Bentonville Public Library

Catalog Website

Updated 10/28/24
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The Bentonville Public Library Expansion broke ground in summer 2023 and include a total increase of 22,975 SF with an emphasis on expanded children’s, teen, study, meeting, event, and outdoor spaces as well as a new Makerspace and Digital Creation Lab.

Overview

Purpose

Accommodate growing population and their specific needs
Further separate children’s and adult areas for noise control
Larger capacity for events, large groups, small groups, and individual use
Intentional spaces for a variety of programming and community use
More open aesthetic for comfort
Larger capacity for increased collections
Larger capacity for operations, human resources, and equipment

Size

Existing 38,500 SF
Expansion of 22,795 +/- SF
Total 61,295 SF
41% increase

Costs

Budgeted cost $16,750,000
Final cost TBD (projected to be on or under budget)

Funding

About 77% of Bentonville voters approved $4.97 million for the library in the April bond election.
$10,946,354.80 raised by Bentonville Library Foundation
- Walton Family Foundation $5.5 million grant
- Walmart Foundation $1.5 million grant
Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP) grant
Foresting the Future grant
In-Kind contributions from EDG, TrimTech, AMP Sign & Banner
One year loan of art from OZ Art NWA
Walton Family Foundation $5.5 million grant

Features

Expansion spaces

Walmart Foundation Community Room featuring open space, large windows, full audio-visual, a kitchenette

225 capacity
41' 9" D (N/S) x 60' 9" W (E/W)

Youth Library with expanded preschool, school-age, and teen collections and new spaces customized for reading, learning, and gathering featuring:

Craft Room
Storytime Room with puppet stage
Study rooms for children and teens
Teen lounge
Youth Reading Nooks
Youth iPad Stations
Reading & Art Cubbies

Art Gallery featuring artwork on loan from OZ Art NWA until October 2025

Sensory & Wellness Room for patrons needing to take a few minutes to themselves

Digital Lab with software and equipment for digital creation ventures

Podcast equipment
Video equipment
Gaming systems
Collaboration space

Makerspace equipped with

Low-top and high-top tables with seating
White board space for planning and collaboration
70” digital display for presentations and collaboration
Sink and counter space
Two 3D printers – Bamboo Lab P1S
Two Glow Forge Pro
Three Brother CS 7000i sewing machines
Two Brother 1034D sergers
Brother SE 2000 embroidery machine
Topdeep 5-in-1 Heat press
Brother Scan and Cut
Epson ET 2800, one set up for ink jet, one set up for sublimation- print up to 8.5 x 11
Laminator for up to 19” wide
Three soldering irons
Two Dremel tools
Digital micrometers
Heavy-duty paper cutter (up to 400 pieces of standard paper)
Fiber arts supplies (embroidery, crochet, knitting sewing)
Screen printing supplies
35 Dell Latitude 3540 laptops with design and programming software for personal use and class instruction including the following software:
- Bambu Studio ( 3d printing)
- TinkerCAD (3d modeling)
- Blender (3d modeling)
- Inkscape (drawing and image manipulation)
- Krita (art)
- Fire Alpaca (digital painting)
- Gimp (drawing and image manipulation)
- Audacity (audio editing and recording)
- Visual Studio Code (software development)
- Reference materials
- Hand tools
- Will be obtaining more as demand arises
- All
- Two iMacs
- Adobe Creative Suite (design) – only on these iMacs
- Bambu Studio ( 3d printing)
- TinkerCAD (3d modeling)
- Blender (3d modeling)
- Inkscape (drawing and image manipulation)
- Krita (art)
- Fire Alpaca (digital painting)
- Gimp (drawing and image manipulation)
- Audacity (audio editing and recording)
- Visual Studio Code (software development)

Outdoor spaces

Main Street Veranda
Learning Gardens
Reading Courtyard
Gathering Lawn
Bike Hub
Spacious connecting sidewalks
Lawn areas

Renovated spaces to come early 2025

Community Hub/Business Center

Book Club Lounge

Adult study, meeting, and conference rooms

More individual bathrooms

Staff offices and lounge

Enclosed McGaugh Room for quiet adult space

Previously revealed renovation spaces

Read It Again Bookstore

Book Drop

Circulation desk

Timeline

Accomplished

March 8, 2021 - Needs Assessment Study published

April 13, 2021 - Voters passed a $4.975M Bond for Library Improvements

May 10, 2021 - Bentonville Library Foundation voted to support the project, setting a fundraising goal of $10.5M

September 14, 2021 - BPL contracted with MSR Design and Flintco for design and pre-construction services

October 2021 - Project kick-off with steering committee, stakeholder discussions and pre-design work

November – December 2021: Topographical survey and geotechnical report complete

November 2021 – February 2022: Schematic Design and Pricing phase

May 18, 2022 - The Big Reveal Event hosted by Bentonville Library Foundation

April – August 2022 - Design Development and Pricing phase

September – December 2022 - Construction Documents and Pricing phase

January and February 2023 - Permitting and Bidding

Spring 2023 - Construction begins and Groundbreaking

May 19- June 2 - Two-week closure to move Friends Book Store; Rotary Room with AV equipment installation; Circulation Desk; and Registration Desk. Convert old Rotary Room to book drop room enclosed in glass, install new sorter.

September 29 to October 27 - Four-week closure to move into new spaces

October 30 - Ribbon Cutting and Dedication Ceremonies

October 2024 through January 2025- Renovations to former Children’s Library and staff areas

Winter/early 2025 - Projected Project Completion!

Spring 2025 – Celebration featuring our outdoor spaces