Blog Entries

 

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...

As we wrap up 2024, let's take a look at the young adult fiction books that circulated the most at the Fort Smith Public Library throughout the year!  Sarah Maas and Suzanne Collins were a couple of the favorite authors.  Take a look at the list below and if you would like to check availability on any of the items, simply click on the book cover to be taken to the library's online catalog.  What will you check out in 2025?          ...

As we wrap up 2024, let's take a look at the children's books that had the most circulations at the Fort Smith Public Library throughout the year!  Bluey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dog Man, and Pete the Cat were some of the top favorites!  Take a look at the lists below and if you would like to check availability on any of the items, simply click on the book cover to be taken to the library's online catalog.  What will you check out in 2025?Top Picture Books 

 

         

 

Top Chapter Books    ...

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...

November is DINOvember and the dinosaurs are invading the Fort Smith Public Library!  Join us for some fun dinosaur-themed events at the library during the month!

The dinosaurs are busy playing and making messes around the library.  Can you find them all on our Dinosaur Scavenger Hunt?  Let one of the library staff members know when you locate them all and get a fun dinosaur reROARd (reward)!  The Dinosaur Scavenger Hunt is available all month during library hours.

Bibliosaurus the Dinosaur will be visiting the Main Library on Sunday, November 10...

We invite you to bring your little ghosts, superheroes, Barbies, and Blueys to the library for trick-or-treating on Thursday, October 31, 9 AM – 8 PM at the Main Library, and 9 AM – 5 PM at the library branches!  In the meantime, get in the spirit by attending one of our FREE Halloween or autumn-themed programs.  Space may be limited at some programs.  For more details, visit our events page.

Book Character Pumpkin Decorating Contest

October 1 – October 28 – Main Library

Entry forms available online or at the Main Library

October Cr...

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson initiated Hispanic Heritage Week, which was later expanded to Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. This observance takes place from September 15th to October 15th.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the Fort Smith Public Library!  On September 26th, we are partnering with Fort Kids and UAFS for another bilingual storytime!  Be sure and check out some of the following titles, too, and celebrate at home by reading a book!  Click on a picture to see if the book is available in the library's catalog. Read Full Blog

You are invited to help us celebrate Mae and Jon Wellnitz and send them off into retirement with all our best wishes. Join us at the Main Library on Wednesday, September 25, from 2 - 4 p.m. This is a drop-in event, but remarks will be made at 2:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Mae and Jon have been with the Fort Smith Public Library collectively for more than 50 years! Before they leave us, we decided to ask them a few questions. Read on to hear Mae and Jon’s library memories, favorite books, their thoughts on the library, and more.

Q. & A. with Mae ...