Bentonville Public Library

• Site plans
• Layout options
• Concept designs
• Project budget estimates & more

Full Report

Read the full report. Pages 1-128 include the following topics, and more:

• Overview of the Bentonville community
• Library information & trends
• Facility review & analysis
• Community engagement
• MSR recommendations: Bond and Full options

Report Appendix

Appendixes show the scope of work performed by BPL and MSR to inform the project, as well as financial implications and best practices in the library industry. Pages 129-272 cover:

• Meeting minutes & survey results
• Budget considerations
• Statistics & trends

Related Info

• City of Bentonville Bond Extension - Special Election April 13, 2021
• Bentonville Bond Extension - Printable Brochure
• Bentonville Community Plan - 2018
• This Is Your Public Library - BPL’s public art project (info coming soon)

About the Project

Through the City of Bentonville’s standard procurement procedures, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued in June 2020 for BPL’s Needs Assessment project. Eight qualified firms responded with proposals that were graded by RFQ committee members. The committee ranked MSR Design the highest.

City Council approved an agreement for professional services for the Library’s Needs Assessment with MSR Design on September 8, 2020 with Resolution 9-8-20D. A Needs Assessment steering committee was formed and our group kicked off the project on September 23, 2020.

BPL and MSR Design collaborated to gather, organize and summarize public opinions from a wide cross-section of the community through online surveys, public workshops, meetings with library support groups and key person interviews of community leaders.

Using this information, MSR expertly developed two options for Bentonville Public Library’s Needs Assessment study. The group relied on its industry expertise, our library’s data, city information, and current trends in public spaces, with special emphasis on Bentonville’s unique and wonderful community.

MSR’s site plans, layout options, conceptual imagery and budgetary proposals are solid representations of what could be designed and developed in the future. As BPL expands its vital role in the community, a future architectural design phase will more specifically determine how the library facility and grounds will be constructed.

BPL’s Needs Assessment study is fully supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, in partnership with the Bentonville Library Foundation.

About BPL
Bentonville Public Library is a department of the City of Bentonville. Its mission is to engage our community, encourage discovery and promote literacy by offering lifelong learning opportunities. Learn more at bentonvillelibrary.org.

About the Bentonville Library Foundation
The Bentonville Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Its mission is to engage our community in order to provide necessary and sustainable support for the Bentonville Public Library. Learn more about the library foundation and how it supports BPL at bentonvillelibraryfoundation.org.

About the Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. The organization works in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. In 2019, the foundation awarded more than $525 million in grants in support of these initiatives. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org.

About MSR Design
Established in 1981, MSR Design is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm that has worked with 245 libraries and library systems across the country. MSR Design is based in Minneapolis, MN; learn more at msrdesign.com.