New local oral history collection available online

Rachel Rawn

Havre-Hill County Library

A collection of local oral histories is now available on the Montana Memory Project website.

The histories were provided to the Havre-Hill County Library by Jim Magera, from the local history class he taught for many years at Havre High School.

Magera’s students interviewed community members on tape, and many of the tapes made their way to the library. A selection of 290 of the tapes have been digitized, thanks to many volunteers from the community.

These can easily be accessed by going to http://mtmemory.org, clicking on the “Contributors” button, and then scrolling down to Havre-Hill County Library.

The annual Havre-Hill County Library Foundation meeting is at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, and will feature a presentation on how to use the Montana Memory Project website. This is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

Many thanks to Jim Magera and his students, and everyone who helped with this project, including the Havre-Hill County Library Foundation, the Havre/Hill-County Historic Preservation Commission and Wade Bitz and Jennifer Birnel of the Montana Memory Project.

Here is a schedule of some of the other programs going on at the library. As always, these events are free and open to the public.

Upcoming events

• Friday, April 15

4 p.m. — Yarn Circle: bring your own craft, refreshments served. Then every third Friday of the month.

• Tuesday, April 19

3 p.m. — Coloring and Cookies: supplies and cookies will be provided. Then every third Tuesday of the month.

• Wednesday, April 20

6:30 p.m. — Virtual: An Evening with Mark Gibbons, Montana’s Poet Laureate. Register at http://www.tinyurl.com/mtpoetmark .

• Thursday, April 21

noon — Friends of the Library Meeting.

3 p.m. — Library board meeting.

7 p.m. — Annual Library Foundation meeting.

Weekly events

• Every Wednesday

10:15 a.m. — Books and Babies

10:30 a.m. — Morning Story Time

3:30 p.m. — Afternoon Story Time.

• Every Thursday

3:30 p.m. — Block Party

People with questions can call 406-265-2123 or email [email protected].