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Montana's wildfire smoke seasons are getting longer and more pervasive. Learn about the health risks of wildfire smoke, why indoor air can be more unhealthy than outdoor air, and how libraries are protecting and educating their communities.

Mary Anderson served as a school counselor in Hoquiam, WA and Helena, MT for over thirty years. When she retired, she quickly found that although she left public education, the educator in her was still alive and well. As wildfire smoke coordinator, she works with emergency responders, health departments, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Natural Resources and several non-government organizations to develop a educational materials and a response network that is as aware of the dangers of wildfire smoke as the dangers of wildfires, themselves. She believes that community libraries have the potential to be a vital partner in wildfire smoke response; both for their community outreach efforts and the services they already provide Montana's vulnerable populations. Her hope is that as wildfire smoke becomes a larger concern for many Montanans, libraries will serve an important role in keeping Montanans healthy and informed in the coming years.

Bobbi deMontigny is the Lifelong Learning Librarian at the Montana state Library. With an MLIS and over a decade of experience in the field she is thankful for the opportunities she has had to serve just about every kind of library across the state of Montana. Bobbi lives just outside of Helena where she enjoys active and artistic hobbies in the summer and curling up with her dog and a good book in the winter.