The Bentonville Public Library is going through some big changes.
From May 20 – June 2, the library will be closed for renovations. During the closure, several changes will be made to the library’s layout and a new state-of-the-art book sorting robot will be installed.
The Friends of the Library bookstore will be moved to a larger space and the circulation and registration desks will be moved deeper into the library to accommodate the construction of a new reception area.
The book sorting robot will scan RFID codes and send the items to one of nine bins. It will be behind a glass wall so that visitors can “watch it in action.”
The system will allow library staff to spend more time with patrons.
“[The sorting system] will help us speed up our process of processing materials,” Tara Clark, marketing specialist for the library, said. “That’s what we want our staff to do: spend time with customers. We love books…but we also love our patrons.”
The changes are all part of an ongoing renovation and expansion projectthat is expected to be finished in the fall. The expansion will add 22,750 square feet to the library’s existing 38,500 square feet. Among the improvements will be increased space for collections, new activity and meeting rooms, and an expansion of the children’s department.
“The springtime renovations allow us to prepare our library for the exciting improvements to come later this year,” Hadi Dudley, director of the Bentonville Public Library, said in a press release.
