Springdale Public Library

What Springdale Public Library does

Springdale Public Library is a municipal public library founded in the 1920s in Springdale, Arkansas, and operating continuously for nearly a century. It serves as a government state entity under the authority of the City of Springdale, governed since 1953 by a seven-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council. Its primary operating geography is Washington County, with a single 43,000-square-foot anchor facility at 405 S. Pleasant St. in Murphy Park. The library holds an average daily circulation of 1,900 items and serves 1,500+ daily visitors, supported by 26 employees across reference, children's, young adult, circulation, marketing, and outreach functions.

The library's core product is a hybrid physical-and-digital collection. Physical materials include books, audiobooks on CD and Playaway, DVDs, Blu-rays, music CDs, and Launchpad tablets, with a 30-item-per-borrower checkout cap and auto-renewal features. Digital services are delivered through a portfolio of third-party platforms: Libby (ebooks/audiobooks/magazines), Hoopla (streaming media up to 10 items/month), Kanopy (24 film tickets/month plus unlimited Kanopy Kids), Freegal Music (15M+ songs, 3 weekly downloads), Flipster (digital magazines), and a research database suite spanning LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages, Brainfuse, Ancestry Library Edition, Heritage Quest, World Book, NewsBank, and Creativebug. Supporting in-person services include public computing, open WiFi, mobile hotspot lending (extending broadband to up to 10 devices per household), meeting rooms, notary, print/copy/fax/scan, early literacy stations, and a Library of Things collection of tools, maker technology, and hobby items. A homebound delivery program serves residents unable to visit the building, including institutional deliveries to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

The business model is tax-funded rather than commercial. The principal revenue stream is a voter-approved one-mill Washington County library tax, supplemented by City of Springdale appropriations and Arkansas State Library grant funding under the Library Services and Technology Act. Supplementary revenue comes from the Springdale Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Library bookstore proceeds, and transactional fees including a $25/household/year non-resident card, $1 card replacement, $0.15-$0.50/page printing and copying, $1/page faxing, and modest overdue fines. Library cards and core services are free to Washington County residents, workers, property owners, and students. The library operates within a community-led go-to-market motion driven by word-of-mouth, school partnerships, in-person programming (storytimes, STEAM, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten), and the Friends volunteer network.

Name

Springdale Public Library

Legal name

Springdale Public Library

Website

https://springdalelibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Springdale Public Library is a municipal public library in Springdale, Arkansas, serving Washington County residents since the 1920s. It offers free library cards, physical and digital collections, public computing, WiFi and hotspot lending, programming, and homebound delivery, funded primarily by a voter-approved library tax.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending
• Digital library resources
• Children's programming
• Homebound delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Springdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Primary funding from local taxation including one-mill library tax approved by Washington County voters and city support. The library is a municipal government entity under the authority of the City of Springdale and governed by a Board of Trustees.
2. Service Fees: Nominal fees charged for specific services including non-resident library cards ($25/household/year), card replacement ($1), printing ($0.15-$0.50/page), copying ($0.15-$0.50/page), and faxing ($1.00/page).
3. Foundation Donations: Springdale Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Library support library operations through donations and bookstore/book sale revenue. Gift materials not added to collection may be sold at Friends bookstore.
4. Grant Funding: Receives support through Arkansas State Library's Traveler Project, funded by U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services grants under Library Services and Technology Act provisions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Springdale Public Library lends physical and digital media — books, audiobooks, DVDs, Blu-rays, music CDs, Launchpad tablets, and a non-traditional Library of Things collection — to Washington County residents free of charge via a municipal-tax-funded membership model. It supplements borrowing with digital streaming (Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Freegal), over 40 online research databases, public computers and Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, copy/print/fax/scan services, free notary, and homebound delivery for patrons unable to visit in person.

Product overview

Springdale Public Library is a public library offering a unified collection of physical and digital materials and services. The core offering centers on physical materials including books, audiobooks, DVDs, music CDs, and Launchpad tablets, supported by circulation services with 30-item checkout limits and auto-renewal capabilities. Digital services include Libby (e-books/audiobooks/magazines), Hoopla (streaming media), and Kanopy (video), alongside over 40 online research databases covering academic, genealogical, and professional development needs. Supporting services include public computing and WiFi, meeting rooms and study carrels, copy/print/fax/scan services, notary public, and homebound delivery. The library also offers a Library of Things collection for non-traditional items, programming for all ages including a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative, and personalized reader advisory through the Your Next Read service. The digital portfolio is delivered through multiple third-party platforms including Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Flipster, Freegal Music, and various research databases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical Materials Collection
• Library Card Services
• Circulation and Borrowing Services
• Meeting Rooms
• Public Computers and Internet Access
• Public WiFi and Mobile Hotspots
• Early Literacy Stations
• Copy, Print, Fax, and Scan Services
• Homebound Delivery Service
• Notary Services
• Digital Media Streaming and Download
• Online Research Databases
• Library of Things
• Programming and Events
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
• Your Next Read (Reader Advisory)
• Curbside Requests
• Friends of the Library Bookstore

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,900 items checked out per day
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration27 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Washington County Library SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpringdale Public Library is part of the Washington County Library System established in 1941. The partnership allows patrons to request materials from any member library, return items to any location, and access expanded collections through interlibrary loan. Library cards issued at any WCLS location are honored at Springdale.
• Arkansas State Library (Traveler Project)coreTechnology or IntegrationResources marked with the Arkansas Traveler icon are made available through the Arkansas State Library, funded by U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services grants under Library Services and Technology Act provisions with additional state funds from Arkansas Department of Education.
• Springdale Public Library FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation that supports library operations and programs through fundraising and donations. Provides supplementary funding beyond municipal tax support for special initiatives and capital needs.
• Friends of the Springdale Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer support organization that operates the library bookstore and book sales. Revenue from sales supports library programs and materials. Also provides volunteer staffing for bookstore operations.
• Arkansas Library2Go (Libby/OverDrive)coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform providing downloadable ebooks and audiobooks accessible through the Libby app. Materials check out for two weeks with automatic returns. Includes Libby for Kids and Libby for Teens sections.
• Hoopla DigitalmajorTechnology or IntegrationStreaming platform offering ebooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, movies, TV shows, and music albums with no waiting lists or holds. Patrons can download up to 10 items per month through the Hoopla app.
• KanopymajorTechnology or IntegrationOn-demand streaming film service offering documentaries, classic films, foreign language films, and training videos from PBS, BBC, and The Great Courses. Patrons receive 24 tickets per month plus unlimited Kanopy Kids streaming.
• Better World BooksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaterials that do not sell in the Friends bookstore may be sent to Better World Books for online selling. Proceeds support literacy programs, creating a sustainability pathway for donated materials.
• City of SpringdalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government entity governed by Board of Trustees appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council. The library operates as a city department following official City of Springdale holiday closures and operating procedures.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Kanopy: On-demand streaming video service available to Springdale cardholders; comparable only as an enabler of library digital services.
• OCLC: Library cooperative that powers WorldCat and interlibrary loan infrastructure Springdale relies on for resource sharing; adjacent infrastructure provider rather than competitor.
• OverDrive (Libby): Provider of the Libby/Arkansas Library2Go digital lending platform used by Springdale; adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Hoopla Digital: Streaming and download platform integrated with the Springdale catalog; adjacent digital content supplier enabling the library's digital lending program.
• EBSCO Information Services: Research database vendor serving academic and public libraries; adjacent participant supplying subscription content comparable to what Springdale licenses for its research portal.
• Polaris Library Systems: Vendor of the integrated library system (Polaris catalog) Springdale uses; relevant peer as the underlying technology platform rather than a competing library.

Direct peers

• Fayetteville Public Library: Municipal public library in nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas; comparable in mandate, funding model (local tax), and service mix including digital lending, meeting rooms, and community programming — making it the closest operational peer.
• Bentonville Public Library: Northwest Arkansas municipal library operating on similar tax-funded model with comparable collection, programming, and digital service offerings; directly comparable in scale and community role to Springdale.
• Rogers Public Library: Adjacent Washington County municipality library and member of the same WCLS consortium; offers overlapping collections, digital platforms, and programming under a comparable municipal structure.
• Siloam Springs Public Library: Smaller Arkansas municipal library; relevant for comparison on staffing scale, collection depth, and the same Washington County / state-level funding mechanisms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpringdaleLibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/springdalelibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springdale-public-library

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Springdale Public Library