Activity Details
Title: Montana History Portal
Narrative: The Montana History Portal responded to the pandemic by expanding its digital offerings, developing social media awareness, providing educator training, and highlighting collections through a geocaching app. On top of the many popular resources funded through ARPA, this important work supported the discovery and enjoyment of primary resources related to Montana's rich cultural heritage. The Portal prioritized six collections for inclusion with topics ranging from Yellowstone National Park films to an inventory of Virigina City historic architecture. Through a partnership with the Montana History Foundation, staff added nine more collections including oral history projects such as the "The Metis of the Hi-Line" which featured interviews with 10 descendants of the original Hi-Line Metis settlers. With the additional support of 1 new FTE funded by ARPA, staff worked to highlight these and pre-existing collections through social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and twitter leading to a 77% increase in web traffic in the first three quarters of FY 2023 in comparison to the same time period in FY 2022. An intern also assisted with improving metadata to improve searchability within the Recollect platform. A summer workshop for teachers led to the development of exhibits for use by K-12 students and the general public. Added staff support enabled the Portal to publish the teacher exhibits and to add more high interest exhibits for public browsing and discovery. Finally, Montana History Portal added historic pictures to the Adventure Lab app which organized digitized content for discovery on walking tours, allowing app users to experience history alongside present day buildings and sites such as the Montana State Capitol and the University of Montana campus.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Digital
Quantity
Number of items digitized: 15
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 15
Number of physical items: 0
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 0
Number of plans/frameworks: 0
Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No
Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No
Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General
Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 3
Academic Libraries: 1
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 1
School Libraries: 0
Other: 3
Activity Details
Title: Electronic Collections
Narrative: During the pandemic, Montana State Library prioritized the delivery of electronic collections to learners of all ages. Montanans from 54 out of 56 counties checked out materials from MontanaLibrary2Go, including a new collection of 4,500 digital magazines and digital courses from Great Reads, Universal Class, and Method Test Prep. Investment in the MontanaLibrary2Go collection budget reduced patron wait time for titles from 42 to 39 days, and the number of books borrowed each month increased 27%. The State Library purchased 690 perpetual access licenses for young adult, graphic novel, and fiction titles from indie publishers via Biblioboard. Made available through the Palace app, these titles supplemented the MontanaLibrary2Go collection. MSL also partnered with the K-12 e-resource consortium to expand access to materials for students. Funds allowed school libraries to offer e-books to their students even when access to the building was limited. One participating library explained how this service benefited schools during the pandemic, "When our district closed to in-person school last spring, K-6 classes concentrated on reading and math. Reading was tough as students could not access the school libraries' print collection for books...The Montana Schools OverDrive shared e-books/audiobooks program fills this gap!" When compared to just prior to the pandemic, 87 more schools participated in the shared school digital collection, and 213% more students borrowed e-books. Because not all patrons have access to mobile devices that can play e-content, the State Library purchased and distributed 696 Playaways, portable mp3 players with pre-loaded audiobooks, for circulation around the state. The units provided another method for readers of all ages to enjoy electronic content even as libraries operated under reduced hours and occupancy due to the pandemic.
Total MontanaLibrary2Go circulation (e-books, audio, magazines, courses): 2,569,243
Total School Overdrive circulation: 305,592
Total Playaway circulation via the Montana Shared Catalog: 30,919
(Biblioboard circulation data unavailable. Titles were made available to the public as a pilot with seven libraries.)
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Activity: Content
Mode: Lending
Format: Combined physical & digital
Quantity
Total number of items circulated: 2,905,754
Average number of items circulated / month: 116,230
Total number of ILL transactions: 0
Average number of ILL transactions / month: 0
Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No
Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No
Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General
Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 82
Academic Libraries: 7
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 168
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Montana Code Annotated Digitization
Narrative: Citizens interested in self-representation or conducting legal research typically must access reference materials by visiting physical spaces like law libraries. This was especially problematic during the pandemic, when people observed physical distancing and many government buildings operated at reduced occupancy. To enable remote access to important legal materials, the Montana State Library collaborated with the State Law Library of Montana to digitize historic print volumes of laws dating back to 1871. This project resulted in the digitization of 534 volumes (592,088 pages), including Annotations to the MCA 2002-2020, MCA 1978-2021, Laws of Territory of Montana 1871, Revised Statutes of Territory of Montana 1879, and Revised Codes of Montana 1907-1947. Staff added the items to the Montana State Library's collection on the Internet Archive for open, public access. By using materials online, patrons benefited from full-text search, and digitization mitigated the risk of damage and loss of irreplaceable historical documents. Between September 2022 and March 2023, patrons viewed the Montana Code Annotated and Annotations to the Montana Code Annotated collections 10,619 times, making them the top two resources available in the digital library.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Digital
Quantity
Number of items digitized: 534
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 534
Number of physical items: 0
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 0
Number of plans/frameworks: 0
Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No
Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No
Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General
Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 1
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Summer Reading App
Narrative: To facilitate remote participation in the summer reading program during COVID-19 closures, the Montana State Library invested in the READsquared app. Twenty-one public and tribal college libraries participated in this statewide project. Using the app, libraries encouraged learners of all ages to participate in summer challenges designed to inspire a love of reading and to improve literacy skills. Readers also viewed book recommendations and additional learning activities based on the national slogan, "Tails and Tales: Colas y Cuentos" with a focus on stories from the animal kingdom. The service areas for the participating libraries included 588,593 Montanans from 16 counties. After the initial subscription period, six libraries continued access with partial ARPA funding during summer 2022, including Jefferson County Library - Boulder, Dillon Public Library, North Jefferson County Library District Clancy Library, North Lake County Public Library, Ronan Library District, and Sidney-Richland County Library.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Activity: Content
Mode: Other
Format: Digital
Other: App to support summer reading
Quantity
Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No
Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No
Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General
Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 20
Academic Libraries: 1
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Virtual Professional Development
Narrative: The library workforce rapidly adjusted to new service methods during the pandemic, often relying on digital skills in a remote workplace. To support librarians providing online services, the Montana State Library subscribed to the PCI webinar series. Recorded and live trainings included topics like "Podcasting and Your Library", "Engaging Online Community Members", "Pro Tips for Giving Great Presentations", and "eAccessibility." The trainings were available to staff at all public libraries. Following the theme of building virtual librarianship skills, the Montana State Library also mentored librarians by demonstrating effective hosting techniques on the video conferencing software, Zoom. The Lifelong Learning Librarian advised librarians around the state by working with them to produce a pilot virtual program. MSL accomplished two goals through this pilot. First, Montana public libraries participated in the outreach, organization, and delivery of an online program so that they could more easily facilitate future virtual events. Next, the virtual program helped libraries fulfill required public library standards using an inventive approach that delivered high quality information to Montanans. The pilot program was presented by Mariah Gladstone from Indigikitchen and included cooking demonstrations using foods native to the Americas. The program was co-hosted by 16 libraries and received positive feedback from participants. In a post-event survey, a library patron reported, "I love real programs like this! In person is best but in these times Zoom is excellent as well." A final professional development opportunity offered through the e-learning platform Moodle allowed librarians to learn about designing an emergency response plan which culminated in creating a kit to keep at the library. The course recording was viewed 77 times.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Activity: Instruction
Mode: Other
Format: Virtual
Other: Self-paced online learning and mentorship in online hosting
Quantity
Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No
Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No
Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General
Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 82
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Genealogy Database
Narrative: Patrons at all Montana public and tribal libraries received remote access to the HeritageQuest genealogy database to support research in a remote learning environment through December 2022. This resource was selected based on an e-resources survey of library directors in which genealogy was one of the top priority topics, as well as the fact that Missoula Public Library already had a contract in place that would allow for rapid deployment. HeritageQuest provided learners with American genealogical data including unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. The resource included over 500 searchable domestic and international databases for genealogical research, containing more than 5 billion total records that date back to the 1700s and represent over 60 countries. Based on surveying, this database was underutilized, and the State Library does not plan to continue access beyond the award period. However, interested libraries can still gain access to a shared contract through Montana's TRAILS academic library consortium.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Digital
Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 1
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0
Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No
Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No
Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General
Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 82
Academic Libraries: 4
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Question 1: I am satisfied that the resource is meeting library needs.
Strongly Agree: 3
Agree: 1
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 1
Disagree: 2
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: Applying the resource will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 4
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 2
Disagree: 1
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
