The Bigfork branch of the Flathead County Library may not be the jewel of the system, but thanks to a generous local donation, it is looking a lot better of late.

The Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork gave the library $2,000 for new shelving, display racks and some cabinets. The result, according to Director of Library Operations Kim Crowley, is “a world of difference.”

“We are trying to make it a more comfortable space right now until we get a new library,” Crowley said. In the past few years a plan to construct a new branch at Potoczny Field was scuttled and a proposed joint Bigfork High School/community library was voted down as part of the twice-failed $11 million school bond proposal.

Among the improvements are slat wall shelving to display periodicals and audio and video offerings, as well as cabinets to hold back issues of magazines the library subscribes to.

The upgrades couldn’t come at a better time. Crowley said library usage at Bigfork was up 23 percent during the last six months of 2008 from the same time period the year before, and up 18 percent around Flathead County.

“Part of it is the economy,” she speculated. “People can come in and get all of this for free. Part is that I believe we’ve made our libraries more welcoming with the type of things we did in Bigfork so it’s easier to find things.”

Crowley also said the libraries have “weeded out our collections,” getting rid of old, unused materials to help new items stand out. The increased usage is “pretty impressive,” she said.

CFBB President Paul Mutascio said his group was very willing to donate the needed money after Crowley approached them about the upgrade project, voting unanimously to give the entire $2,000 needed.

“Otherwise that money would have to come from some other budget, most likely out of their budget to buy books,” Mutascio said. “So we were thrilled to do it.”

Crowley said the library appreciated the donation and that after the shelving was installed in late December and pictures were posted on the library’s blog, another foundation donated an additional $1,000 for furniture upgrades, something Crowley said she’s hoping the community will add to in order to replace the Bigfork facility’s aging furniture.

Despite its small size, the Bigfork branch boasts a number of newspapers and magazines — the back issues of which are available for checkout — as well as a wide selection of DVD titles and recently upgraded computers bought with money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Many people who use our libraries just use the Internet or come in to read the paper, they may not even have library cards,” Crowley said.

And, of course, the library has a lot of books. Thanks to a partnership program with 16 other libraries across Montana, Crowley said there are about a half a million titles available for checkout, all within just a few days shipping of any local branch.

For more information or to donate to the library, visit http://www.flatheadcountylibrary.org or call the business office at 758-5821.