Denise obtained her Masters of Library Science from Dominican University in 1992. Before moving to Montana she worked in Illinois libraries including, Head of Adult Services at Grayslake Area Public Library District, Branch Manager at Chicago Public Library and Director of Lyons Public Library. Denise loves hiking, the mountains, and cats. Denise has been Director of North Valley Public Library since May 15, 2014. 

Lisa is elated to join the North Valley Public Library staff as of April 2022, and once again work surrounded by books. She has a passion for helping people and believes libraries to be an essential part of thriving communities. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Biology/Anthropology from Western Washington University and has worn a multitude of hats since including AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Pathology Assistant, professional organizer, Bitterroot Public Library Assistant and storyteller and most recently, Emma’s House Children’s Advocacy Center’s Office Manager. Lisa has lived in the valley since 2000 with her husband Doug and loves raising their two boys in such a beautiful community. Lisa also loves books, practicing yoga, eating dark chocolate, fixing things, skiing, puzzles and all things creative.

Lisa is bringing her science background and love of the subject to the children of the Library District. Fun science based programs focusing on ages 8-11 are coming soon culminating in an August Summer Science Fair.  

Kayli grew up on a farm in Arlee, riding horses, running sled dogs, and rock climbing. She earned her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Montana, and Master’s in English from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Committed to promoting lifelong learning, Kayli has been a K-12 school administrator, project manager at Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Open Learning, curriculum designer, and creative writing/literature instructor.  

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Kayli loves the Bitterroot Valley and is grateful to call it home. She's passionate about creative expression of all kinds, and when not reading, writing, or creating (whether art, quilts, or just a mess), she spends her time practicing herbalism, permaculture, crafting miniatures, and exploring the mountains. She lives in a cabin in the woods with her cat Winston and standard poodle, Carl. 

Emily grew up in Minnesota where she received her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education. Before moving to Montana she spent time working in Oregon running after-school programming at a high school. When she is not traveling, Emily spends her time gardening with her pets, reading, baking bread, and charming snakes! 

Nancy is in charge of interlibrary loan and magazines at the library.  Nancy Studied Illustration at Moore College of Art and Design. She enjoys spending time with her daughters, husband, and dog. 

Lisa is a USAF veteran, retiring in 2007 and moving to Montana to attend the University of Montana. There she worked at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library while first studying Wildlife Biology before switching to Anthropology and finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in 2012. A lifelong pursuer of knowledge, Lisa reads as many books as she can in a myriad of topics and genres. Her favorites are Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Coming from the Midwest, Lisa immediately fell in love with the landscape of the Bitterroot Valley. She enjoys hiking the local trails and spending time in the mountains. She shares her home with her menagerie of pets and house spirits.

Ingrid is new to the Bitterroot Valley as of 2024. She is from the Netherlands but has lived in the US for a long time. She is married to Tim and has two adult children and two cats. She has a passion for the environment and recently finished a Master’s in Social Justice with Ecology.  One of her goals is to hike all the trails in the valley and learn what grows and flourishes. She enjoys research and helping others with their projects. She loves to read books on philosophy, personal growth and sustainability, historical novels and a good recipe.

For the last two decades, Caryn has worked as a copy editor and high school teacher. She fell in love with the valley in her youth when she fought fires with the Bitterroot Hotshots down in Darby, and she’s glad to be back in Montana. She loves Ponderosa trees, coffee, and, of course, libraries and books.

Karen transplanted to Montana after retiring from 28 years of middle school teaching in Indiana. She was the school librarian for 17 of those years, and taught biology as well. Besides being an avid reader, Karen loves to hike, camp and garden in the summer, and weave and knit in the winter. She enjoys connecting with people in Stevensville area.  

Crystal Grant joined the library part-time as an assistant at the front desk and subbing for children programs in 2022. In 2023 she started and after-school art program for kids.  Her main occupation is teaching kindergarten at Lone Rock School. Crystal has two daughters who are Lone Rock Rockets. She was a substitute teacher for several years before earning her teaching degree. She helps with PTM and also runs the Booster Club. Her passion is literacy and she creates the love of reading in her young students. She has several ideas written for a children’s book and just needs to choose one. She loves being a part of the community and looks forward to interacting with the community at the public library in addition to the school.