In April we're celebrating the month with the best of the best! April Fool's... not every book is for everyone. Check out our librarians' least favorite books. You might just end up with a new favorite. Agatha Raisin and The Vicious Vet M.C. Beaton All The Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr Anxious People Frederick Backman Big Sur Jack Kerouac The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer Divergent Veronica Roth Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert Eye of The World Robert Jordan Icebreaker Hannah Grace If You Give A Dog A Donut Laura Numeroff Mary Poppins P.L. Travers Moby Dick Herman Melville Naked Lunch William S. Burroughs Post Office Charles Bukowski Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier Where The Axe Is Buried Ray Nayler Wreck Catherine Newman

To celebrate Women's History Month at the Miles City Public Library, we are displaying our favorite women authors. Check out our picks and let us know who your favorite female author is! All Good People Here Ashley Flowers Bloodchild Octavia E. Butler Daisy Jones & The Six Taylor Jenkins Reid The Five Wounds Kirstin Valdez Quade Funny Story Emily Henry The Invisible Life of Addie Larue V.E. Schwab Little Women Louisa May Alcott Love Toni Morrison The Miseducation of Cameron Post Emily M. Danforth Olga Dies Dreaming Xochitl Gonzalez The Other Mother Rachel M. Harper Sociopath Patric Gagne The Sparrow Mary Doria Russell Wideacre Philippa Gregory Wintergirls Laurie Halse Anderson A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle Your Driver Is Waiting Priya Guns

June 1878 Mrs. Laura Zook arrives in Miles City, known then as Milestown, by river steamer. She attended school in Milestown, taught school in the Lame Deer region, now the Northern Cheyenne reservation, and served two terms as county superintendent of schools. Pictured: Downtown Miles City, Diamond R store, circa 1888. Source: Huffman, L. A. (Laton Alton), 1854-1931, Main Street, Miles City. (1888). Montana History Portal, accessed 10/02/2026, https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/72213 1902 Mrs. Laura Zook secures funding from the Andrew Carnegie Estate's public library fund. Pictured: Mrs. Laura Zook circa 1930-1944. Source: Unidentified photographer, [Laura Zook, Librarian]. (Between 1930-1944). Montana History Portal, accessed 10/02/2026, https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/74154 1903 With funding for an all-new library secured, the Carnegie Library of Miles City finished constructing and was opened to the public for the first time. C. S. Haire, who designed the original Holy Rosary Hospital and Ursuline Convent building, was chosen as the designer for the Carnegie Library. Read more about the construction process! Pictured: The complete, original Carnegie Library of Miles City. June 10, 1941 Frank J. Jelinek, the former mayor of Miles City, issued a Proclamation in Appreciation to Laura Zook, marking June 10th as Mrs. Laura Zook Day. Pictured: Proclamation in Appreciation article issued in the Miles City Star for Mrs. Laura Zook for "her labors, and for her zealous devotion to her duties, and for her uniform courtesies extended to patrons and public alike." Source: Miles City Star 1945 Mildred Schlosser began working as the children's librarian. She is best remembered for her impact on the community, her kindness, and her original puppet show with handmade puppets that entertained kids through the 40s and 50s. Pictured: Photo of Mildred Schlosser, taken around 1950 at the Carnegie Library. Source: Jeanne S on Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95728458/mildred_george-schlosser/photo#view-photo=76594124 1949 Former Head Librarian, Clare M. Smith, created the historic Montana Room, a room that still exists today, and is used to archive southeastern Montana's history and culture. Mrs. Smith was well known and remembered for her love of eastern Montana history. 1960s The Miles City Public Library went through its first major renovation. The stairs to the original building and the main entrance were removed to add space for the new expansion. The new entrance would be moved from Main Street to S. 10th Street, and the original counter would be brought down from where non-fiction and science fiction now reside, to the new building. Pictured: Photo of the modern day Miles City Public Library Building. You will notice the contrast between the old Carnegie Library building and the 1960s. 2000s Another major change came to the library with the construction of the new children's section, bringing the children out of the basement and onto the main floor. Wheelchair accessible bathrooms were also added in the hall to the children's section. 2025 It was an eventful year at the Miles City Public Library! One of our biggest goals and accomplishments was following the recent US public library trend of a Library of Things. Our collection currently includes some family board games, baking and cooking tools, and children's kits. We plan on expanding the items available in the Library of Things in the next year. Along with our new additions at the library, we made some necessary repairs and brought long-awaited updates to our historic building. The building was recarpeted, and the roof was fixed after it had been damaged. This year, our bookshelves became ADA-compliant officially for mobile accessibility. The rows are now set wider for a more welcoming and accommodating environment for all bodies and abilities. The Miles City Public Library partnered with the talented artists in the Custer County District High School Art Club to memorialize Miles City icon and the "father of modern vaccines", Maurice Hilleman. Read more about the life and legacy of Hilleman here. Pictured: The CCDHS Art Club's mural of hometown hero, Maurice Hilleman. Source: Isabel Spartz, MTN News, https://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/making-a-mark-exploding-art-initiative-reimagines-downtown-miles-city 2026 In 2026, we're looking forward to making use of our recently awarded grant funding for renovations and programming to make our library more accessible and accommodating for our patrons.

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