A Building at its Limit.
Flathead County Library is at a crossroads. After more than 50 years in a leased school district building, critical infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life, limiting our ability to serve a growing community.
- Moisture and water intrusion threaten library spaces and collections.
- Aging heating, cooling, and plumbing systems are increasingly costly to maintain and less reliable for patrons and staff.
- More than $50,000 has been spent maintaining a 50-year-old elevator in the last two years alone; funds that could otherwise support library services, programs, and materials.
At the very moment our building is aging, demand for library services is growing rapidly. Families, students, job seekers, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners are relying on the library more than ever. Since 2020, Flathead County has added the most residents in Montana, with Kalispell experiencing 25% growth.
A growing Flathead Valley needs a library prepared for the future. For more than 30 years, library leaders, trustees, county officials, foundation board members, and community volunteers have explored solutions. More than 20 potential options were carefully evaluated, including renovating and expanding the current facility. The conclusion was clear: investing further in an aging leased building is not a sustainable long-term solution.
Today, The Library Board of Trustees continues to explore land and existing building options to build a library that meets the needs of current and future residents.
The time to act is now, and we want to move forward with confidence. That is why the library took a careful next step: asking our community what is possible.
In November 2026, we completed a Campaign Readiness Study for the Flathead County Library – Kalispell to understand the potential of a $13M Capital Campaign. The study combined an internal analysis of our library with external testing of our assumptions.
Read the Executive Summary for a quick look at the results, or explore the full Campaign Readiness Study report for the complete findings.
Have questions about the project? Reach out to us at campaign@flatheadcountylibrary.org — we’d love to hear from you.
Read the Campaign Readiness Study Press Release for more information.