Mid-Rivers phone booth opens its doors to a world of reading

While Ekalaka resident Sue Schneider was recently out of town visiting grandchildren, she noticed little wooden and metal boxes with books in them on many streets. All, she says, were very creative. Some looked like bird houses, others like doll houses. Inside were books that had been lovingly read and were now being made available to anyone; books for children, adolescents and adults. Schneider's grandchildren enjoyed picking out a book at home that they had read and taking it to share with other children. She thought it was a wonderful idea.

Schneider was also fascinated by the telephone booth that once sat on Main Street in Ekalaka; a piece of history that was sometimes abused and written on. She thought it would make a great book library and wanted to learn some of its history. Erin Lutts, Chief Communications Officer at Mid-Rivers was able to help.

Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative purchased the Ekalaka exchange from Continental Telephone during the 1970s. The cooperative's first major fiber project included the linking of the Ekalaka, Carlyle, Plevna and Fallon exchanges to the central office in West Glendive in the late 1980s.

At one time Mid-Rivers had as many as seven pay stations (pay phones) active in Ekalaka. Locations included the bank, Old Stand Bar, Guest House Motel, Dahl Memorial Hospital, Carter County Courthouse, Fruit Service & Repair and Ekalaka Airport. The telephone number for the pay station at 307 Main Street (the bank) was 8811. It was connected in 1982 and disconnected in 2017, making it one of the longest operating pay stations in town.

After checking with Mid-Rivers to see is she could put the phone booth to good use, Schneider enlisted the help of Ag Ed teacher Seth Whitney and some of his high school students. They took the phone booth to the school where they built shelves to hold the books and also created a sign to acknowledge Mid-Rivers' donation of the booth.

It was delivered to Schneider to paint the shelves - which she says would have been easier prior to putting them in. She also mentioned that it really is hot inside the booth with the doors shut. Her husband caulked some holes to keep rain out. Leroy, Darin and Travis Schallenberger helped return the booth to town. From there it was a matter of where it could be put and getting help in securing it.

Pat Kalstrom from Ekalaka Public Library took over from here, and the library, Dahl Memorial Healthcare, Schneider and Heidi Morton of Usborne Books donated the first books to get the new community library going.

There actually is proper etiquette for a book library such as the phone booth that is now on main street again. Schneider says that includes: Take a book, leave a book. Don't empty the library. Do tidy it up. Don't overstuff the library. Do remove the garbage. Don't leave any propaganda.

The free community library is intended to bring joy through reading and sharing for everyone. Keep the library neat and filled with good books that others would enjoy reading and sharing. It is not a dumping ground for damaged or stained books. Pat Kalstrom has graciously accepted being the steward of the library and Terry Stieg will help to maintain it. Everyone can help keep it clean and a place that local children would be happy to find a book to read.

The project took several months and many helping hands to complete. Schneider said there are so many projects that could be done to better the community if people put in the time and energy.

"It can be as simple as helping an elderly person clean out a flower garden, or rake a yard. It could be a beautiful flower garden placed in town where everyone could enjoy. It could be accomplished by a club, a family or yourself."