Adults

Special Events 

Library Book Groups

  • Turning Page: Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean, September 25th, 7:00 pm
  • Litcentric:  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, September 24th, 7:00 pm
  • Graphics: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, October 9th, 7:00 pm
  • Please call 657-8290 for Information

Upcoming Special Events

Russell Rowland, Montana AuthorOne Book Billings: Meet the Author

Russell Rowland, author of Arbuckle, the September selection for One Book Billings, will be at the Library to talk about his book and the family legacy that inspired the novel. He will also talk about his other books and the writer's life. Saturday, September 14, 1:00 pm, Community Room. This program is sponsored by the Billings Public Library Foundation, in memory of Marge McArthur.

Gardening Series: Fall Bulb Planting with Pat Appleby

Join Pat, from Canyon Creek Nursery, to learn about planting tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinth, crocus and other hardy spring-blooming bulbs in your garden. *Thanks to our co-sponsor the Yellowstone County Master Gardeners. Wednesday, September 18th, 5:00 pm, Community Room


Fall-bulbs-blooming-in-spring

Civil Conversation: Owning Our History - Japanese Internment

Kunio Yamamoto facing Heart Mountain, 1944, Frank and George Hirahara Photographs Collection, WashinIn 1942, Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the incarceration of thousands of residents of the western states with Japanese ancestry, both immigrants and citizens alike. The legacies of that decision are still echoing within the American consciousness. Dakota Russell, Executive Director of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, will talk about the ramifications of the Japanese internment to those who went through it and for the country. A discussion will follow. Please plan to take part on Thursday, September 19, 6:30 pm in the Community Room. Photo: Kunio Yamamoto facing Heart Mountain, 1944. Frank and George Hirahara Photographs Collection, Washington State University Libraries’ MASC, used with permission.

Love That Dog - a playMontana Repertory Theatre: LOVE THAT DOG!

LOVE THAT DOG is a one-person play adapted from the book by Sharon Creech. A young student ruminates on the confusing, pointless nature of poetry and the complete impossibility of a person writing their own poems. But over the course of the play, a young poet emerges with the help of a teacher, a pencil, some yellow paper, and, of course, a dog. This play is fun for all ages.  Wednesday, September 25, 7:00 pm in the Community Room

Juliet Cutler, Among the Maasai:  Author Talk and Book Signingamong the maasai book cover

Thursday, September 26th at 7:00 pm, Community Room.  

Twenty years ago, Juliet Cutler left Billings to teach at the first school for Maasai girls in East Africa, beginning a lifelong journey to empower girls through education. She will be discussing her memoir of this experience, Among the Maasai, focusing on the transformative power of education for girls in Tanzania, and hosting a book signing. The book will be available for purchase; proceeds will support education for at-risk Maasai girls.

Karen Stevens Karen Stevens' Haunted Montana Returns!

Tuesday, October 8th, 7:00 pm, in the Community Room

Join our favorite local ghost hunter for an exploration of spooky Montana sites that you can visit—if you dare... 

Stevens is a former librarian and author of several books including "Haunted Montana", "Glacier Ghost Stories", and "Armchair Ghost Hunting". She plans to talk about a couple of new hauntings this year, so make sure to get to the Community Room early to save your seat! 

image of Professor Tolkien"On the Brink of Fairy-Tale and History": Linguistic and Mythological Archaeology in Tolkien

Wednesday, October 9th, 7:00 pm, in the Community Room

Join Daniel Funderhide of The Council of Westmarch as he explores the way writer JRR Tolkien synthesized world myth through language and common mythological elements in his works.  The Council of Westmarch is the only official branch in Montana of The Tolkien Society.  You can connect with them on their Facebook page.


Classes and Crafts:

Tai Chi for Everyone presented by the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Billings

In the Taoist tradition, a person's health depends on the harmony of body, mind, and spirit. The Taoist Tai Chi arts exercise the entire physiology, including the tendons, joints, connective tissue and the internal organs. Attendees should wear comfortable clothing that allows movement, including grip-less, flat-soled shoes, and should be prepared to sign a waiver.Thursdays at Noon in the Community Room.


The Fellowship of the Fiber 


Thursday, September 26th, 1pm, Large Conference Room
We are the library's fiber arts enthusiasts who knit, crochet, embroider, spin, felt, and generally love fiber arts.  We get together the second and fourth Thursdays of every month to talk about what we enjoy the most and share projects.  If you're a newbie at the fiber craft game, we can help you learn!  This is our Fellowship, we look forward to your company!

Library Book Groups!  

The Library sponsors book discussion groups which are sure to whet your appetite for something different:

Turning Page Book Discussion Group

 

uses the Library's collection of book club kits and usually meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month. We gather in the 2nd floor Board Room at 7pm.  Our next meeting will be August 28th, when we will discuss Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean. Call 657-8290 to register.

LitCentric Book Discussion Group

  meets the last Tuesday of every month between January and October at 7pm in the second floor Large Conference Room.  We use a combination of self-purchased copies and library book club kits.  We are currently reading The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and meet on September 24th.

Email refdesk@ci.billings.mt.us to sign up.

Graphics:  A Graphic Novel Book Group

A joint project with Adult and Teen Services, this intergenerational book group will feature selections from our new Graphic Novel Book Kits for bi-monthly discussions.  Our next selection will be Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, and books are available to check out at the 2nd floor Help Desk today for our meeting on October 9th. Read the book and then join us to share your thoughts over a slice of pizza!

Looking for your Next Favorite Book or Movie? 

Visit our Readers' Corner to find out what members of our Library Staff are reading and watching.  You will see what we are excited about, and can join in the conversation!  To learn about the latest hot titles, check out Book Sizzle.  Then come back next week;  we update these pages regularly!