Fort Smith Public Library
🏢 Fort Smith Public Library · Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith Public Library
The Fort Smith Public Library grew out of the Fortnightly Club — a literary society founded by Mary Parker, wife of Hanging Judge Isaac C. Parker — and opened its first public reading room in 1892 with 1,100 volumes. Today the 67,000-square-foot Main Library at 3201 Rogers Avenue anchors a four-location system that serves more than 213,000 visitors a year and holds over 70 licensed databases, making it the most resource-rich public library in western Arkansas.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, AR 72903
Phone: (479) 783-0229
Website: fortsmithlibrary.org
Plus Code: 86779JF3+M9 (Fort Smith, AR)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Fort Smith Public Library
Fort Smith's library story began in 1892 when the Fortnightly Library Association, organized by upper-class women including Mary Parker and Florence Clayton, opened a reading room of 1,100 volumes in a local school building. By 1902 it had become Arkansas's largest public library. A Carnegie Foundation grant in 1906 funded the first Carnegie Library in Arkansas, which opened January 1, 1908, at 318 North 13th Street. The library expanded steadily, moving to a 34,000-square-foot building in 1970 and adding three branch libraries (Dallas Street, Miller, and Windsor Drive) in 2000 after voters approved expansion. The current 67,000-square-foot Main Library on Rogers Avenue opened in 2001. The library's Barbara Walker Genealogy and Arkansas History Collection — begun in 1923 — holds digitized Fort Smith newspapers back to 1848, birth and death records, and Sebastian County marriage records, making it a premier genealogical resource for the Arkansas River Valley.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1892 by the Fortnightly Club, Arkansas's largest public library by 1902
- First Carnegie Library in Arkansas opened on its site in 1908
- 67,000-square-foot Main Library opened 2001; four system-wide locations
- Barbara Walker Genealogy & Arkansas History Collection with digitized local newspapers back to 1848
- Over 70 licensed databases plus Libby, hoopla and Kanopy streaming — open Sunday afternoons
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Fort Smith cardholders can borrow, stream and research free through the library's extensive digital collections, many funded by the Arkansas State Library's Traveler Statewide Resource project:
📚 Services
- Barbara Walker Genealogy & Arkansas History Collection with digitized newspapers and vital records
- Notary public services at all locations ($2 per stamp; call ahead)
- Test proctoring ($20/hour minimum)
- Fax, digital scanning, printing and copying at all locations
- Public computers and free high-speed Wi-Fi at all four locations
- Meeting rooms and study rooms
- Curbside delivery of books and DVDs
- Interlibrary loan
- Between the Pages in-library bookshop (annual book sales)
🎸 Programs
- Children's and teen storytimes and after-school programs
- Summer reading program for all ages
- Adult book clubs and author events
- Genealogy research assistance and workshops
- ESL and literacy support resources
- Community events and cultural programming
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Arkansas River Valley
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Fort Smith · Browse all Arkansas libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Fort Smith Public Library start and when was it founded?
It was founded in 1892 by the Fortnightly Library Association, a literary club organized by Fort Smith women including Mary Parker, wife of Judge Isaac C. Parker. The group opened a reading room of 1,100 volumes in a school building, and by 1902 it had grown into Arkansas's largest public library.
What genealogy resources are available at the Fort Smith Public Library?
The Barbara Walker Genealogy and Arkansas History Collection holds digitized Fort Smith newspapers from 1848 to 1973, birth records (1881–1921), death records (1881–1924), and Sebastian County marriage records (1847–2001). Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest are available in-library; HeritageQuest, Fold3 and others are accessible from home with your card.
Does the Fort Smith Public Library offer notary services?
Yes. Notary public service is available at all four library locations for $2 per stamp, depending on staff availability. Call your branch before visiting to confirm a notary is on duty. The document must be signed in the notary's presence with a valid photo ID.
What is Traveler and how do Fort Smith patrons access it?
Traveler is the Arkansas State Library's statewide digital resource project, funded by an IMLS grant. It gives all Arkansas library cardholders access to 70+ licensed databases — including ProQuest, Gale, NoveList, and language-learning tools — from home. Log in with your Fort Smith library card at fortsmithlibrary.org/databases.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
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