A smart book locker coming to Evergreen will offer a 24/7 check out service for patrons of the Flathead County Library.

People who reserve books and other media online can pick up the items from one of the locker’s many compartments with the scan of a library card. The locker will be installed in front of the Evergreen School District’s administrative building on the corner of West Evergreen Drive and U.S. 2. 

The locker will be situated in a well-lit area and under the gaze of security cameras. Returns can be dropped off in a separate receptacle next to the locker.  

The school district is a central hub for the unincorporated community, making it a prime spot for the library’s satellite check-out system, said Evergreen Superintendent Laurie Barron 

“Maybe people who didn’t even try to access [Flathead County Library] before will now,” Barron said.  

This is Flathead County Library’s first time using a smart locker, said Erica Wirtala, president of the Flathead Library Foundation, the library system’s fundraising arm. If the three-year trial run in Evergreen proves successful, more lockers may be installed around the county. 

Limited public transportation, long distances and inconvenient operating hours can make it cumbersome for people to visit the library’s branches in Kalispell, Bigfork and Columbia Falls, Wirtala said.  

All three libraries open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 or 6 p.m. on weekdays, depending on the location. The Bigfork branch is closed on Mondays, and all three are closed on Sundays. Only the Kalispell branch is open past 2 p.m. on Saturdays.  

THE IDEA for a smart book locker emerged in 2024, when library staff learned about a similar endeavor in Billings. 

“That sparked our interest in exploring whether a similar service could help expand access to library materials in Flathead County,” said Flathead County Library Director Teri Dugan in an email.  

She began developing a proposal, which meant researching vendors, scoping out pricing information and scouting for potential locations. Evergreen and Hungry Horse were both identified as communities with the least convenient access to a library branch, Dugan said.  

The library foundation launched a fundraising campaign for the endeavor in April. Donations raised on Library Giving Day funded the $30,000 Lyngsoe Smart Book Locker, plus $5,000 for installation costs.  

D-Tech International, a New Jersey-based firm, manufactures smart book lockers for Lyngsoe Library Systems, and the two companies recently merged in June. D-Tech was awarded the Platinum distinction in the 2025 Modern Library Awards for its secure, weather-proof smart book locker design. 

A grand opening for the Evergreen smart book locker is scheduled for October.  

“If this is successful, it will be exciting to see what other areas we can offer holds pick-up,” Dugan said.  

Report for America Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.