Missoula Public Library

Hey Missoulans! There's a great local resource right in your midst! The Missoula Public Library, main branch is the Downtown one at 455 E. Main Street, has a wealth of programs and services going on every day!


Get a library card and then check out all sorts of physical and digital stuff.. You're not even limited to the Library, through their website you can order materials through interlibrary loan.

Missoula Public Library has more than just books and movies!  Your library card gets you access to a variety of nontraditional collection items as well. Called the Library of Things, you can check out assistive reading devices, travel kits and trail guides, binoculars and birding backpacks, board games, Kill-a-Watt Meter (to find out how much energy that device is using), telescopes, and bike locks and a lot more!

Libraries are not just places where you can check our books and music or read magazines. Libraries are cultural centers that offer a lot of stuff (many for FREE!!!) for the permies. On their site you can easily look over Calendar of Events and download their Quarterly Program Guide and get a peek at what's going on this season.

For example: there a 'Cheap Date Night on the 3rd Friday of the month. "Enjoy a recently released feature film on the 3rd Friday each month in the library’s Cooper’s Space. Doors open from 6:15 - 6:45 and the film starts at 6:30; late entry not allowed. Attendees must enter from the library’s parking garage. Location: Cooper Room A/B" Next up:

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Fri 11/18/2022 6:30-9:00 PM A comedy about a cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. 116 minutes

This past year, MPL was named Public Library of the Year 2022!

In Missoula, Montana, environmental awareness go hand in hand with local culture and digital innovation, and Missoula Public Library has now been named Public Library of the Year 2022.

Missoula Public Library stands at the foot of Mount Sentinel, a beautiful and innovative building where people come together for culture and learning. The newly built library boats everything from camera equipment and production studios to genealogical research facilities, family workshops and, of course, loads of books. Missoula Public Library offers its citizens a unique place to meet for play, learning and experimentation.

The magnificent natural surroundings that serve as a backdrop to the library are impressively reflected in its construction and interior. Nature and the surrounding landscape can be seen in many aspects of the library’s architecture and furnishings. Consequently, the library could not avoid catching the jury’s attention, and Missoula Public Library can now lay claim to being the world’s best new public library anno 2022.

Jury chair Jakob Guillois Lærkes explains the jury’s decision:

“This year’s field of nominated libraries is particularly strong, and reveals the breadth of scope within new library buildings. From large and impressive prestige buildings to innovative and sustainable solutions and smaller local meeting venues. But Missoula Public Library has it all. The building stands out for its beautiful architecture that pays homage to the surrounding landscape while functioning as a library with a wealth of offers and possibilities that also serves as a meeting place for the local community. The library therefore scores highly against all the award’s criteria. It’s a library that you would relish having in your own local area. It’s a library built for the future.”

More here:

There's also the Memory Cafe, featuring activities for individuals experiencing memory loss, their caregivers, and family.

There are cooking classes, genealogy classes... all sorts of things!

Library lockers from where you can check out Chromebooks...


The Tony Veazey Montana Room contains an extensive collection of materials on Missoula and Montana’s heritage as well as genealogical resources.



After reading some of those books, you might be inspired to start a book club! The library's got you covered with these Book Kits!

A Book Kit is a canvas bag filled with 10 copies of one title and a discussion guide. The guide comes complete with book reviews, author information, discussion questions, and additional tips and resources for book groups.

The Library has branches all around the Missoula area, in addition to the main branch in Downtown Missoula, the MPL is also at Big Sky High School, Frenchtown High School, Lolo School, Potomac School Public Library, Seeley-Swan High School, and Swan Valley (6811 Highway 83, Condon)


Support library excellence, lifelong learning, and visionary collaboration in Missoula: Donate to the MPL!