Find the Falcon, Final Case

During the Big Read, we're asking you to one-up Sam Spade and find the Maltese Falcon...in Missoula!

Can you crack the case & identify the Falcon's secret hideout this week?

Each person who submits a correct guess by Friday, November 12th will be entered into a raffle for a fabulous bundle of gifts: a free copy of The Maltese Falcon, a Missoula Public Library t-shirt, and an MPL booklight. Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

Been busy guessing? Those hard-boiled Missoulians who have submitted at least 5 answers will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Case Closed!

Missoulians have cracked case #5 of Find the Falcon!
The Maltese Falcon's secret hideout this week was inside the dumbwaiter of the Double Front Cafe. "The falcon eats fried chicken?" you may ask. In short, yes! Join us this Sunday for a special Raptors of the Rockies demonstration at 2pm in the Large Meeting Room, where you can learn about the diet of the Peregrine Falcon (Mostly other birds. But usually not deep-fried) and meet a Northern Pygmy-Owl name iPod.

Congratulations to this week's hard-boiled Missoulian, Allison D. Visit the library Accounts Desk to claim your prizes!

Didn't win this week? Don't despair. There will be 1 more opportunity to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: everyone who submits an answer each week (5 total submissions) will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.

Check back this Monday, November 8th for the final case of Find the Falcon.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Find the Falcon, Case #4

During the Big Read, we're asking you to one-up Sam Spade and find the Maltese Falcon...in Missoula!

Can you crack the case & identify the Falcon's secret hideout this week?

Each person who submits a correct guess by Friday, October 29th will be entered into a raffle for a fabulous bundle of gifts: a free copy of The Maltese Falcon, a Missoula Public Library t-shirt, and an MPL booklight. Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

There will be 6 total opportunities to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: those hard-boiled Missoulians who submit 6 answers will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Case Closed!

Missoulians have cracked case #3 of Find the Falcon!

The Maltese Falcon's secret hideout this week was nearby the Footprints at the Bank Street Pedestrian Mall (just behind the new First Interstate building).

Congratulations to this week's hard-boiled Missoulian, Beck R. Visit the library Accounts Desk to claim your prizes!

Didn't win this week? Don't despair. There will be 4 more opportunities to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: everyone who submits an answer each week (6 total submissions) will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.


Check back this Monday, October 25th for Case #4 of Find the Falcon.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Find the Falcon, Case #3

During the Big Read, we're asking you to one-up Sam Spade and find the Maltese Falcon...in Missoula!

Can you crack the case & identify the Falcon's secret hideout this week?

Each person who submits a correct guess by Friday, October 22nd will be entered into a raffle for a fabulous bundle of gifts: a free copy of The Maltese Falcon, a Missoula Public Library t-shirt, and an MPL booklight. Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

There will be 6 total opportunities to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: those hard-boiled Missoulians who submit 6 answers will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Case Closed!

Missoulians have cracked case #2 of Find the Falcon!

The Maltese Falcon's secret hideout this week was the Wilma Theatre box office.

Congratulations to this week's hard-boiled Missoulian, Christy McDougall. Visit the library Accounts Desk to claim your prizes!

Didn't win this week? Don't despair. There will be 4 more opportunities to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: everyone who submits an answer each week (6 total submissions) will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.


Check back this Monday, October 18th for Case #3 of Find the Falcon.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Find the Falcon, Case #2

During the Big Read, we're asking you to one-up Sam Spade and find the Maltese Falcon...in Missoula!

Can you crack the case & identify the Falcon's secret hideout this week?

Each person who submits a correct guess by Friday, October 15th will be entered into a raffle for a fabulous bundle of gifts: a free copy of The Maltese Falcon, a Missoula Public Library t-shirt, and an MPL booklight. Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

There will be 6 total opportunities to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: those hard-boiled Missoulians who submit 6 answers will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

Find the Falcon, Case #1

During the Big Read, we're asking you to one-up Sam Spade and find the Maltese Falcon...in Missoula!

Can you crack the case & identify the Falcon's secret hideout this week?

Each person who submits a correct guess by Friday, October 8th will be entered into a raffle for a fabulous bundle of gifts: a free copy of The Maltese Falcon, a Missoula Public Library t-shirt, and an MPL booklight. Submit answers in person at the library Accounts Desk or on Missoula Public Library's Blog, Facebook or Twitter pages.

There will be 6 total opportunities to guess -- and an added incentive to participate each week: those hard-boiled Missoulians who submit 6 correct answers will be entered into a drawing to win a final grand prize to be announced at our Big Read finale on November 13th.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is largely sponsored by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation.

Additional Big Read support and partnerships are available on our web site. http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/

The Big Read is here!

What page are you on? Local schools, museums, businesses, institutions and libraries have teamed up as one big community to provide something even bigger: The Big Read. Starting tonight, you can pick up one of 50 free copies of The Maltese Falcon at Missoula Art Museum's First Friday reception. Want to get started earlier? We have over 200 copies of the book to give away at the Missoula Public Library Accounts Desk.

If you aren't able to grab a free copy in time, don't worry: we have several copies in different formats available for checkout.

We're also going to give away copies of the book to the weekly winners of our Find the Falcon contest, which will kick off on Monday October 4th and continue through November 12th.

Here's what's happening during the first week of the Big Read (click the links for more information):

October 1 - November 15: The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of

October 4 - November 15: Online Book Discussion

October 4 - November 13th: Find the Falcon Scavenger Hunt

October 5 - October 12: MCAT Film Workshop & Open Studio

October 5: KICKOFF! Spade and the City -- A Tour of Noir

October 6: Inside The Maltese Falcon

October 9: CSI Presentation (with "The Van")

October 10: Noir Downtown Walking Tour

Special thanks to major local Big Read Missoula sponsors Missoula Art Museum, Missoula County Public Schools, Allegra Print & Imaging & Signs Now, and Humanities Montana. The Little Read is sponsored in best part by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation.

Additional Big Read support and partnerships include DirecTV, Otis Elevator Company, First Security Bank, Missoula Federal Credit Union, Norco Products, Fact & Fiction, Shakespeare & Co., Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, MOLLI – Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Montana, MCAT, Poverello Center Inc., Missoula County Sherriff’s Office, Barnes & Noble, Book Exchange, Missoula Senior Center, Kelly Cooper, UM School of Theatre and Dance, Loyola High School, Top Hat Bar, Randi Mysse Ristau Photography, Friends of the Missoula Public Library, and Missoula Public Library Foundation. Partner libraries include Drummond School & Community Library and the Mansfield Library at UM.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

Big Rock

We've been dealing with road construction on the Front Street side of the library for about 3 weeks now. I'm not sure exactly what they're doing, but it requires them to dig up portions of the street . About 2 days ago, they unearthed this monster rock which apparently can't be moved as easily as the others. So even thought they've moved down the street a bit, this rock sits on the side of the road with a orange cone warning motorists.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a little short on news today, but I've walked past this rock about 6 times on my way to and from work, and today decided it was blog worthy.

Downloadable audio has arrived!

After months and months of planning, we're proud to announce we now offer downloadable audiobooks!

To get started go to our website and click on the downloadable audiobooks link or head to http://montanalibrary2go.org. You will be instructed to download and install a media console, which will allow you to download audiobooks to your computer. You can download complete books, or select individual chapters if you have a slow connection. Head to the help section if you're having trouble getting started. To see if your mp3 player/iPod will work take a look at the supported device page, but remember, everyone with a computer computer running windows can listen on the computer itself. (edit: reader jon brought up the fact that the media console currently only works in a windows environment. A mac friendly console should be out around the end of the year, but there is no firm release date set. And Linux will be later down the line.)

(photo by flickr user aditza121. Some rights reserved)

We have titles for adults, teens and children. Right now our selection for iPods is pretty small, but growing everyday, so be sure to check back often! The library has mp3 players for available for check out and will soon have a download station in our building for those of you who don't have internet access at home. We're getting that set up right now, and will update the blog when it is ready to go.

Be sure to let us know how the service is working, we're excited to provide this service and want it to work well for everyone!

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

It is a beautiful, sunny, spring day in Missoula; a great day to start the Missoula Public Library Blog!

You just can't beat the feeling of Missoula in the Spring. The city comes alive, tank tops and sandals emerge, and people are generally happier to be here. Why not stop by the Library, grab a book, and sit outside and read? Or swing by and check your email in Web Alley on your way to or from downtown? Whatever you choose to do today, enjoy the great weather!