Introduction

CALS’s downtown Main Library is one of the only public places in Little Rock where people of different ages and backgrounds can come together to create, experience, and share ideas. The Library uniquely connects and enriches our community.

Today, libraries are more than books. While books, reading, and literacy are essential, libraries are also where people access technology of all kinds, find resources for work and school, build job skills and seek employment, gather for meetings and events, and learn at all stages of life. Libraries represent the ever-important third place; where people can gather without the expectation of spending any money. Libraries today are places for enrichment, skill-building, making social connections, and inspiration.

The State of Main

Main Library served the public well for more than 25 years, but thanks to a changing neighborhood and significant technological advances, the Main Library is no longer the gem it once was – the finishes have become outdated and worn, and the layout has become confusing and unwelcoming – but the building still has great bones.

Main Library has anchored downtown Little Rock since 1997 and was a catalyst for economic development in the River Market district. Its services – and the physical footprint on Rock Street – have changed along with the evolving needs of each generation, this renovation reflects the needs of the next generation.

History of Main Library

Main Library, the flagship branch of the system, began in a building at 700 Louisiana Street in 1910, was renovated in 1964, and then moved to its current home in the Fones Building at 100 South Rock Street in 1997. This renovation marks the first renovation of this scale that the building has undergone since it opened. The building underwent a smaller renovation in 2010 when services were expanded to include the fifth floor.

The Next Chapter

There have been several changes to the neighborhood that will be reflected in the design of the new building. The removal of the interstate onramp in 2020 makes it so that walls on the south side of the building can be opened up a bit to let in more natural light. The exterior facade will look very similar to its current state but with extra glass and a vestibule on the front. The first-floor corner will be renovated to create a separate entrance for Boulevard Bread.

Everything inside the building will be moved around with more intelligent design in mind. The Children’s Area will move to the rear of the first floor (formerly the Darragh Center), so children can access the previously underutilized courtyard for programs; while the Teen’s Area will be moved to the 2nd floor, just above the Children’s. Overall, the children’s and teens areas will have 70% more space than in the previous configuration.

Additional changes include:

• Spaces for children to learn and play both indoors and outdoors
• Numerous presentation and programming spaces
• Teaching and catering kitchens
• Video Production Studio
• A variety of technology-infused study and meeting rooms
• Inviting areas to meet friends or quietly read
• Rooftop terrace with gathering space for entertainment and special events

The transformed Main Library will be a jewel of the River Market District; unique in its value as a public space and a destination for interesting and essential programs and services. The renovated building will feel right at home in the newly reimagined downtown Little Rock, alongside the recently reopened Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the soon-to-open Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, and the planned renovation of the Museum of Discovery.

For more information

For more information on the CALS Capital Campaign, The Next Chapter: A Vision for the New Main Library, contact Eliza Borné, CALS Development Director, at etborne@cals.org, or download the PDF booklet below.

View PDF Booklet

Renovation Team