Blog Entries

Do you remember all the fun you used to have at the library when you were a kid? We have good news for you -- we offer summer fun for all ages at the Fort Smith Public Library! Adults can take part in a variety of crafting programs, play BINGO, view films, join a book club, and a whole lot more. All programs are free with no library card required, but space may be limited at some. For more details, visit our events calendar.

 

First Friday Film: My Man Godfrey

Friday, June 6, 2 PM – Main Library

 

Adult Crafts: Paper Roll Birds

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Everybody knows that the library is a great place to find a good book, but it’s also a great place to connect with other people who love books! The library offers several book clubs that provide opportunities to get out and socialize with like-minded people, make new friends, enjoy snacks, and talk about books. 

 

The Book Lover’s Club is our longest running book club. The group began meeting in September of 2002, and has been meeting monthly ever since (minus a short pandemic break).  This book club is a little different than most as the group doesn’t r...

Summer is right around the corner, which means that Summer Reading programs for all ages will soon be at the Fort Smith Public Library!  Who does not have fond childhood memories of participating in summer reading at their library? While a lot of participants might focus on the prizes offered for reading books over the summer, summer reading offers a multitude of benefits that you might not even think about.  Read on to learn why your whole family should participate in the “Color Our World” Summer Reading program beginning June 1 at the library this year.

 

Help y...

April 6 - 12 is National Library Week, a time to celebrate libraries and library staff, and the services that they provide.  There are many ways to tell the story of the impact of a library on the community.  It could be the story of the man who used library computers to create a resume and apply for jobs, the woman who used library books to learn how to write the business plan that led to the creation of her small business, or the child who excelled in kindergarten because she attended storytime and listened to books throughout her young life.  One of the easiest ways to con...

National Library Week is April 6 - 12.  This year’s theme is “Drawn to the Library.”  What draws you to the library?  Perhaps one of our arts and crafts programs is just what you need to take a break from your everyday life.  A variety of programs for all ages are available at all of our FSPL locations this month. All programs are free with no library card required, but space may be limited at some.  For more details, visit our events page.

Take & Make Crafts: DIY Paper Succulent

April 2 – while supplies last – Main Library

Homeschool Enrichment: Wa...

Color Our World is this year’s summer reading theme, and all ages are invited to participate! The Fort Smith Public Library’s annual summer reading program for kids, teens, and adults will begin June 1. The summer reading program is just one of the many ways the library works to create a community of readers and library users. Through fun programs, activities, and prizes, the summer reading program offers incentives for the whole family to spend time reading or listening to books. The summer reading program begins June 1 and runs through July 31. Participants can drop by any library locatio...

 

Has it really been 25 years already? Our three branch libraries will celebrate their 25th anniversaries in the next couple of months! 

The Dallas Street Branch Library anniversary is February 26,the Windsor Drive Branch Library anniversary is March 26,and the Miller Branch Library will celebrate on April 29. 

Each location is planning a celebration for commemoration, along with other related events. 

Come help celebrate with the Dallas Branch on March 5, with anniversary storytimes at 10 & 11 a.m., and a branch celebration from ...

The Library is excited to be a partner with the U.S. Marshals Museum for the NEA Big Read this March and April.  The museum and its community partners will host a series of engaging programs and events centered around this year's selected book, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, written by Kao Kalia Yang. The book chronicles the story of a family’s post-Vietnam War journey from Southeast Asia to the United States, similar to what many families in the River Valley area experienced coming to Fort Smith through Fort Chaffee after the Vietnam War. 

The Fort Smith Pub...

February is Black History Month, celebrating the achievements of African Americans and recognizing their central role in U.S. History. The library invites you to help in this celebration by attending one or more of our featured programs this month. 

Join us on Saturday, February 15, at 2 PM at the Main Library for a special performance of Reclaiming Your Roots, an interactive show for all ages performed by Rooted Movement Collective. A touring dance group, Rooted Movement Collective is dedicated to educating and spreading the radical joy of African American dance forms,...

February is National Library Lovers' Month. Do you have a crush on your library?  Here are 10+ ways you can show your library love.

1) Get and use your library card!

2) Visit your neighborhood library.  There is a FSPL location close to almost everyone!  Drop by after work or school, or during your lunch break.  If you haven’t been here in a while, you will be amazed in what we have to offer.

3) Follow the library on social media – you don’t want to miss the next book sale, stuffed-animal storytime, or author event! You can find the library on Face...

If you use hoopla through the Fort Smith Public Library, you’ll soon see a change to your monthly checkout limits.  Beginning January 1, the maximum number of checkouts per library card will change from six to five per month.

This change came after thoughtful deliberation and review.  As more library customers discover and use hoopla’s extensive collection of eBooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, music, and comics, the costs associated with providing this service also increase.  By slightly reducing the checkout limit, our goal is to continue offering access to hoopla f...

We had some great times at the library this year, and hope you did too!  We offer you these snapshots chronicling the seasons at the library, from the great eclipse, summer reading, retirements, the Chocolate Festival, Black Tie Bingo, fun with goats, and more.  We enjoyed sharing these memorable moments with our library customers and community, and look forward to another great year at the Fort Smith Public Library in 2025!  

To view full size photos, please see our Facebook post 

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When we think about the history of the Fort Smith Public Library, the original Carnegie City Library at 318 North 13th Street may come to mind most often.  The story of Fort Smith’s first truly public library is an interesting one, and many people in our area have vivid memories of visiting the Carnegie Library with its magnificent stairs, impressive music room, and longtime library director Miss Gladys Krone. 

The belief by community leaders in the importance of the public library and their persistence in tirelessly advocating, first for its existence and then for its growt...

Holiday Happenings

Holiday Open House – Sunday, December 8, 1 – 5 PM, Main Library!

We invite you and your family to celebrate the holiday season with us at our 22nd Annual Holiday Open House!  Join us at the Main Library for a festive afternoon of music, crafts, games, stories, holiday displays, light refreshments, and other entertainment for children and adults. There will be special activities to delight all ages throughout the entire afternoon. This Holiday Open House is free to all . . . don’t forget to bring a non-perishable food item for the Holiday Food Drive!

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The history of the Fort Smith Public Library has been a hobby/passion/interest of mine since I became library director in 2004. Today’s FSPL began with the opening of the Carnegie City Library on January 1, 1908, the first of what would be four Carnegie libraries in Arkansas. The first librarian was named Starr Weaver. I know from reading the minutes of the library board meetings how hard she worked to open Fort Smith’s first public library.

One of the things I like to do is collect postcards of our library. I like them best when they have messages on them and have been sent throu...