Adults

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Friday Night Fun Winter - Spring 2023

Join us for weekly programs throughout the school year.  There's sure to be something for everyone in your family!

All programs take place in the Community Room unless otherwise noted.

  • May 19th: Mental Health Break (5:30 pm). Quiet your mind with an assortment of low-stress activities like coloring books, crosswords and puzzles to help unplug and unwind.
  • May 26th: Exploring Spring with the Montana Audubon Center (6:00 pm).  Delve into the world of plants and animals by listening to the sugars running in the trees, watching green leaves photosynthesize and searching for animals that have awakened from their winter sleep. Registration is required. (OFFSITE, at the MT Audubon Center, 7026 S. Billings Blvd.)

Upcoming Events for Adults 

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Get Ready for Summer Reading 2023!  

Our theme this year is All Together Now, and registration begins on June 6th. 

Log books, attend programs, complete fun challenges and you might even win a prize!  Watch this spot for more information. 

thumbnail_IMG_8123Art Demo with Billings artist, Tyler Murphy

Saturday, May 27, 3-5:00PM, Community Room

Join us for an art demonstration by local artist Tyler Murphy. Since his last appearance, Tyler has been working on capturing the colors of a clear evening sky just before sunrise or after sunset, and looks forward to sharing what he has learned about painting the pinks, yellows, and baby blues of an eastern Montana landscape at these times. This demonstration is free and open to the public!

thumbnail_IMG_4215 (1)Downtown ArtWalk Billings, featuring Todd Forsgren

Friday, June 2, 5-9:00PM, Community Room

We are happy to host Todd Forsgren for our June 2, 2023 ArtWalk event. Todd's work has been featured in venues as diverse as National Geographic  and Cosmopolitan. Join us for the ArtWalk and enjoy Todd's amazing collection of ornithological phtographs.

Start your ArtWalk at the Billings Public Library!

Jigsaw Puzzle

Jigsaw Puzzle Collection coming soon!

We are excited to announce that Jigsaw puzzles will return to our library collection on June 6!  The puzzle collection will be located on the second floor of the library, on the purple tower that faces the east windows, just around the corner from the newspaper collection. 

How does it work? Puzzles are available for swapping and borrowing - bring a puzzle and swap it out for a new puzzle.  Don't have a puzzle to swap? - no problem! Take a puzzle to try it out and swap it back later - puzzles do NOT need to be checked out, so there is no time limit.

How many puzzles can be swapped and borrowed at a time?  There are no restrictions on how many puzzles you can try at a time, but we would like puzzles returned/swapped back with their correct pieces and in good condition for the next puzzle builder to enjoy.  

Does the library accept puzzle donations?  Absolutely!  We want to build our puzzle collection so they can be enjoyed by everyone.  Puzzles that are complete and in good condition can be donated at the Second Floor Help Desk.

Questions can be directed to refdesk@billingsmt.gov and GET READY FOR SOME SERIOUS PUZZLE BUILDING FUN!

Tiny Art Show

Tiny Art Show Take & Make Kit

available to pick up at the Second Floor Help Desk starting June 6th

Help us celebrate our wonderful Summer Reading theme, "All Together Now", by picking up a Tiny Art Show take & make kit and painting a mini masterpiece using "community" and "kindness" as the theme! All submitted works will be displayed in the library throughout July. Kits are available at the Second Floor Help Desk on a first come, first served basis beginning June 6th, while supplies last. Kits are limited, but feel free to use your own supplies and submit your work on a 4”x4” canvas if you miss out - don't forget to sign your name on the back! Completed masterpieces for display must be returned to the second floor Help Desk by June 30th.  

Basket of yarn

World Wide Knit in Public Day

Saturday, June 10th, 12-2pm, Popular Materials Room

Did you know that World Wide Knit in Public Day, first declared in 2005, is the largest knitting event in the world? It’s on June 10th and the one day where knitters (and crocheters) share their craft in public, stitching in groups – and it’s returning to BPL! We are so excited about hosting our 6th annual KIP day – we hope you join us!

Urban Sketch

Introducing the Billings Urban Sketchers

Tuesday, June 20th, 5:30pm, Community Room

Ever wander into a coffee shop or random downtown Billings location and see a group of individuals, engrossed with open sketchbooks, and wonder what the heck they're up to?  You've probably spotted the Billings Urban Sketchers hard at their craft of capturing the sights of Billings in ink and color.  Join us Tuesday, June 20th, at 5:30pm to meet this creative group of artists as they share what Urban Sketching is, what it means to them, how they do it, and don't miss the chance for an informal Q&A. Sketchbooks will be available for viewing and the library will be raffling off a limited number of sketchpads at the end of the presentation.

5 - The Great Billings Book Hunt 2023 MayGreat Billings Book Hunt 2023

Our online scavenger hunt is now in its 4th year.  Log your books & complete monthly missions to challenge yourself and maybe win a prize.  

Viva la Mexico! In May, the Book Hunt celebrates Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Friday, May 5 in 2023, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.*

To commemorate this holiday, read a book by a Mexican author (Laura Esquivel & Carlos Fuentes, to name just two), a book on Mexican history or culture, or a book celebrating Mexican American culture (think anyone from Isabel Allende to poet Natalie Scenters-Zapico).  

This challenge will be open from May 1st - 31st, and badges earned will be eligible for a monthly gift card drawing. Don't forget to click the button if you'd like to be included in a monthly social media post, too.       Sign up here! 

Tai Chi Practicioners

Qigong and Tai Chi Open Practice

Thursdays in June in the Community Room at 5:30pm. *June 8th the library will be closed at 5pm.

Qigong & Tai Chi are very similar "internal arts" that confer an astonishing raft of health benefits.  Slow-moving & graceful.  Balance. Strength. Coordination. Digestion. Circulation. Concentration. Bones. Feeling of well-being. Peaceful, calm mind.  It's not only health-giving, it's enjoyable.

D&D for Grownups: The Campaign Continues!

Saturdays at 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Large Conference Room

DandD for GrownupsWho's up for a little adventure--of the tabletop variety?  Already a popular program for tweens and teens at BPL, now adults can join the fun!  We are hosting Game Master Shane Noble and his Pathfinder campaign, every Saturday in the Large Conference Room.  If you are a gaming newbie, don't worry.  We can walk you through getting started, and even loan you some dice.

Check the Library Calendar for available seats

One Book Billings


One Book BillingsSponsored by a grant from Bernard Rose through the Billings Public Library Foundation, the One Book Billings program seeks to provide a forum for library patrons to read and discuss in small groups regional authors and/or literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains, especially Montana. Discussion groups come together five times a year (every other month from September to May), each discussing the same book.

Click here for our upcoming schedule!

Nintendo Switch Games are Available for Checkout!


Nintendo Switch Games available for check outWe are pleased to announce that Nintendo Switch video games are now available for checkout at the library! Games are limited to two (2) games per patron, and will be checked out for 14 days. We have an assortment of DVDs and books related to video game history and culture available, as well, so feel free to check out some fun, informative companion materials!

Games can be placed on hold but are not renewable. Games will accrue $1/day in late fines to a maximum of $10. Games must be checked out at the 2nd-floor Reference desk.

Click here to view our full Nintendo Switch games collection!

Library Book Groups!

The Library sponsors book discussion groups which are sure to whet your appetite for something different:

Turning Page Book Discussion Group

We are on hiatus for May and June! Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 26th, when we will gather in the Yellowstone Board Room at 6:30 to discuss Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. Please email us for more information.


LitCentric Book Discussion Group

The LitCentric Book Discussion Group reads a plethora of genres from both fiction and nonfiction categories, utilizing BPL's outstanding Book Club Kit collection.  We're currently reading The Dry by Jane Harper for our discussion on July 25th, at 6:45pm in the Yellowstone Board Room and via Zoom.  Email us to sign up!


Looking for your Next Favorite Book or Movie? 

Visit our Readers' Corner to find out what members of our Library Staff are reading and watching.  You will see what we are excited about, and can join in the conversation!  To learn about the latest hot titles, check out Book Sizzle.  Then come back next week;  we update these pages regularly!

Online Resources

Woman using tablet computer Opens in new windowDiscover our online resources!  You can check out e-books, magazines, and audiobooks, take a class, learn a new language, stream your favorite music and much more. Try it out today!

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds - BPL will also be posting links to other great sites that have other ways to educate, entertain and distract you!

Online Programs and Resources