Sidney-Richland County Library
🏢 Sagebrush Library Federation · Sidney, Montana
Sidney-Richland County Library
Sidney-Richland County Library has been the information hub of Montana's Bakken-edge prairie since 1914, when Mrs. Earl Verco checked out the first book from a donated collection in the basement of the Yellowstone Mercantile. A $1.75 million renovation in 2020 doubled the library's footprint, adding a Montana History Room, a dedicated story-time area and five checkout stations — while keeping the building county-owned and the card free.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 11am–3pm (first Saturday only) |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 121 3rd Avenue NW, Sidney, MT 59270
Phone: (406) 433-1917
Website: richland.org
Plus Code: 85VQPR8R+P6 (Sidney, MT)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Sidney-Richland County Library
The Sidney-Richland County Library serves the city of Sidney and Richland County in far eastern Montana, near the North Dakota border and the heart of the Bakken oil fields. The library was born in 1914 when the Sidney Women's Club organized a study group that evolved into a book-donation drive; Mrs. Earl Verco checked out the very first book from the basement of the Yellowstone Mercantile on Central Avenue. As the collection grew, the library relocated several times — first to the Richland Bank Annex, then into larger spaces. The Women's Club later circulated a petition to convert it to a jointly funded city-county library, a model that continues today. The current building was completed in 1966, expanded in 1985 with a $61,000 LSCA building grant, and most recently transformed by a $1.75 million renovation in 2020 that doubled library space, added a dedicated story-time room, classroom space, a Montana History Room, an elevator, new restrooms and expanded parking. The library belongs to the Sagebrush Library Federation and also operates a bookmobile serving outlying Richland County communities.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1914 — one of eastern Montana's oldest public libraries, started by the Sidney Women's Club in the basement of the Yellowstone Mercantile
- $1.75 million renovation completed in 2020 doubled the library's footprint, adding a Montana History Room, story-time area, classroom space and five checkout stations
- Montana History Room dedicated to local and regional history research for Richland County and eastern Montana
- Bookmobile extends service to outlying rural communities across Richland County
- City-county funding model established by community petition — a tradition of cooperative public support dating to the library's mid-century growth
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Sidney-Richland County cardholders can borrow and research digitally through Montana's statewide collections:
📚 Services
- Book, DVD and audiobook borrowing
- Montana History Room for local and regional history research
- Public computers, Wi-Fi and printing
- Fax and scan services
- Library of Things — specialty items for borrowing
- Interlibrary loan through the Sagebrush Library Federation
- Bookmobile serving rural Richland County communities
- Learning Volunteers for Adults (LVA) literacy program partnership
- Children's and teen programming space including dedicated story-time area
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytime and early-literacy programming
- 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading challenge
- 100 Books Before Graduation teen reading program
- Summer Reading Program
- Adult programs and community events
- Learning Volunteers for Adults (LVA) — literacy support for adult learners
📍 Nearby Libraries in Eastern Montana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Sidney-Richland County Library get started?
The library began in 1914 when the Sidney Women's Club evolved a study group into a book-donation initiative. Mrs. Earl Verco checked out the first book from a collection in the basement of the Yellowstone Mercantile on Central Avenue. The City Council eventually assumed operational responsibility, and a community petition later converted it to a city-county library funded through combined city and county taxes — a model still in use today.
What did the 2020 renovation add to the library?
A $1.75 million renovation completed in 2020 doubled the library's usable space. It added a dedicated story-time area, a classroom, the Montana History Room, an elevator, new restrooms and five checkout stations, along with expanded parking. The building remains county-owned.
Does the library serve rural parts of Richland County?
Yes. The library operates a bookmobile that extends service to outlying rural communities across Richland County, bringing books and library services to areas not easily reached by the main branch in Sidney.
Is the library open on Saturdays, and what are the regular weekday hours?
The library is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is also open on the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays and on all other Saturdays.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🖨 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.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.