Library director reads between the lines

Walk through the doors of the Flathead County Library, and you enter a realm of discovery and adventure.

There are dragons inside, and treasure, too. There are books filled with heroes and villains and far-away lands. Its shelves are lined with historical figures come alive, with tragedies, comedies and horrific crimes.

And thats just the first floor.

After more than a decade in the business, Library Director Kim Crowley loves playing a part in this daily quest for knowledge and entertainment. She loves looking for new and better ways to meet the communitys demand for library services.

That wasnt always the case, though.

Crowley, who was hired in January 2004, spent 13 years working for a commercial fishing operation on Lake Michigan before deciding to become a librarian.

Even after she went back to school and was working on her masters degree in information and library services from the University of Michigan, she would still tell people she worked in the fishery.

I was embarrassed to say I was going to be a librarian, Crowley recalled. Telling people that I worked in a commercial fishery sounded much more adventuresome and out of the ordinary. I could drink and swear and cut bait with the best of em. It seemed much more fun.

Now, of course, Im totally proud to be a librarian but until I actually worked in libraries, I had no idea how exciting and adventuresome this career could be. We have every type of person you can imagine walk in our doors. We get to see little kids entranced by books every single day. It took me awhile to realize that.

Crowleys meandering path to a library career started with her parents, both of whom grew up in Montana.

My mom was raised on a ranch near Helena, and my dad grew up in Butte, she said. I grew up in California and Maryland, but moved here to go to college.

After a year at Eastern Montana College (now MSU-Billings) and another year at Montana State University, Crowley went to Michigan one summer with some friends from school. She ended up dropping out of school in order to manage a small fishing operation in Leelanau County, near Traverse City, Mich.

I managed the shore crew and three fishing boats, Crowley said. We filleted and smoked fish and supplied restaurants up and down the Peninsula. I bought and sold fish all over the Great Lakes. This was in the late 70s and early to mid-80s. It was pretty much a boom time for commercial fishing there.

The work was seasonal, so after six to eight months in Michigan, shed come back to Montana during the winter to ski and visit friends.

I went back and forth for 13 years, Crowley said. Then I decided Id better do something. I finished my undergraduate degree at the University of Montana [in English] and earned a masters at the University of Michigan.

The choice of library studies was somewhat haphazard, she said. Shed always been interested in literature, art and film, so when a friend suggested that she become a librarian, she decided to give it a shot.

Her first job was at the Fort Collins, Colo., public library.

Fort Collins had a large Hispanic population who never used the library, because they didnt feel welcomed, Crowley said. We made it the model throughout for Hispanic services. It took eight years. Thats one of my proudest achievements.

After 11 years in Colorado, she quit her job and spent six months traveling around the country. She wanted to come back to Montana, so when former Flathead County Library Director Dorothy Laird retired, Crowley saw an opportunity.

In retrospect, I was very fortunate, she said. I was intrigued by the idea of working at the largest library system in Montana its the only one in the state with five branches. And theres so much going on in the Flathead, so many towns with their own personalities and so much to be involved in. Thats important to me, being part of the community.

Crowley has made a number of changes since she arrived, including a recent remodel at the Kalispell branch. Shes also added programs, such as a foreign and independent film series, that appeal to a broader range of interests.

I like the fact that weve changed to be more responsive, Crowley said. I cant imagine working in a business where Im not in contact with people. We get people of all ages in here all the time. Theres a sense of community in this building. The library is my neighborhood.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com.