Want to take a stroll through the new Bigfork library, even though construction hasn’t started? The ImagineIF Foundation has put together a virtual reality tour of what they expect the new library to look like once it's completed.

The capital campaign for the project has raised about $821,000 to turn the Ark Building into the new library and construction is expected to begin once the foundation reaches $1.2 million.

ImagineIF Foundation Executive Director Adam Tunnell gave a presentation about progress on the project at last week’s ImagineIF Library Board of Trustees meeting. He said the fundraising is in the “quiet phase,” and expects to move into the “public phase” once construction begins. There have been almost 200 donors to the project thus far.

“Typically, in a capital campaign, you're wanting to raise about 70% of the total goal through that quiet phase,” Tunnell said.

The virtual tour begins at the front kiosk where patrons will be able to check out books and chat with library staff. Outside, there’s a seating area to the left of the front entrance. The interior design keeps the tall ceilings in the Ark Building and will be 6,000 square feet in total, which works out to 4,600 more than the current Bigfork branch located inside the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center building.

The artist’s rendering shows the interior with a modern design that incorporates natural elements like wood and stone, and looks like it will include a lot of natural light from large windows at the front and back of the building.

To the right behind the front kiosk will be the children’s section. Beside the children’s section is a meeting room that will have a large retractable door, giving the option to open up to the larger library if needed.

There is a small kitchen located in front of the meeting room, which is also right next to the restrooms. The rest of the library will be for book stacks and seating areas.

Tunnell said the larger building will allow for more programming across the board.

“We can expand the teen experience, we can expand adult programming. We're planning multiple meeting rooms, study kiosks, things like that, and then just accommodation for uses all the way around in a completely ADA compliant building,” Tunnell said. “So new spaces, it's an exciting time for Bigfork, it’s an exciting time for ImagineIF and I'm really chomping at the bit to get everything going.”

The foundation purchased the Ark Building in 2018 from the Bethany Lutheran Church with hopes of gifting the building to the county.. The beginning of the pandemic in 2020 coupled with hesitations from county commissioners completely halted fundraising efforts.

The ImagineIF board of trustees recently voted to accept the building on behalf of the county. Tunnell said the decision to accept the building has reinvigorated fundraising efforts.

ImagineIF Library Director Ashley Cummins told trustees at their August meeting that she has received many comments from people throughout the community praising the decision to move forward with the Bigfork library project.

“I've gotten a lot of really positive feedback about the board's decision to accept the Bigfork property. That's been exciting and I'm really happy to see that project move forward,” Cummins said.

The ImagineIF Board and Foundation are hoping the momentum and excitement surrounding the Bigfork library will roll into efforts to improve facilities at the Columbia Falls branch and the Kalispell branch once the Bigfork project is completed.

“Talking with Bigfork, talking with the capital campaign— Bigfork’s the little village that could and they're going to, there's no accepting that this isn't going to happen,” Tunnell said.

The tour of the Bigfork library can be found on the ImagineIF Foundation website at https://www.imagineiflibraryfoundation.org/newbigforklibrary by scrolling to the middle of the page and clicking on Virtual Tour.