The City of Columbia Falls has begun preliminary talks with Flathead County on moving the library out of city hall, city manager Eric Hanks told council last week during a budget workshop.

The city still wants to have a library, however. The library is popular spot for young and old alike and children story hours are often packed with young families.

But the city also needs space, as it brings its legal team in house and it continues to grow with multiple development projects in the works or in the planning stages.

Hanks said a long-term goal would be to find another home for the library – a suitable building in the city limits ­— and then eventually expand the city council chambers and the courts into the library space.

The city has tentatively budgeted about $1 million for a new library building in 2028.

The city’s court is in need of upgrades, from security measures to simple furniture. Lawyers currently meet on fold-up tables, he noted.

The council took no immediate action on the suggestion. The process could take a few years to be realized. This is not the first time it’s been suggested that the library be moved out of city hall.

About 15 years ago a nonprofit called the First Best Place bought the former First Citizens Bank building on Nucleus Avenue. The idea was to move the library into that, but the deal never reached fruition and the county ultimately  pulled the funding for the project, which had a $1.9 million earmark.