Library News & Events

Montana State’s Renne Library marks 75 years of serving students

January 9, 2025

Documents regarding Patricia Anderson’s fight for equality shared with MSU

November 7, 2024

TRAILS heroes of academic libraries

November 1, 2024

Click here to find out more about the 75th anniversary of the Renne Library building and events taking place to mark this milestone.

MSU Library Open House

Monday, January 13, 2025, 3 - 6 p.m.
MSU Library

On January 9, 1950, a star was born when Montana State University opened its first dedicated library building. (Before then, library resources were housed in various locations across campus.) To mark this important milestone, MSU Library invites faculty, staff, graduate students, and community members to celebrate 75 years of the Renne Library building during the 2025 Open House. The free event takes place from 3-6 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2025, at the MSU Library.

Attendees will enjoy food and beverages, listen to music by Woodsmoke Jazz, and explore the services offered by MSU Library and its Open House partners. Fantastic door prizes will be offered, and there will be a cash bar. The décor, activities, and food are centered around an old Hollywood-style red-carpet event.  That’s right, there will be a red carpet and glitter so get decked out in whatever version of glamor suits you best – gowns and tuxedos, bolo ties and boots, jeans and bow ties, or a style completely your own.

Attendees can learn about MSU Library, its history, and what it offers the campus and local communities today. Open House event partners will bring their unique spirit and enthusiasm to the event with games, hands-on activities, and information about their services and history.

The MSU Library Open House is made possible thanks to generous support from MSU Library, Friends of MSU Library, and the MSU Provost’s Office. RSVPs are not required. Contact MSU Library Events and Communications Manager, Ann Vinciguerra (406-994-6857; ann.vinciguerra@montana.edu), with questions or to find out more.

MSU Library Knowledge-Connecting Events

February and March, 2025

MSU Library’s Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon and Wikipedia Edit-a-thon empower campus and com­­m­unity members to improve access to information.  TheTranscribe-a-thon honors Frederick Doug­lass by making his handwritten papers more access­ible through crowd-sourced transcription facilitated by the Library of Congress.The Wikipedia edit-a-thon focuses on improving online content by adding citations, correcting errors, and highlighting underrepresented voices and viewpoints. 

Both events embody the principles of inquiry, innovation, transparency, and community engagement. Crowd-sourcing helps everyone play a role in breaking down barriers to the creation, curation, and dissemination of knowledge.To find out more visit lib.montana.edu/about/news-and-events/knowledge-connecting-events.html.

Save February 14, 2025 for Douglass Day

Help make the words of a great author, abolitionist, and civil rights champion available to the world!  

Every year the folks at DouglassDay.org team up with the Frederick Douglass Papers Project at the Library of Congress to host a birthday celebration in honor of the great orator, author, journalist, abolitionist, and civil rights champion, Frederick Douglass. 

At MSU Library, our celebration will include music, birthday cake, speakers, voter registration, and a transcribe-a-thon. The transcribe-a-thon is part of the By the People crowdsourcing project at the Library of Congress. 

By joining us, you can contribute to making Frederick Douglass’s papers, speeches, and correspondence accessible for a broad audience.

To receive an official invitation to Douglass Day 2025, please share your email address by clicking here. The library will not share your information and  will email you only twice: right away with a Save-the-Date; then in January with all the event details.

For more information, contact MSU Library's Research and Creativity Coordinator Wendy Purnell, wendy.purnell@montana.edu or 406-994-3125.

Save Tuesday, March 4, 2025 for Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon: Women in Montana

MSU Library’s second annual edit-a-thon, with a focus on Women in Montana, invites participants to apply their information literacy skills to improving Wikipedia entries by reviewing source material, adding citations, and correcting errors.