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History of the Crawford County Library System On July 1, 1999, the five libraries in Crawford County, which had been part of the Ozarks Regional Library System, opened their doors for the first time as the Crawford County Library System (CCLS). This change occurred at a time when several other regional systems were reorganizing. At that time, CCLS had approximately 60,000 books and other materials housed in the five libraries in Alma, Cedarville, Mountainburg, Mulberry, and Van Buren. There were eight employees, plus a new director tasked with organizing the new county system. The Mountainburg Library was remodeling a building they had leased from the United States Forestry Service so they could move out of the City Complex Building. That move was completed in October 1999, and in 2018 the town opened its new library at 225 Highway 71 NW. The Alma Library was in the process of purchasing the old hardware store at 624 Fayetteville Avenue, moving there in April 2000. In 2006, an adjacent storefront was purchased to grow the library even more. A new library opened at 220 North Main Street in Mulberry in 2006 and expanded in 2018, doubling in size. Two new libraries made their debut in 2011, one in Van Buren at 1409 Main Street, and another at 737 Pirates Way in Cedarville. In 2019, CCLS celebrated its twentieth anniversary. At that time, the libraries housed 197,000 books and other materials, and employed twenty-eight people. The growth continues today. Today our services include: Public computers, including laptops Databases: research/learning, genealogy, newspapers, topics provided by the Arkansas State Library and IMLS Study rooms Public Wi-Fi www.crawfordcountylib.org eBooks and e-audio books that can be downloaded via our webpage, Interlibrary loan services, a program that shares books and materials from participating libraries across the U.S. Storytime for preschool children Storytime presented by our staff at outside locations such as daycares, schools, and adult living facilities Summer reading programs with parties and prizes Teen programs Adult programs that include everything from greeting card making to book clubs Art camps in partnership with the Center for Art in Education STEM and STEAM Programs Music programs Magic shows Science programs Exercise programs Health seminars CCLS provides these services through a 1.4 mill property tax that was passed in 1998 and has not been increased since. In December 2019, the CCLS began asking patrons for input into the libraries, asking which services are most important to them, and what services could be added to improve their lives. That data will help the System plan its future as it continues serving the needs of Crawford County, promoting a love of reading, and strengthening our diverse communities.

How to Get a Library Card Residents The following categories of patrons shall be issued resident cards free of charge: · Permanent residents of Crawford County. · Property owners in Crawford County. · Persons employed in Crawford County. · Students enrolled in schools in Crawford County. Non-Residents Patrons who are not eligible for a resident card may use a non-resident card. There is an annual fee of $10.00 for the non-resident card. Any library in the Crawford County Library System may issue a resident card to a patron who qualifies for a resident library card at another library in the system. Cards issued at one of the libraries in the Crawford County Library System shall be honored by any other library in the system. A complete physical application is required to receive a library card. The application requires: · Name, mailing address, telephone number · Date of Birth · Signature · Whether or not the applicant wishes to register to vote. · Two forms of ID. One form must be a photo ID, such as a driver’s license or other government-issued identification. AND One of the following forms of ID showing current address: · Utility bill. · Printed check. · Tax receipt. · Mail delivered to current address. · Other items which provide satisfactory proof of current address. When an applicant has successfully registered for a card, they may check out 3 items at that time. When those items are returned, normal check-out rules apply. For persons under 18, a legally responsible party is required. The Responsible party's written name and signature is necessary to check out items.

CCLS Board Upcoming Board Meeting Location: Van Buren Public Library Date: 9/9/2025 Time: 5:30 PM CCLS Board Members Keith Pigg Library: Mulberry Email: kpiggcrawfordcountylib@gmail.com Alyssa Bryant Library: Mountainburg Email: abryant@crawfordcountylib.org Tammara Hamby Library: Van Buren Email: tammihambycclibrary@gmail.com Kayla Rich Library: Cedarville Email: krich@crawfordcountylib.org Kaelin Schaper Library: Alma Email: k schaper@crawfordcountylib.org Board Meeting Information Form for Public Comments at Board Meetings Community members who wish to address the board must submit the form below to the Library Director or a Board Member at least 1 hour prior to the meeting. This request should be detailed enough to allow the board members and director to understand the issue the individual wishes to discuss and which agenda item it pertains to. Each participant is limited to 3 minutes. Only community members who have turned in the form at the proper time will be allowed time to speak and meeting time constraints may not allow all who turned in a form to be accepted to speak. If you wish to download a copy of the form, click the PDF attachment above. Complete and Submit the Form Below: Form for Public Comment

Announcements Health and Wellness Fair Saturday 08/24/2024 Van Buren Library

Application Applicants must be at least 18 years old and possess at least a GED or high school diploma First name Email Position Last name Phone Start Date Relevant Work Experience Education If your application meets our criteria, we will send the full application form to you via email. Apply Thank you!