by John Dowd
For the employees and volunteers at the North Valley Public Library (NVPL) in Stevensville, a library is more than a place for books. To showcase that, they have numerous events throughout the year to bring unique educational, career advancement and entertaining opportunities to the community. These events, classes and guest speakers are being brought in to redefine the idea many have of what a library is. According to Kayli Maffei, assistant librarian and adult programmer, it is important for the community to know that the library can serve all kinds of people, and NVPL is “making this a resource at every stage in life.”
Along with hosting courses and events for all ages, they are including programs any age can learn from and participate in. One such out of the box program, hosted by Maffei, is a look into the fascinating variety of genres of books and stories. Her series showcases various genres and puts them under a magnifying glass, employing literary analysis to different stories. Her genre series has been going on all year, and the goal has been to introduce people to different writing styles, books and authors they may have no experience with. So far, they have looked at things like gothic, steampunk, sci fi, film noir and other niche genres.
The last few presentations have been all about “uncovering lost stories and hidden depths of fairy tales,” said Maffei. This “fairy tale” mini-series looked into both the history and the concept of fairy tales, exploring some elements that make them unique. This has been one of her favorites in the series, and has been broken down into three parts. The first was an introduction and basic analysis defining the art form. Last Thursday was the second presentation and looked into practicing analysis of real fairy tales. The last one will be held September 26 and will be the final part in the series, looking at myths and their connection to fairy tales.
Maffei said these genre programs have been well liked by the community. “They’ve been really popular, so much that I have continued to do them,” said Maffei. She even looked forward to where genres are going, speaking about the genre, “new-wave.” She described this as a newer twist on sci-fi, addressing more modern issues through the lens of today. When looking at new technology, like the internet and AI, Maffei spoke positively about the future. She said, “Art is threatened every day, in every generation, but it survives.”
Speaking about the survival of genres, an interesting aspect of fairy tales, according to Maffei, is how they have stuck around. She thinks it’s interesting to ponder questions like, why are we still talking about Cinderella,” a fairy tale that has survived for hundreds of years, and has undergone many different iterations. This may be because, as Maffei stated, “storytelling is so profoundly human.”
Maffei has brought her love and expertise in literature to these genre programs. Originally from Arlee, Maffei has a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Montana and a Master’s in English from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. She has been involved in education throughout her academic career. While she was attending University of Massachusetts-Boston, she taught Literature and Composition 101 as she was pursuing her masters.
Maffei said she has always loved books, saying, “I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t reading and writing.” She started with the love of books, wanting to be a writer, then graduated into a love for literary theory and analysis. “Thinking new thoughts” and critical thinking is what she really enjoys.
According to Maffei, people these days are “inundated in a world of text.” Text is everywhere from phones, to online, books and signs, news and other forms of media. She said part of the function of critical thinking and literary analysis is to help people “know how to wade through words,” and truly understand what things are being said. She believes that is one of the many functions libraries have, and why they are so relevant, even today.
At NVPL, they are making a huge effort to show people this, and how the community can benefit from libraries.They also want to express that a big aspect of what they do is community-oriented, connecting different resources in the community.
According to Maffei, some big events and presentations they have coming up include:
“Living With the Land,” featuring Louise Ogemahgeshig Fischer – Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.
Anishinaabe Indian Louise Ogemahgeshig Fischer will inspire you to think about “living with the land” in new ways. Covering medicinal plants and their uses, Indian history and ways of life, hunting, fishing, foods, clothing, gatherings, stars, storytelling and more, Louise’s presentation is an exciting look into the past and inspiration for the present. Louise will share artifacts, sing an Indian song now and then, and having lived in the old ways, shares from experience and from the heart.
Louise has been a speaker for Humanities Montana for many years, traveling to many parks, museums, schools and other places throughout the state. She is an artist and a drum maker. She also leads sweat lodge ceremonies and talking circles for the VA at Fort Harrison, helping out the PTSD Veterans. Louise has traveled to many states to do sweat lodge ceremonies for the Veterans, the VA staff, Tribes and other groups (in the past these ceremonies and other like ceremonies were not allowed. Since then, laws were passed to ensure that Indian people could do these types of ceremonies).
This presentation is part of the Humanities Montana-Montana Conversations program and has been made possible by Humanities Montana.
“Ghost Stories of the Bitterroot Valley” with historian Sophia Etier – Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.
This spooky season, researcher and historian Sophia Etier is sharing some of the lesser-known tales of the Bitterroot that just might send chills down your spine. If you’re interested in local history with a spooky twist, this fascinating presentation is for you.
Sophia Etier is a Montana native and Public Historian, focusing her research on the development of local Montana history as well as specializing in the heritage of Western Montana’s red-light districts and the development of minority communities within the region. In September 2023, Sophia presented her research “Forgotten Souls: The Lost Voices of Western Montana’s Restricted Districts” at the Montana History Conference, and in March 2024, she presented “Lost Montana: The Path from Remembrance to Inclusive Heritage” at the University of Montana Western TED Talk Conference. Sophia also is a lead guide and tour developer for the Unseen Missoula heritage tour program, primarily overseeing the Carnal Enterprises red-light tour which she curated in 2023. Sophia is currently working on the advancement of her research as a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana.
“Bats of Montana” – Thursday, Oct 24 at 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate International Bat Week by learning about Montana bats, their role in the environment, the problems they face and how we can help.
Bats are an important part of Montana’s ecosystem, but white-nose syndrome is killing off bats across the US and Canada. What can we do to help bats? People can help bats by building bat boxes which can provide clean, safe homes for these important flying mammals. This talk will include simple, printable blueprints for building bat boxes. No power tools? No problem! Resources for vetted, pre-cut bat boxes that you can assemble and paint at home or at the library will also be provided.
This program is part of the Montana Library Network’s virtual programming series. We will host a watch-party at NVPL but the speakers will present from an off-site location. Zoom option available.
Annual Big Book Sale Fundraiser – Friday, Oct. 4 from 5-9pm & Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Book donations will be accepted Oct. 2 & 3 from 3 to 8 p.m.
Third Annual Winter Art Exhibit – Friday, Dec. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The submission period for artists (age 19 plus) in various mediums opens November 1. Details available soon on the Library’s website.
For more information about the NVPL, their calendars of events and more, interested parties can visit their website, northvalleylibrary.org, or call them at (406) 777-5061.