In 2001, the year of the library’s 100th birthday, the Teen Pit opened providing exclusive space just for teenagers. Library hours were increased, remodeling occurred, and a new Dynix computer system was put in place. Then in 1996, a carriage of knowledge, a new Infomobile brought books to those who lived afar followed by a Senior Homebound Van in 2000. So began ‘Lunch at the Library.’ Members of the board of directors – Jean Anderson and Suzanne Smoot – invited ladies and gentlemen from the community, young and old, to tour this castle of knowledge.īut as the Foundation was building strength, the seat of the library director’s throne shifted from Ricky Johnson to Diane Cross to finally Bill Cochran who runs the library to this day. They did so by befriending the community and acquainting it with all the library offered. The Foundation worked hard to raise the money to keep up with the library’s growing needs. On a white horse, in rode a prince named Royal Johnson who after rescuing city funds set aside in the budget secured two other donations to put over $100,000 into the Foundation’s treasure trove. Once upon a modern time, a Library Director named Ellen Newberg along with City Administrators John Lawton and Alan Tandy started the Parmly Billings Library Foundation for fund raising and special projects.
This is the story of how the new library building came to be. Over many years of fortifying troops, they were the warriors who made a dream in the Magic City come true. Though many people contributed to its success, this tale is about the women leaders of recent times who waved their savvy and spirited wands to make possible the seemingly impossible. These very women from the Parmly Billings Library Foundation, the library and the community dared to believe that Billings deserved a new library building. In 2014, on the first day of February, the new Billings Public Library will open its doors. Turning the Page with the New Billings Public Library A Tale of the Women who made it a realityīy Stella Fong, Photography by Daniel Sullivan
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