Home of: Michelle Fenger

RONAN - Surrounded by millions of words and pages, streams of children and elderly patrons, and those with questions or comments, Michelle Fenger is certainly in her element. She knew as a young girl she wanted to be a teacher. Paired with her love of reading and children, Fenger has had her dream job come true as the Ronan City Library Executive Director for the last three years.

"I always loved books and reading, and I was the oldest of seven children, so I was always reading to my younger siblings," Fenger said. "I really enjoy sending people away happy and helping them find what they were looking for."

Lucky for her - and patrons of the library - they can find just about anything at the small, city-funded institution. Fenger recently helped a man find a London phone number for the auto maker of his car. The library boasts thousands of books, newspapers, magazines, Internet access (including wireless) and even a Wii gaming system, all utilized by patrons throughout each and every week. Fenger has added many of the new amenities in her short time at the top, and hopes to continue implementing new offerings, including more programs. Last summer, the library hosted eight authors during "Montana Authors Month" in May, and she said they would continue similar programs as they figure out what works and what people respond well to.

"One of the things we're hoping to implement, and who knows how long it will be before it happens, but I would love to be able to offer some computer classes," Fenger said. "We get a huge request for that. Staffing and finances haven't allowed that to this date, but it's one of those grant type of things I'm looking to be able to offer computer classes."

While running a library on a small budget is tough to do, Fenger has found different ways to find different funding sources. The Friends of the Ronan City Library (FORCL) group meets each week, and helps fundraise and generate ideas on how to improve services offered. Possibly the biggest impact to the library has been two donations totaling $25,000 from anonymous donors over the past two months.

"It absolutely amazes me and thrills me, and makes me want to cry," Fenger said of the large monetary donations they have received. "It really impresses me that people care about their community enough to put so much money into it. We would not have been able to keep our doors open without those donations."

Earlier this year, the library wasn't able to keep its doors open. The budget cuts caused Fenger to lay-off an employee and significantly cut the facility's hours. Now, the library is up and running for the summer, which is a good thing. She said the amount of use the library gets would make it difficult for community members to find what they are looking for. Different people, including FORCL, have responded to help keep the library open and running, and Fenger said she does her best to accommodate different requests and needs. At this point, she understands the dynamics of a small-town library.

"People can renew their books over the phone. They can leave a message and we'll call them back," she said. "I don't expect someone to drive 20 miles to renew a book."

This is probably to be expected of someone who started their career as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in the Bear Paw Mountains, and who so enjoys helping and teaching others.

"I've come to really love this community," Fenger, who recently agreed to a three-year extension as director, said. "It always takes a while in small communities to feel like you're a part of them, and I'm starting to really feel like I belong here. I enjoy it here; I've always been a small town girl."