By Michael Howell
The North Valley Public Library in Stevensville has hired Desiree Dramstad to serve as director following the departure of the previous director Renee McGrath. Dramstad has served as the library director at the State Prison in Deer Lodge for the last three years. She grew up in Great Falls and graduated from the University of Montana.
Dramstad said she is excited about the job and is already working on a few improvements that include such things as expanding the children’s program, which currently happens every Wednesday. She hopes to expand the program with the help of AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Caitlin Kempainen. The library’s web site is also being revamped with the help of technical assistant Seth Pollman. She hopes to have the new site up and running by mid-January. The web site is linked to the state library where a catalogue of available books may be found. Library users may also go on line and put a book on hold as well as connect to the nationwide library loan network.
Besides the Wednesday Children’s Program, the library also hosts a Spanish Conversation Group that meets twice a week, a Summer Reading Program, and is planning a new computer lap top lounge for children 12 years of age and older scheduled for 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The library has a bank of computers available for public use daily. Dramstad said that she is also hoping to get a book club started. There is a meeting room available for public use for no charge, although donations are encouraged.
Dramstad has also inherited a huge new building project as part of her job. The library board already has the plans for the new building drawn up by Comma-Q Architecture, a Bozeman based company and a contractor lined up, Martel Construction. Now they just need to raise the $2 million. The plan is to erect the building on the current site. A meeting is scheduled for January 7 at the library from 1 to 5 p.m. to make plans for the fundraising efforts. The public is invited.