Public Libraries in Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas — United States
Public Libraries in Little Rock, Arkansas
The Central Arkansas Library System Main Library serves Little Rock from the historic River Market District.
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Library
Library in Little Rock
Main Library (Central Arkansas Library System)
Central Arkansas Library System
📍 100 South Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201
🕑 Hours
| Monday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may change on holidays — confirm before visiting.
The Story of the Library in Little Rock
The CALS Main Library occupies the renovated Fones Brothers Warehouse, a building constructed in 1920 for the Fones Bros. Hardware Company. The Central Arkansas Library System debuted its new main building on this site in the historic River Market District on September 20, 1997, adapting the former warehouse into a modern central library.
The Main Library campus is also home to the Arkansas Studies Institute, a joint project of CALS and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock dedicated to Arkansas history and research. The Main Library reopened in 2025 following an extensive multi-million-dollar renovation.
About Public Libraries in Little Rock
Little Rock is served by the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), the public library system for Pulaski and Perry counties, headquartered at the Main Library at 100 South Rock Street in the downtown River Market District. Any resident of the CALS service area can get a free library card, which unlocks borrowing of books and media, computer and Wi-Fi access, and free digital services including eBooks and audiobooks. The Main Library campus also houses the Cox Creative Center, River Market Books & Gifts, and the Arkansas Studies Institute.
Traveler is Arkansas's statewide collection of free online research databases, provided by the Arkansas State Library. It gives every Arkansas resident free access to magazines, newspapers, eBooks, and reference resources covering business, health, careers, history, genealogy, and K-12 learning — access is granted automatically by Arkansas IP address, with no separate login required.
📚 What You Can Access
- 📚 Books, DVDs, and media to borrow with a free CALS card
- 📱 Free eBooks and audiobooks (Libby / OverDrive)
- 🌐 Traveler: Arkansas’s statewide free research databases
- 🖨️ Public computers, printing, and free Wi-Fi
- 🧒 Children’s and teen programs and collections
- 🏛️ Arkansas Studies Institute for local history and genealogy
🏛️ Quick Facts
| Public library | Main Library (Central Arkansas Library System) |
| System | Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) |
| Address | 100 South Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 |
| Phone | 501-918-3000 |
| Opened (River Market) | September 20, 1997 |
| Library card | Free for CALS service-area residents |
| State resource | Traveler statewide databases |
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