Community members gathered on the second floor of the Great Falls Public Library this week for a celebration that highlighted appreciation for the library while also welcoming its new director.
The “Love Your Library” Valentine Box project, organized by the Great Falls Public Library Foundation, resulted in more than 500 handwritten notes collected from locations across the city.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
The messages were unveiled during a dessert reception that gave residents the chance to read shared memories, reflect on the library’s impact, and meet new library director Amy Dissmeyer, who began her role in January.
Dissmeyer said the welcoming environment and strong community support drew her to the position.
“I’m really excited to be in Great Falls because it’s a very open and welcoming community and I’m really in love with this library and the staff,” Dissmeyer said.
She brings more than 16 years of experience as a library director in Nebraska and Iowa and said the opportunity to lead a larger library while supporting future building plans made the role especially appealing.
“I was most interested in this role because it’s a bigger library than I’ve been in before, and I know the foundation has great plans for the building,” Dissmeyer said.
For now, Dissmeyer said her priority is learning about the community and continuing the services residents already rely on.
“Right now I’m just getting to know the community and keeping things as they are, because I think the library works great and the staff do an amazing job with all of their programs and their collections,” Dissmeyer said.
The Valentine Box initiative placed more than 50 decorated collection boxes in businesses, coffee shops, and family-friendly locations throughout Great Falls from February 1st through February 10th. Library leaders said the project generated nearly 600 messages reflecting on childhood memories, lifelong learning, and appreciation for the library’s welcoming atmosphere.
Great Falls resident Bryan McLoughlin, who submitted one of the letters, said he regularly visits the library and values the support he receives from staff.
“They’re very friendly here. They’re very helpful. A lot of the librarians are very helpful and very nice,” McLoughlin said.
He added that the environment keeps him coming back.
“I just like coming here, and I’m just glad we have a library here,” McLoughlin said.
Amy Wixon, another attendee who contributed a note, said she visits the library regularly to check out books for herself and her family and appreciates the assistance she receives while searching for titles.
“The people here are really helpful in helping you find books and very, very nice people, and I felt so comfortable here,” Wixon said.
She said the celebration itself was a meaningful way to highlight community appreciation.
“I think it’s awesome. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Wixon said.
Dissmeyer said seeing the more than 500 messages displayed throughout the library reinforces the importance of libraries as community spaces and offers valuable insight as she begins her role.
“We’re just showing off the more than 500 love notes that were written to the library from community members all around,” Dissmeyer said.
Library leaders say the notes will be digitized and transformed into a larger artistic display, preserving community feedback and appreciation while offering a lasting reflection of the library’s role in Great Falls.
