The Bentonville Public Library showcased its expanded facility to City Council and media on Wednesday, unveiling a project over three years in the making.

The library reopens on Monday, Oct. 28 after a four-week closure, and a public Ribbon Cutting and Welcome Celebration will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Festivities will begin on the new Main Street Veranda, with refreshments and other giveaways in the new Walmart Foundation Community Room.

The bright, modern addition adds 22,975 square feet to the existing library for a total of 61,295 square feet. New furniture, nooks and art complement the space, with expansive windows and skylights providing the space with plenty of natural light.

“One of the best features of the entire design is the natural light,” said Tara Cloud Clark, marketing specialist for the Bentonville Public Library.

Included in the design is an expanded youth services area, with books and materials organized by age for preschoolers to teens. Those familiar with the former children’s section will immediately notice the extra room to spread out, featuring cubbies with toys and a large area dedicated to storytime and play.

“It has a puppet stage, which we’re really excited about using,” Clark said.

A digital lab offers space for recording video or audio, and the library will have laptops with design and programming software that can be checked out.

A makerspace room features two 3D printers, two laser printers, 20 laptops with the design programs needed to use the printers, sewing machines, a heat press, vinyl cutter, fiber materials and other tools. Clark said the library will partner with other organizations to host events and classes on how to use the machines and tools.

The new Walmart Foundation Community Room will hold around 250 people for library events, which is space for around 100 additional people compared to the former community room. New courtyards offer additional spaces to sit outside.

While modern, the design of the addition emphasizes a connection to Bentonville’s trails and the outdoors.

“That was all very intentional in design, trying to tie into the Natural State and the Ozarks,” said Hadi Dudley, library director.

The library will continue with renovations to the former Children’s Library and staff areas until around January 2025. The projected grand opening for the entire project is early 2025 with a celebration featuring the new outdoor spaces to take place in spring 2025.

The budgeted cost of the expansion is $16.75 million, with the final cost estimated to be at budget or under. In April 2021, voters passed a $4.975 million bond for library improvements, with Bentonville Library Foundation fundraising covering the rest.