Butte Silver Bow Public Library

What Butte Silver Bow Public Library does

Butte-Silver Bow Public Library is a government-operated public library system serving the residents of Butte and Silver Bow County, Montana. Established in 1890 through a $10,000 gift from mining magnate Charles X. Larabee, the institution has operated continuously for over 135 years under a dedicated library tax first authorized by City Council ordinance in April 1892. The library operates two physical branches — the Uptown Library at 226 W Broadway Street and the South Branch at 600 Gilman Street — staffed by approximately 17 employees across departments including Director, Adult Services, Tech Services, Reference, Circulation, Children's, and Teen Services.

The library's service portfolio encompasses traditional physical lending, digital lending through OverDrive/Libby/MontanaLibrary2Go, licensed electronic databases (Chilton Manuals, Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, Niche Academy), language learning via Mango Languages, interlibrary loan, and community programs including a Seed Library, Community Garden, Talking Book Library for visually impaired patrons, and age-specific programming (Story Hour, Teen Services). Technology is built on standard library infrastructure with no proprietary AI or machine learning components. Marketing is conducted through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, a Mailchimp newsletter, and the library's Blogspot website.

The library is funded almost entirely by public tax revenue, with nominal fee income from $30-per-season community garden plot rentals, interlibrary loan requests, and replacement costs for lost or damaged items. All core services are provided free to the public. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees under Montana Code Annotated Title 22.1.3, with supplementary fundraising conducted by the Butte-Silver Bow Public Library Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. There are no commercial revenue streams, no private investment, and no M&A activity; the library operates exclusively as a public service institution.

Name

Butte Silver Bow Public Library

Legal name

Butte-Silver Bow Public Library Board of Trustees

Website

https://buttepubliclibrary.blogspot.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Butte-Silver Bow Public Library is a government-operated public library system serving residents of Butte and Silver Bow County, Montana, across two physical branches. It provides free access to books, digital lending platforms, licensed databases, and community programs including a seed library and community garden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending
• Digital library access
• Interlibrary loan
• Community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Butte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Primary operational funding from Butte-Silver Bow public funds and library tax (established 1892 by city ordinance). Operates as a public institution with free services.
2. Community Garden Plot Rental: Rent a garden plot for $30 per season (May-October) at the community garden. Sign contract and pay fee at library.
3. Interlibrary Loan Fees: Fee-based interlibrary loan service allowing patrons to borrow materials from other libraries, with extension requests subject to policies of lending libraries.
4. Replacement/Damaged Item Fees: Patrons are responsible for cost of lost or damaged items. Payment plans available upon arrangement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Butte-Silver Bow Public Library is a public, government-operated library system providing free access to physical and digital lending materials, licensed databases, language learning tools, and community programs for Butte-Silver Bow residents. Core services include book and periodical lending at two branches, digital lending via Libby/MontanaLibrary2Go, electronic databases, interlibrary loan, children's and teen programming, a Seed Library, and a Community Garden. Operations are funded by a dedicated city library tax established in 1892 and supported by a 501c3 Foundation.

Product overview

Butte-Silver Bow Public Library operates as a dual-location public library system serving Butte, Montana. The library offers physical lending services at its Uptown Library (226 W Broadway St) and South Branch Library (600 Gilman St), complemented by extensive digital services including the Libby/Library2Go eBook and audiobook platform, Mango Languages online learning, and licensed databases (Chilton Manuals, Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com). The library provides specialized programs including a Seed Library, Community Garden, Children's Story Hour, and Teen Services. The online Catalogue and Interlibrary Loan services connect patrons to broader library networks, while the website integrates Google Calendar for events and Mailchimp for newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Catalogue Online catalog system for searching and managing library holdings, including the ability to check account status and renew materials; available to all library cardholders.
• Libby / MontanaLibrary2Go Digital Lending Digital lending platform providing access to eBooks and audiobooks through the OverDrive/MontanaLibrary2Go consortium, accessible via the Libby app and montana.overdrive.com.
• Interlibrary Loan Service allowing patrons to borrow materials from other libraries across Montana and beyond; supports extensions via phone request, subject to lending library policies.
• Electronic Databases Collection of licensed online databases including Chilton Manuals (automotive repair), Niche Academy (digital tutorials), Newspapers.com (historical archives), and Ancestry.com (genealogy).
• Mango Languages Online language learning platform providing access to foreign language courses, accessible via connect.mangolanguages.com/silverbow/start with library credentials.
• Seed Library Seed lending program on the 2nd floor of the Uptown Library offering organic seeds adapted to the Butte microclimate; no library card required to participate.
• Community Garden Garden plots available for rental at $30 per season (May-October) adjacent to the library, managed by the Reference team with priority for returning gardeners and a waitlist available.
• Talking Book Library Service for visually impaired patrons providing access to talking books through DocuSign-enabled enrollment.
• Children's Services and Story Hour Programs and materials for children including Story Hour, currently held on Saturday afternoons, with historical programming at community locations such as Columbia Gardens; children's branch and age-appropriate reading materials.
• Teen Services Dedicated teen librarian (Christine Call) and programming section providing age-appropriate resources and activities for teenage patrons.
• Public Computing and Technology Technology services supporting community access to computers, digital resources, and information technology.
• Events and Clubs Calendar of library events and club activities available to the community, including author talks and local interest groups, managed via Google Calendar.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• MontanaLibrary2Go / OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital lending platform providing access to eBooks and audiobooks through the Libby app and montana.overdrive.com. Allows patrons to borrow digital content instantly for free.
• Chilton Manuals (GALE)coreTechnology or IntegrationAutomotive repair database providing detailed guides for all major vehicle models. Accessed via link.gale.com/apps/CHLL with library credentials.
• Ancestry.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationGenealogical research tool providing access to census records, documents, and family history tools for patron research.
• Newspapers.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationHistorical newspaper archive allowing patrons to search and discover archived articles from across the country.
• Niche AcademysupportingTechnology or IntegrationOnline tutorial platform providing step-by-step guides on using digital tools and library services. Patrons access at my.nicheacademy.com/buttepubliclibrary.
• Mango LanguagescoreTechnology or IntegrationLanguage learning platform accessible at connect.mangolanguages.com/silverbow/start for patron language education.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & ParkssupportingTechnology or IntegrationState agency partnership providing access to fishing regulations, hunting regulations, and the Montana hunting/fishing app (MyFWP).
• Butte-Silver Bow Public Library FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501c3 non-profit organization that secures financial and in-kind donations for programs, services, collections, and capital projects in support of the library. Meets quarterly. Led by President Kim Kohn.
• Montana Library SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource sharing partnership with other Montana libraries enabling interlibrary loan services and collection development coordination.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• OverDrive / Libby: Digital lending platform provider that powers Butte-Silver Bow's eBook/audiobook service through the MontanaLibrary2Go consortium. Serves as an enabling ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.
• Montana State Library: State-level library agency coordinating interlibrary loan, Talking Book services, and statewide digital resources that Butte-Silver Bow leverages. Acts as upstream infrastructure and policy partner.

Regional players

• Missoula Public Library: Montana public library with overlapping consortium membership (MontanaLibrary2Go) and a comparable community-hub service model. Operates in a similar geographic and demographic context to Butte-Silver Bow.
• Helena Public Library: Montana state-capital public library sharing MontanaLibrary2Go/OverDrive consortium access and offering the same free, community-anchored lending and programming model as Butte-Silver Bow.
• Billings Public Library: Montana's largest public library system, serving as a broader incumbent in the same state library consortium. Useful as a scale benchmark for what a Montana public library can grow into.
• Bozeman Public Library: Another Montana-based public library system serving a similar small-to-mid Montana city with comparable services (physical lending, digital resources, community programs). Comparable in scale and rural civic model, though serving a faster-growing college town.

Emerging players

• Seed Libraries (network): Grassroots network of community seed libraries at public libraries and civic institutions. Directly comparable to Butte-Silver Bow's Seed Library program and represents the broader movement the library participates in.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Library: Major urban library system demonstrating how public libraries combine free lending, digital access, community programs, and civic partnerships — same service pillars as Butte-Silver Bow at city scale.
• Denver Public Library: Large urban public library system providing the full suite of community services (Seed Library equivalents, digital lending, makerspaces, multilingual resources) that small Montana libraries like Butte-Silver Bow mirror at smaller scale.
• New York Public Library: National benchmark for free, tax-funded public library systems with community programming, digital lending, and special collections. Useful as an aspirational peer showing the upper bound of the public library model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@butte-silverbowpubliclibra881
• Facebookfacebook.com/buttepubliclibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/buttelibrary
• Xx.com/buttepublibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Butte Silver Bow Public Library