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Fayetteville Public Library Top in 2005


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The Fayetteville Public Library in Arkansas was voted top library by the Library Journal for 2005. The past two years winners were San Jose and Las Vegas. The new building was opened last fall. Since 1997 circulation has gone from around 270,000 to a projected 650,000 and the number of visitors has skyrocketed from 192,000 to a projected 605,000.

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wow. that's surprising.  and I thought garland county had a nice library.

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I admit it took me alittle while before I went and visited it. I had noticed they were making a pretty big deal about it. Then I finally went one day and then I could see why. I only wish I could have found a few better pics than what I did.

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Can't say I know much about any other libraries in the state.  Anyone have any info on any of the others?

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The Central Arkansas library in downtown little rock is pretty nice. Then again, it's nothing compared to Fayetteville's. Same with Garland County's.

Central AR:

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a very old pic:

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Convenient Trolley:

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Library and it's parking lot to the right.....(yeah, i'm losing focus, but nice shot):

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It looks like a nice library. It's certainly bigger than the one up here. I think the factors that really helped our library winning were. It was just build and they did do a nice job on it. Visitation has really go up quite a bit. But of course it helps that we have a nice growing population up here too. If there's anything good about that stupid hillbilly image of Arkansas, it's that it's made us sensitive to that image and we try a little harder to try to overcome that image.

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Haha.  Funny you should mention that Hillbilly image...it probably has helped in some ways (but probably hurt in more).

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I certainly agree, it's definantly hurt more than help. I think Arkansas has been really held back because of that image.

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In the Dem-Gaz (northwest edition) there was an editorial about the library. Ironically the Fayetteville Public Library almost didn't even enter the competition. They were still busy having moved over into a new building. That and apparently Seattle was the favorite this year and they doubted they'd have a shot against them. I've seen pictures of the library there. It's a really nice facility, it's great that the Fayetteville Public Library was able to beat them out. The only disappointment I've had is that I thought it deserved a lot more news coverage up here than what it got.

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  • 4 months later...

The Fayetteville Public Library is back in the news. All the great increases in use and cardholders and such is leading to increases in costs to maintain the library. Right now much of it's fund come directly from the city budget. But no there's talk of having it get it's funding off of mills on property taxes. The city council will discuss it in the near future and then if it is decided the public would vote on how much the library would get. Hopefully the library will be well taken care of, considering how well it's doing and the attention it's gotten even on a nationwide basis.

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I saw where they added self-checkout stations to get your books quicker.

I didn't know it was that busy.

Rogers just completed an expansion on their library, although it is nowhere near Fayetteville's.

I don't remember all the details but the number of library cards and visitations have increased dramatically. Which like I said has made it also a bit more expensive to run also. But I think it was these figures and increases that let Fayetteville win out over cities like Seattle. From what I had heard most people expected Seattle to win for 2005. I was really impressed the first time I went. At first I put it off, I wasn't positive where it was exactly. But I kept hearing so much about it I decded I needed to finally get around to seeing it. Then I realized why there was so much talk about it. It may not be huge as some other cities but it really is a nice library. By the way I hope to have some interior pics of the library this weekend. Looks like I'll need different clothing. After all this record heat now they're talking about highs in the 50's this weekend.

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The most impressive thing about that Little Rock library is that it was in a decaying 1921 warehouse that unlike most of the River Market area buildings, was thought to be irreparable. It was gutted but at least the original frame is intact. I looked for a picture of the old Fones Brothers warehouse but couldn't find one.

The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies will be moving out of that building and into a newly constructed one in the River Market soon. I saw a terrific schematic of this recently but as far as I know construction isn't yet underway.

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I saw the Fayetteville Library earlier in your Fayetteville Picture thread and was like "wow" thats a very nice modern library. It really impressed me.

Now I've gotten to see Little Rock's Central Library is a refurbished old warehouse and I'm even more impressed. That is for my tastes a stunning structure for a library. Really nice rehab and pratical re-use for a building. I really like it.

Both are fine looking, and I'm sure, well stocked libaries.

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I never have posted any of my own personal pics of the library here in this topic. The other pics were some 'publicity' pics I found on the internet. They had some nicer interior pics than what I could take. But thought I'd go ahead and post the pics I have taken the last couple of weeks.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Some library news up here in Benton County.

The foundation has been poured for the Tom Coughlin Public Library here in Bentonville. The Coughlin Library at 405 S. Main St. will hold roughly 36,000 square feet, with a coffee shop, columned front porches, and children

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Rogers just completed a $5 Million expansion on the children's area.

It looks real nice and library membership is at an all time peak.

Yeah I guess the only library I haven't heard alot about is Springdale's. Although I think they did something with their library several years ago.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I can't recall if I've mentioned this already. I didn't see it here, maybe I posted it in another topic. As the Fayetteville pUblic Library becomes more successful it's also requiring more money to run. The big jumps in use from patrons are requiring more staff to help keep the library functioning properly. Right now the library's budget is taken from the city's budget. I believe there will be an election next year to vote on a mill that will benefit the library and help get it off the city's budget.

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  • 9 months later...

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