Amenities

Welcome to Bentonville Public Library! BPL leadership has worked hard to create a space where Benton County residents and visitors can find a comfortable and inspiring setting for imagination, education, and building better quality of life.

A Classic and Modern Library

Quite simply, BPL is a beautiful library, made even more spectacular with our expansion that opened in October 2024. A signature building in the Downtown Bentonville landscape, it embodies Bentonville's civic values and conveys a sense of wonder, expectation, and discovery.

Originally built in 2006 and expanded in 2023, the Bentonville Public Library features two eras of Library history: classic small-town hospitality with the technological upgrades of a global community. The 61,295 square-foot building features indoor and outdoor spaces for an array of individual, small group, and large group purposes, cozy but also technologically integrated.

Our local and digital collections include books and video for every taste as well as our Library of Things like tools, tech, and activities, all carefully selected to serve our community. Programming focuses on meeting the informational, entertainment, and social needs of our patrons and connecting local organizations to engage our current and future community. 

Library in the Digital Age

BPL is continually looking for ways to develop technology resources for the community. Patrons on-site have access to free WIFI, desktop computers, and low-cost copy/print/fax services. Computers and iPads can be checked out for on-site use with a Tech Card or Membership. Members can access additional technology through our Library of Things, including game consoles, media technology, scientific instruments, robots and programming toys, and more. Our website features online member registration, catalog, holds request, event calendar, streaming services, and collection of databases to provide access to members wherever they are. 

We also integrated technology into Library systems to ensure efficiency and quality services. Similar to security measures you find in retail stores, our materials are tagged with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. This not only alerts patrons that they forgot to check out their things, but it directly feeds into our system to ease check-out and processing of returned materials. To further convenience patrons and support operations, self-checkout terminals have been placed in multiple locations throughout the building. When retrieving holds, we use the integrated RFID system to presort items waiting to go to another home, and patrons can find these reserved materials on our conveniently-located holds shelves or in our holds lockers located outside BPL Downtown (24/7 access) and inside the Community Center. When patrons are done, our Tech Logic 9-bin materials sorter (aka Bookie Monster) will automatically sort materials, making then ready for processing and shelving.  

A Place for Kids to be Kids

Realizing children are most comfortable and engaged in high-energy settings, the Bogle Family Children's Library is designed to accommodate the particular needs of our little patrons. Located away from quiet study spaces of our Adult Services, our Children's Library features comfy, leveled seating and workspace; high-traffic, easy-to-clean surfaces; minimalistic but rich colors and patterns; and a collection organized to consider developmental stages, reading ability, and interest levels of our littlest patrons.

The space allows the outside world to come in through large windows, letting in floods of natural light and giving visibility to the grounds and Downtown foot and bike traffic. Focus spaces—both semi-private tech stations and private study rooms—allow caretakers and little ones to get to the business at hand. Our Children's Services has one full-time Librarian and four full-time staff trained to serve our young patrons and their families with their specific needs.

Give the Teens Their Space

Located near the children's section, the Teen Zone was designed to welcome teenagers into a comfortable, attractive, and productive space for their specific needs. The Teen area features an open lounge; private group study rooms dedicated for teen use only; a targeted teen collection housing young adult fiction, nonfiction, DVDs, and test prep collections; and a full-time teen librarian trained to meet the needs of our teen patrons. Teen Services also include a dedicated volunteer group of teens and Teen Advisory Board who help steer Library collections, represent the Library at outreach functions, and make the place a little bit livelier with their enthusiasm. 

We Haven't Forgotten About the Adults

Our Adult Services features quiet spaces to find information, entertainment, and other resources in a logical layout based on accessibility and shared audiences. Cozy reading spaces, worktables for productivity, and our McGaugh Quiet Room provide space allowing our adult patrons do the thing they do. In addition to our part-time desk clerks, BPL offers two, full-time Librarians to oversee Adult and Circulation Services and five full-time support staff dedicated to Adult Services.

A Good Space to                          

We strive to make the Library the place to go for whatever your needs are. Whether you want to find a cozy nook to read/work/study, you want to put on a 150+ person event, or something somewhere in between, the Library offers a variety of spaces for individual, small group, and large group activities. For more information, please see Our Spaces.

BPL Around Town

BPL has developed Outreach Resources to meet people where they are... literally. You can find us with special Storytimes at local partner organizations, in retirement communities leading book clubs, supporting local events, and more. We feature collections and services to help build community and quality of life outside the Library walls, including Book Club Kits and Book to Movie Club Kits, Library for Life kits, Homebound Book Delivery, and more. 

Genealogy and History Resources

Managed by the Northwest Arkansas Genealogy Society, the William R. Enfield Local History and Genealogy Center houses quiet research space with easy access to compact, moveable shelving that houses a collection. We also have a collection of History and Genealogy Databases, for general research as well as local history research. 

Building Your Home Library

Located in the South Lobby, the Read It Again Bookstore sells new and gently used books, DVDs, and more at ridiculously low prices. The Bookstore is operated by Friends of the Bentonville Library and proceeds directly support library collections, programs, and services.

Nothing Says Bentonville Like Art, Nature, Outdoor Recreation

To engage our community in Bentonville-centric ways, we incorporate arts, nature, and outdoor recreation into our facilities. Peruse our Art Gallery and attend events bringing together art and Library resources. Visit our Children's Library to see our saltwater aquarium with colorful fish, live coral reef, and other interesting aquatic life. Learn more about our local ecosystems through curated native species gardens. Visit us on the City's Downtown Trail and attend our events integrating books and other Library resources with outdoor recreation, local events, and more. 

Help From Our Friends

BPL loves our partners: the patrons who share about us with their friends, our volunteers, the Friends and Foundation, snd the community organizations who sponsor, promote, and collaborate with us. Find out more about how you can Support Us.

Downtown Proud

BPL is proud to be a part of the Downtown Bentonville Community, both in location and collaboration with local organizations and events. Just a short stroll from the Library, patrons can visit the Bentonville Square, Walmart Visitor's Center, Compton Gardens, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Keep an eye out for programming and events where we work together with local organizations to better serve our community. 

About the Parking

Bentonville Public Library is a busy library in a busy and growing community. Naturally, finding parking can be a struggle. We know, and we thank you for your patience. Find out more about Parking in Downtown Bentonville. 

Learn more About BPL.