Lewis & Clark Library is throwing a block party on Tuesday, June 16, to mark the arrival of its new Mobile Library — and the event is free and open to the public. The celebration is set for Anchor Park, directly outside the library on North Last Chance Gulch.

The new Mobile Library is a renamed and presumably upgraded version of what the library previously operated as a bookmobile. Attendees will be able to tour the new vehicle, grab a free scoop of Rocky Road from Big Dipper Ice Cream, and listen to live music. The library has not yet released details on the Mobile Library's service routes or schedule.

For a public library system that serves all of Lewis and Clark County — including rural residents well outside Helena's city limits — a mobile unit is more than a novelty. It's how the library reaches patrons who can't easily make it to the main branch or the East Helena library. The June 16 event gives residents a chance to see what that service looks like before it hits the road.