Whitefish Community Library

Ever thought about entering a writing contest? There are three ongoing right now through the Montana History Portal and Missoula Public Library. These contests are for all ages and there are multiple formats being solicited. Here’s a quick overview with links for more details. (Check our Events Page for the next three months for programs featuring local writers.)

Missoula Public Library Family History Writing Contest – write about a deceased real person who lived in, came to, passed through or died in the State/Territory of Montana. Deadline is March 1, 2025. Details here.

2025 Montana History Portal Picture Prompt Short Story Contest – use a picture from the Montana History Portal as inspiration for a short work of fiction. The portal is a fascinating archive of Montana History and fun to look through whether you’re writing a story or not. Winners will be chosen from grades 3-6, 7-12, and adult. The deadline to enter is February 21, 2025. Details here.

Missoula Public Library’s 16th Annual Writing Contest opened January 2. Categories are fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Age groups are 8-10, 11-14, 15-18, and 19+ and the deadline is 5 p.m., February 1. Details here. Photo from Montana History Project.

The Library will have regular hours this week except for the first day of the New Year, when we will be closed (Wednesday, January 1)!

For a more detailed look at our schedule throughout January, download our calendar.

Download January 2025 calendar

Here is the schedule for Whitefish Community Library during the December 2025 Holiday week:

Monday, December 23: OPEN usual hours, 10 am to 7 pm.

Tuesday, December 24: CLOSED – Christmas Eve.

Wednesday, December 25: CLOSED – Christmas Day.

Thursday, December 26: OPEN usual hours, 10 am to 6 pm.

Friday, December 27th: OPEN usual hours, 10 am to 6 pm. At 11 am, Story Circle celebrates Chanukah, with special visitor, Chana Wolf, representing Chabad of the Flathead Valley.

Saturday, December 28th: OPEN usual Saturday hours – 12 to 5 pm.

From our homes to yours, we wish you a safe and peaceful Holiday season - The Staff of Whitefish Community Library

With over 3000 magazines to choose from in Montana Library 2 Go, there is something for everyone to enjoy during the Holiday travel season. It’s easy. Find the link to Montana Library 2 Go on our Montana Shared Catalog page, or just use the link RIGHT HERE.

After you choose a magazine, you can download it to your device, all ready for Travel Day. Enjoy!

HeritageQuest is a searchable database featuring the US Census up to 1950, a plethora of family histories, selected Revolutionary War records and more. It’s easily found on our website, just below this post on the left – the red rectangle with a tree. While in the Montana Shared Catalog you’ll see the same red rectangle on the right. It’s fun to explore HeritageQuest. All you need is your 14-digit WCL card number.

Whitefish Community Library will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29, so staff can enjoy the holidays with friends and family. The Library re-opens Saturday, November 30 at noon.

Whitefish Library Staff wish you and yours a peaceful holiday!

Norman Rockwell painting courtesy of St. Louis Art Museum. Find out more.

Perhaps you read the local news article about the influx of newcomers to Montana affecting the recent election. If you are curious about that, check out our Virtual Visit program this week: “Who Are All the Newcomers?” on Wednesday, November 27th at 6:30 p.m.

Join Tara Mastel of MSU Extension Service as she drills down on who is arriving in Montana, from where, and why they are coming here. She’ll share information from a recent study by MSU reseachers to give you the answers.

Virtual Visits are Zoom programs with topics of interest to Montanans, curated by the Montana State Library. Registration is free, and you will join residents from all over Montana for an interactive program.

Find out more and register HERE.

Tara Mastel is Program Lead for Community Vitality at MSU Extension