Bentonville, AR... Bentonville Public Library (BPL) will be temporarily closed from May 20 to June 2 as part of our ongoing renovation project.
During the two-week closure, staff will be readying books for our Summer Reading Program, moving the Friends Book Store, and rearranging some of our existing layout. The library will also be replacing the existing heat and air units and installing our new, state-of-the-art, 9-bin book sorting system.
Upon reopening June 3, patrons can expect to see a few significant changes to their library. Most exciting is the viewing window that will greet patrons inside the front doors, allowing them to see our new sorter in action. The Circulation and Registration Desks will be relocated farther into the library, closer to the Coughlin Reading Hearth, to make room for the construction of our new reception area. And the Friends Book Store will be moved to its new location across the hall from the current location.
During the two-week closure, patrons will not be able to place holds on materials, use locker pick-ups at either the main library or Community Center, or reach staff for telephone inquiries. However, books and audiovisual materials may be checked out at the community center. Patrons will still be able to return materials via the drive-thru or Community Center book drops, but fees will not accrue during the temporary closure. Additionally, BPL offers online resources through our website and on our app, including eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks through Libby; streaming video through Kanopy; music through Freegal; and other media and educational resources on our website.
This closure is one of the exciting milestones to our ongoing renovation project, which is expected to be mostly complete in the fall with furniture installation and rearranging of collections to follow. While BPL is open this summer, construction will continue in existing areas of the library and on the expansion.
"The springtime renovations allow us to prepare our library for the exciting improvements to come later this year," said Hadi Dudley, Director of the Bentonville Public Library. “We appreciate our patrons’ patience and understanding as we make their beloved library even better!"
For more information about the Bentonville Public Library expansion, please visit the Bentonville Bond Extension page for BPL.