Our Mission? To Empower Community Connections.
Our Vision:
These three words, placed in any combination, share the impact that the North Little Rock Public Library System seeks to achieve. By fully embracing the assets and strengths of our community, we create bold opportunities. Collaboratively empowering one another, we welcome a stronger and brighter future for North Little Rock.
Strategic Plan Priorities
Thank you, North Little Rock! Your voices in our Strategic Plan Surveys help shape our future, and together we’ve set the following priorities for 2025-2029.
- Sparking curiosity and discovery.
- Creating meaningful and memorable experiences.
- Actively promoting the library as "the best first stop".
- Removing barriers to access.
- Optimizing and improving our physical locations.
Our Library's History:
Building a Foundation (1945–1962)
In 1945, a citizen-led library commission secured a 1-mill tax to establish North Little Rock’s first public library. The library opened in 1946 at 211 Maple Street with just 2,000 books, but served more than 15,000 visitors in its first year.
By 1948, NLRPLS had expanded to three branches, circulating over 30,000 books, and housing Arkansas’s first youth library. This early growth set the pace for decades to come.
The system’s next leap came in 1962 when all branches were consolidated into a new library at 2801 Orange Street, dedicated to former mayor William F. “Casey” Laman.
Expanding Services (1962–2006)
For over 40 years, the Laman Library anchored the system. In 2003, a major renovation nearly doubled its size to 50,000 square feet, adding program capabilities and meeting space for the growing community. Laman Plaza followed with upgrades to sidewalks, fountains, and landscaping.
In 2006, the library established a second branch, its first downtown branch located on Main Street in a building shared with the North Little Rock History Commission.
A Cultural Landmark in Argenta (2012–2014)
In 2012, NLRPLS purchased the historic Argenta Post Office at 420 Main Street. After two years of extensive renovations, the Argenta Branch opened in 2014, offering a curated book collection, computer lab, art gallery, and public meeting rooms. This solidified the library’s role as a cultural anchor in the quickly expanding Argenta Arts District. Earmarked for revitalization, the Argenta Arts District was soon to become a haven for arts and culture within North Little Rock's city limits.
Innovation and Outreach (2014–2025)
That same year, Arkansas’s first makerspace, the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, opened just blocks away. Since 2014, the Hub has reached 98,393 makers with hands-on learning in art, technology, and entrepreneurship. In 2018, its STEAM Roller mobile makerspace carried creativity across the state.
The library also expanded its reach. In 2023, Rover, a full-length mobile library, began delivering books, resources, and activities directly to neighborhoods.
In a statistical census in 2022, NLRPLS welcomed more than 200,000 patrons, generated over 1 million social media impressions, and circulated more than 60,000 items. Thousands more accessed the computer lab, passport office, and notary services.
In 2025, NLRPLS and the Innovation Hub officially joined forces. This milestone united two community powerhouses under one vision: Empower Community Connections through literacy, creativity, and innovation.