The Culbertson Public Library has been around in its entirety for over 100 years, established in 1924 by the newly created Culbertson Senior Women’s Club. Kate Whitcomb, the then superintendent of the Culbertson Public Schools system, and her sister Mary B. Franklin, the principal of the high school, formed the club and opened the library in the basement of the Culbertson State Bank soon after. Members of the club went door to door for book donations, took turns opening and running the library from day to day, and hosted the club’s annual Flower Show Tea and book drives to fund it.
In 1949, it was approved to receive an official monthly allowance from the county due to the efforts of the County Commissioner and was then moved into the old telephone operations building downtown. The library’s first official librarian was appointed in 1950, Kathryn Garbe, and it became a branch library to the Roosevelt County Library in Wolf Point, MT the same year.
Today it shares a building with the town’s extension office, the local food bank, and the town’s judicial office, and continues to partner with the local Women’s Club just as it has done for decades.
Mary Drake
Mary was born and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming, but settled into the Culbertson community in 2015 with her husband, Justin, an electrician and her son, Aden.
She loves to cook for her family but hates the clean-up involved, meanders around the pond with her two wild beasts Kimber and Cinder, crafts many random things and photographs the beauty of Montana. She’s always game for a good road trip with many side adventures and anything ghost related. She would pick a six-day road trip over a two-hour flight, any day.
Most of the time you can catch her reading anything from biographies to murder mysteries, adventure, fantasy or trash tabloids, because who doesn’t want to believe Elvis is living his best life in an obscure town in the middle of Indiana?
During the school year, you’ll find her on the sidelines of sporting events cheering on the Culbertson Cowboys and Cowgirls. Go purple and gold!
Favorite Book Genres
Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Favorite Authors
Melinda Leigh, Nora Roberts, S.T. Ashman
Emma Pederson
Emma is a local of the Culbertson area, with family roots in the surrounding communities that go back generations. She boasts a big love of books, nature, and history stemming from early on in her youth, and enjoys hobbies such as baking, cooking, crocheting, and, of course, reading! She works hard to expand her world view and skill set each and every day, never one to turn down a task set before her.
She is a personable, dependable, and well-rounded individual with a soft spot for animals and a passion for the arts. She is most often found with a project of some kind in her hands and one of her many rescue cats in her lap, tending to her garden in the summer, or reading a good novel.
Favorite Book Genres
Nonfiction, Contemporary, Historical Literature, Fantasy
Favorite Authors
John Green, Gabrielle Zevin, Pablo Neruda
We offer a variety of services to the general public. We prioritize cultivating a welcoming and engaging learning environment for patrons of all ages and backgrounds, as well as provide a communal space for the community to either host events or to enjoy in their down time. Additionally, we stand as a local hub for information and an archive for Montana’s history in conjunction with our museum, of which we continue to add to as often as possible. We host a monthly book club and would be willing to assist any other groups interested in starting one of their own!
Other services we provide include free wireless internet usage (although we do ask you to be mindful of other patrons when using a mobile device), desktop computers (which may be utilized for tasks requiring computer and internet access), and printing options for a small fee ($0.25 per black and white page, $0.50 per color). For children, we have a wonderful section of the library catered to their interests, with stimulating puzzles and comfortable seating to make going to the library a memorable experience. We strive to integrate them early with our Story Hour program, targeted at children ages 3 to 5, where we take an hour to read through a story and to make a craft themed around the story.
Our library also works with the Libby app as an online resource for our catalogue! A library card is required to sign in, but once done you will have access to a large selection of e-books, magazines, audiobooks, as well as a collection of free informational video courses to peruse at your leisure. Come in and talk to us if you need help setting up your Libby app account. Another great way to browse our physical catalogue online is to use **[this website](<https://mtsc.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/RCL-CUL>); it automatically updates every time we add a new book, audiobook, DVD, or magazine to our circulation.
We take book requests! If there is an author you follow or a new book series you are looking forward to in the coming months, we ask that you share your thoughts with us, and we will do our best to add it to our list. We also work with other libraries in the state of Montana through our ILL system (**I**nter-**L**ibrary **L**oan) to “check out” a book requested by a patron for them, if our library does not own it. Book donations are also welcome!
Q: What are the library’s hours?
A: Our open hours are every Monday and Thursday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, every Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and every first Saturday of the month from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM unless posted otherwise.
Q: How will I know when my book should be returned?
A: You will be notified of the due date verbally by the attending librarian, or by the receipt printed and placed within the book’s inner pocket. If for one reason or another a book is unable to be returned before its due date, please call ahead of time and we will renew your book for you.
Q: How do I return a book if the library is not open?
A: There is a book drop box located in the library’s entry way. They will be taken care of the following business day.
Q: What is the age limit for getting a library card?
A: The age limit to personally sign up for a library card is 13, but a child may use a parent’s card with permission from their parent/guardian. Additionally, children are not permitted to reside inside the library unaccompanied by an adult under the age of 12 and may not have access to the computers without written permission under the age of 18.
Q: What do I need to have to get a library card?
A: Proof of identification (ex. a Tribal ID card or a Driver’s License), and proof of a mailing address (ex. a piece of mail or a bank statement). The first library card is free, but any replacement card afterwards must be purchased for $1.
Q: How many books can be checked out at a time?
A: Regular patrons may check out as many books at a time as they like, while new patrons are limited to two books at any given time. Once a new patron has successfully turned in two books on time, they will be upgraded to a regular patron and will gain regular patron privileges. However, every patron is limited to two newly acquired books at a time.
Q: How long can an item be checked out by a patron?
A: New books are limited to 14 days, while books in the general circulation may be held up to 28 days. A book may be renewed up to two times past the initial due date and must be returned at the end of the final renewal date, or late fees will be applied. Magazines and DVDs have a limit of 7 days before they must be renewed or returned, and audio book CDs have a limit of 14 days.
Q: What should I do if I lose my library card/an item?
A: Your library card and information will remain in our system and would not necessarily need replacing unless requested. If an item is lost, please notify either librarian of its status. You will be expected to pay the lost item’s fee. If the item is found, please return it A.S.A.P.!