Please note that many of books available on our website are not readily available in store. In most cases we first pull from our inventory what we can then fulfill your order using our warehouses. We will notify you if your book is readily available or if it's on order or will ship immediately. Read on to find out about our store and our mission.
Who Are We: We’re an independent, LGBTQ+, locally-owned, bookstore located on historic Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena, Montana. We offer books for all ages, greeting cards, stationery, vinyl, gifts, author readings, book clubs, community events, and more! Our welcoming and inclusive space is the perfect place to find the the latest book releases and classic titles. Stop in and browse our book shelves and connect with our community, join us for an author event, or find a book club that's right for you! We are defenders of equality, women, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC folks. We are also anti-fascist and anti-racist and community centered.
Our History
Montana Book Company was started in 1978 by Judy Flanders who operated under the franchise Little Professor and later, Montana Book Company, for twenty years providing books and teaching supplies to the Helena community. I 1998 Flanders sold the store to best friends - Didi and Jan Peccia - who raised their children in the store and eventually integrated toys and renamed the store Montana Book & Toy Co. Twenty years later, Didi sold the business to Chelsia Rice and Charlie Crawford - the current owners. Charlie was raised in Helena and met Chelsia while they were in college in Portland, Oregon where Chelsia was raised. They became owners on July 1, 2018 and brought back the original name with a new direction.
Our Mission
To build community and defend equal rights through promoting engagement in social justice through advocacy, giving and philanthropy, and to provide a space where everyone is welcomed and has access to stories that reflect their experience.
We recognize that the land upon which we do business is the land of the Bitterroot Salish, Blackfeet (including Kainaiwa, Piikani, Siksika), Kootenai, and Upper Pend d’Oreille people. We believe in human rights, that Black Lives Matter, that trans people belong in Montana and everywhere, science is real, bodily autonomy is a human right, no humans are illegal and more. And we don't just believe this, we have built our business on supporting nonprofits and community organizations who work on issues of literacy, education, and social justice. Some of those entities include Montana Racial Equity Project, Lewis and Clark Library Foundation, Machiwminahnahtik (Chippewa Cree Language Preservation), Helena Education Foundation, Montana Human Rights Network, RAICES, Transgender Law Center, National Abortion Funds, Planned Parenthood and various local nonprofits and student clubs/groups/sport teams within the surrounding districts.
Awards
Best of Helena 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Articles
Of Course, a Bookstore with a Social Justice Mission Can Succeed in a Red State - Triple Pundit by Kate Zerrenner
Bookselling Spotlight: Montana Book Company - Publisher's Weekly by Nathalie op de Beeck
The LGBTQ-owned Bookstore that Rallied a Community - The Guardian and Montana Free Press by Mara Silvers
New Billboard Shows Love for LGBTQ+ Youth in Helena - KTVH by Jaurdyn Johnson
Memberships
The ABA is committed to equity and dignity for all Peoples. Community. They believe in supporting, serving, and participating in the concentric circles of community in our industry: booksellers, bookstores, authors, publishers, and readers.
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of literacy, free speech and independent bookselling in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
