Join the Friends of the Stillwater County Library Read-a-Thon!
The Friends of the Stillwater County Library are thrilled to announce our upcoming Read-a-Thon! As we strive to expand and enhance our library programs, your support becomes invaluable.
Purpose of Our Fundraiser: We are raising funds to purchase plaques for our eight Little Free Libraries throughout Stillwater County, ensuring they are recognized on their official maps. Each plaque costs $49.95, totaling nearly $400. Funds raised beyond this goal will support additional library programs.
Your Impact: Your involvement truly makes a difference. By participating in the Read-a-Thon, you help us bring vital resources and joy to the community.
How to Participate:
- Make a Donation: Support us by donating and encouraging your friends and family to contribute by the number of pages, number of books or number of chapters read.
- Join the Reading: The Read-a-Thon starts on Saturday, November 2nd and runs until Saturday, November 9th.
- Make a Goal: Make a goal of how much you will read in the week – it can be the number of books, the number of pages, or the number of chapters. You choose!
Celebration and Donation Details: Conclude the Read-a-Thon with us at Down Home on the Yellowstone on Saturday, November 9th, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Enjoy snacks, make new friends, and win fun prizes! This is also the perfect time to turn in any cash donations. Ensure all online donations are submitted by 2 PM on November 9th at https://columbuscommunityfoundation.org/donate/. Please specify in the memo that your donation is for “Friends of the Stillwater County Library” or “FOL”, including the name of the participant you are supporting and that it is for the Read-a-Thon. Donors can pay per book, per page or just make a donation for that participant.
We encourage all ages to participate. There are three levels of readers – Elementry Age, Middle/High School and Adult Readers.
Let’s make this our best fundraiser and continue to enrich our community through literacy!
Up Coming Events
Board Meeting: Saturday, October 3rd at Noon - Annual Meeting/Member Get Together.
Tea Party and Door Decorating Craft: More details to come: Saturday, October 17th from 10:30am-12:30pm come create a door of your favorite book. We will have these on display if you do not want to take them with you. Come paint/draw, use your imagination and have some fun. This is a free event for everyone.
Business to Business Trick-O-Treat: Join the Friends at the Stillwater County Library for some candy and say hi.
Share the Joy of Reading Tree: From Monday, October 26 through Saturday, November 21, stop by the Stillwater County Library and fill out a form to receive a new book. Kids and adults are both encouraged to participate! Maybe there is a book you have been wanting, or maybe you would love for someone to surprise you with a book you might never have picked out for yourself. Either way, add your name to the Share the Joy of Reading Tree!
From Saturday, November 21 through Monday, December 14, stop by the library, choose a name from the tree, and purchase a book for someone in our community. Please return all donated books to the Stillwater County Library unwrapped by Monday, December 14. On Tuesday, December 15, the Friends of the Stillwater County Library Montana will wrap all of the donated books and get them ready for their recipients.
Wrapped books will be available for pickup at the Stillwater County Library beginning Wednesday, December 16.
Whether you are receiving a new book, giving one, or doing both, we hope you will help us Share the Joy of Reading this holiday season!
Past Events 2026
Back to School Ice Cream Social: Join us Saturday, September 19th from 11am-2pm at the Stillwater County Library Garden for Root Beer Floats.
Columbus MT Gives: Join us for the 2026 ColumbusMT gives week May 4-10. Donate, have fun and talk with us at Palladium for activities on May 8th from 5-9pm.
Little Free Library Week: May 17-23 is Little Free Library Week. Check out our social media pages for updates on our 8 Little Free Libraries throughout Stillwater County.
Garden Clean Up: Join us at the Stillwater County Library at 10am to help clean up the garden and get ready for summer reading outside. We will have all supplies - all you have to bring is garden gloves!
Putt-Putt Golf: Stop by the Stillwater County Library April 7-11 to play through 5 miniature golf courses in the library.
Stillwater Expo: Check out our booth at the 2026 Stillwater Expo at the Ace Stillwater Civic Center April 25 and 26! We will have fun interactive activities all day long.
Book Sale 2026: Dates are confirmed for our 2026 Friends of the Stillwater County Library Montana Book Sale for Saturday, March 14th from 8am-6pm, Monday-Friday, March 16-20 from 10:30am-6pm and Saturday, March 21st from 8am-3pm. Check out the post for more information, our raffle basket items and our daily sponsors! We will be on FM99 The Mountain at 8am on Thursday, March 12 to talk about the book sale. Tune in to find out more.
Painting Fundraiser: Join us at the Stillwater County Library for a paining fundraiser. It is $20 a person and we will supply everything else. Canvas', rocks, bricks, book ends, paper and all the paint and brushes you will need. Bring your imagination or we will have some templets to help get you started. Saturday, February 28th at 1pm.
Bunco: Saturday, January 31st at 10:30am at the Stillwater County Library. Come have some fun and meet new people. $20 a person for this fundraiser.
2025 Events
Gift Wrapping Fundraiser: Get your gifts wrapped by our volunteers at the library from 10am-3pm on Saturday, December 20th!
Halloween Business to Business Trick-or-Treating: Join us at the library for goodies from 4-6pm.
Book Nook Submissions Due: Please have all book nook submissions to the library by 3pm Saturday, November 8th. No sign up required.
Book Nook Voting: Stop by the library the week of November 10-15th during the libraries normal hours and vote for your favorite Book Nook and winner will be announced at 2:30pm on Saturday, November 8th.
Tree of Wishes: If you know someone who could use some extra books for the holiday season please stop by the library starting Monday, November 3rd until November 24th. Fill out an ornament from the front desk at the Stillwater County Library. If you would like to purchase books for someone take a tag from the Book of Trees at the library and have the unwrapped books returned to the library by December 15th and pick up wrapped wishes from December 17th-23rd.
Pike Ave Market: Join us on Thursday, September 2nd for the last Columbus Farmer's Market.
Back to School Ice Cream Social: 1:30-3:30 at the library join us for ice cream floats and sherbet punch!
Summer Reading Program: Check out where and when the Friends will be around Stillwater County to help the library host the Color the World Outreach Program in Park City, Reed Point, Rapelje, Absarokee and Fishtail.
https://stillwatercountylibrary.org/event/summer-reading-outreach-programs/
Member Dinner: Saturday, May 3rd - More details coming
Children's Book Week: May 5th-11th
Garden Event: Saturday, May 10th at 10:30am in the Stillwater County Library Garden
Library Garden Snail Roll Event: At the library garden April 19th at 10:30am
Book Sale: Saturday, March 22 8:30am-6pm, Sunday, March 23 1pm-5pm, Monday, March 24-Friday March 28 8:30am-5pm, and Saturday, March 29 8:30am-3pm.
Library Giving Day: Tuesday, April 1st
Brick Book Painting Event: Saturday, February, 22nd at 10:30am $20 per person - all supplies provided.
Take Your Child to the Library Day: Join us for storytime and a craft at on February 1st at 10:30am and at Noon for Teen Sugar Cookie Decorating Craft.
Food Drive for Project Hope: Stop by the library anytime during January to drop off food donations for Project Hope.
Bunco: Saturday, January 25th at 10:30am. $20 per player - prizes for winners.
Past Events
Halloween at the Library: Thursday, October 31 2pm-5pm, Come down to the Stillwater County Library for a craft, food, candy and meet the board members!
Read-a-Thon: Read from November 2-November 9th, Join us at Down Town on the Yellowstone on November 9th from 10am-2pm for some fun! Click here to get more information.
Brick Painting at the Library: Saturday, September 21st 10am-2pm at the Stillwater County Library in the Garden
Columbus Farmer's Market: Thursday, August 1st
First Little Free Library Being Installed: Wednesday, July 31st in Columbus
Book Donation Organization: Wednesday, July 17th
Columbus Garage Sale Lemonade Stand: June 15th
Library Garden Clean Up: June 3rd
First Annual Board Meeting: May 30th
Meet Up: April 22nd
Library Giving Day: April 3rd
Book Sale: March 16th-23rd