Toole County Library
🏢 Pathfinder Library Federation · Shelby, Montana
Toole County Library
Toole County Library opened in 1947 after a petition of over 300 signatures gathered by the Shelby Business and Professional Women's Club — and it has served the Hi-Line community ever since from its dedicated 1954 building at 229 2nd Avenue South. Today it runs split-shift evening hours on Monday through Thursday so working families can stop in after dinner.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 1pm–5pm & 7pm–9pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–5pm & 7pm–9pm |
| Wednesday | 1pm–5pm & 7pm–9pm |
| Thursday | 1pm–5pm & 7pm–9pm |
| Friday | 10am–12pm & 1pm–5pm |
| Saturday | 1pm–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 229 2nd Avenue South, Shelby, MT 59474
Phone: (406) 424-8345
Website: toolecountylibrary.org
Plus Code: 85WCG43R+CP (Shelby, MT)
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📖 About Toole County Library
Toole County Library is the public library of Shelby, Montana, seat of Toole County on the Hi-Line prairie near Glacier National Park. The library traces its roots to 1944, when the Shelby Business and Professional Women's Club began campaigning for a public library. A petition drive gathered more than 300 signatures by March 1945, and the library opened in 1947 in the basement of the J.W. Johnson office building with Mrs. William Black as the first county librarian. Taxpayer-approved surplus funds financed a purpose-built facility formally dedicated on September 9, 1954. Over the decades the collection grew to include a noteworthy assemblage of Native American artifacts donated by the Day family in 1960, and an Oilmont bell added in 1976 to mark the U.S. bicentennial. In 2024 the library joined the Montana Shared Catalog system, giving cardholders access to statewide digital borrowing through Libby and MontanaLibrary2Go. It belongs to the Pathfinder Library Federation and also operates the North Toole County branch in Sunburst.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1947 through a petition campaign by the Shelby Business and Professional Women's Club — one of Montana's community-driven library openings
- Dedicated building formally dedicated September 9, 1954, funded by taxpayer-approved surplus library funds
- Notable collection of Native American artifacts donated by the Vic Day family in 1960, including pipes and arrowheads
- Split-shift evening hours Monday through Thursday make the library accessible for working families and evening visitors
- Joined Montana Shared Catalog in 2024, unlocking statewide digital borrowing through Libby and MontanaLibrary2Go
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Toole County cardholders can borrow ebooks, audiobooks and more through Montana's statewide digital programs:
📚 Services
- Book, DVD, CD and audiobook borrowing with 4-week checkout periods
- Public computers, internet access and printing (per-page fee)
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library enrollment for children birth to age 5
- 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program
- Annual Summer Reading Program
- Rural and home-school teacher borrowing (6-week schedule, no overdue fines)
- Hold placement on any circulating item (72-hour pickup window)
- Phone renewals and in-person renewals at (406) 424-8345
- Interlibrary loan through the Pathfinder Library Federation
🎸 Programs
- Storytime every Thursday at 10 a.m. for children and parents of all ages
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library (free books mailed monthly, birth to 5)
- 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading challenge
- Annual Summer Reading Program with community activities
- Book clubs and adult programming
- Community events including author talks and educational workshops
📍 Nearby Libraries in North-Central Montana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Toole County Library's unusual split-shift hours?
The library runs a split-shift schedule on weekdays. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday it opens 1–5 p.m. and then again 7–9 p.m.; Tuesday it opens 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and then 7–9 p.m.; Friday it is open 10 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m.; Saturday 1–4 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday. The evening sessions make it easy for residents to visit after dinner or after work.
When did the Toole County Library open, and how did it start?
The library opened in 1947, growing out of a petition campaign organized by the Shelby Business and Professional Women's Club beginning in 1944. More than 300 community members signed the petition by March 1945, and Mrs. William Black became the first county librarian. A dedicated building was constructed with taxpayer-approved surplus funds and formally dedicated on September 9, 1954.
Does the library offer programs for young children?
Yes. The library runs Storytime every Thursday at 10 a.m. for children and parents of all ages, participates in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (free books mailed monthly to children from birth to age 5), and hosts the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading challenge. An annual Summer Reading Program is held each year.
Can teachers and home-school families borrow library materials on an extended schedule?
Yes. Rural and home-school teachers may check out materials on a 6-week borrowing schedule without overdue fines. Schools and home-school families are responsible for replacing lost or damaged items. Contact the library at (406) 424-8345 for details.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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