen lounge with a selection of young adult novels, a Nintendo Switch available for play, and several teen-focused workshops and events on the calendar.

“A lot of libraries struggle to get teens in,” Prunean said. “We don’t have that issue.”

But the library’s reach extends beyond its youngest visitors. Away from the noise of the anniversary celebration, a group of older residents gathered for their monthly book club behind the glass wall of a meeting room, while others sat in a line of armchairs by the window reading books and newspapers.

As the library continues growing into its new space, Prunean said a primary goal is offering more than a quiet place to read and study.

“We’re not just a space filled with books,” Prunean said. “We want to be innovative. We want to introduce new ideas.”

Just off the main lobby is a room that Prunean said is designed for making messes. Equipped with its own drainage and ventilation system, the space has already hosted candle-making workshops and is expected to expand into culinary classes. The library has also purchased fiber art materials, including a 3D printer, Cricut and sewing machines, and plans to roll out a new “Collection of Things” available for checkout.

“It’s a collection filled with lawn games, podcast equipment, a karaoke machine that you can check out,” Prunean said. “We have guitars that were donated by the Rotary Club and the Gibson guitar shop in Bozeman, which we’re extremely grateful for.”

After receiving feedback from vision impaired patrons, Prunean said the library is also working to expand its Braille collection — ensuring that the space offers a variety of programming for all.

“We want to make sure that there is something for everyone,” Prunean said.

With nearly 1,000 visitors at the anniversary celebration, Prunean said the library’s popularity comes in part from Belgrade lacking another large, updated space for community events, as well as its role as a place for learning and connection.

“We’re excited,” Prunean said. “We want people to come into the library and feel like they can connect with people versus the isolating times and digital world we live in.”