If you are unfamiliar with my story, I moved down to Northwest Arkansas from the Chicago land area about a year and a half ago. When I moved down here, Fayetteville library was in the process of building a massive expansion to their library, and I was super excited to see what it was all about. At the time, I had no idea the level of amazingness and dedication they put into the library.
Northwest Arkansas has the world’s best library, and it’s a hub for the whole community. A center of innovation with a full TV production studio, Mac lab, recording studio and VR room, the library is popular with everyone in the area.
The rest of this article will delve into all the reasons why Fayetteville library is the best public space there is. If you’re planning a visit to the area, check out my 3-day itinerary on All Things NWA.
Reasons Northwest Arkansas Has the Best Library
This blog expounds on the features making Fayetteville library one of the best in Northwest Arkansas and the world.
The Library Is a Community Hub
The first thing that the library understands down here in Fayetteville is that it is no longer just a place to find books, but also a community hub for people to get together.
The library provides residents of Northwest Arkansas opportunities to engage in live activities, learn things, and interact with people in the community.
The Fayetteville library does this by creating an environment that is no longer only about books. The library largely promotes education, creativity, and fun for Fayetteville residents of all ages, making it an ideal place for people to come and engage with the community.
Innovation Center
One of the most amazing things about the library is the innovation center. The innovation center is a technology and media aficionado’s dream. It enables easy access to advanced technology that you can use for various activities in the innovation center, including 3d printing.
The library recently acquired a huge brand new resin printer that enables you to design, upload, and print massive resin prints in a short time.
Therefore, you can go to the Fayetteville library any time they are open and make resin prints, including practicing their designs and making dentures. All you need to do is walk in and ask a library attendant for assistance. You can upload the design, and they will start printing it for you.
Additionally, the library has a laser printer that you can use to play with controlled fire, and an alcohol washing station for cleaning everything after you finish 3d printing so that it cures properly.
So, how much does it cost to enjoy all the library’s services?
Luckily, almost everything in the library is free. You don’t need money to use the library’s resources in your design and creativity. The Fayetteville library receives huge grants, which enable it to offer essential services to residents of Northwest Arkansas for free!
And that’s another reason why Bentonville is by far one of the most sought-after places to live in all of America.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
Full TV Production Studio
Another cool thing about the Fayetteville library is its full TV production studio. They have a massive green screen room with three expensive black magic design cameras that meet modern production standards.
You can go in there and film anything you want to at any time. The library has a full stage lighting setup to enable you to record videos that are properly lit at no production cost.
Moreover, on the other side of the TV production studio, they have a trained professional watching the cameras, recording everything, and editing on the fly.
Mac Lab With Adobe Suite
They also have a massive Mac lab with about 12 high-quality Macs purchased in 2020. So if you’re looking to do some intense video editing, you can go to the Fayetteville library and use their built-in TV production studio.
The Mac lab also allows you access to production programs and software you may require, including Adobe Suite, Photoshop, and Illustrator. These programs are fully paid for and thus offer premium features. This means you don’t need to pay a fortune for a Mac when you can access all you need at the Fayetteville library.
World’s First Bike-able Building? Northwest Arkansas and Tech: Tesla Competitor? – Read more
Audio Recording Studio and Mixing Board
One of my favorite and most interesting things about the library, other than the innovation center, is the audio production room and the recording studio. It has a massive soundboard with about 32 channels or more. It also has Logic Pro tools with a Mac that you can use to record professional-quality audio.
If you are a professional band, or if you want to record instruments, you can use the audio recording studio in the library because everything’s professionally set up and ready for you to record.
I like this room because it is completely sound-ready for anything you want to put in there, be it rock music, guitars, or violins. They have had orchestras go into the audio mixing room and record full, high quality sets.
When I was touring a while back, they had a violinist, guitarist, and a full band practicing in there before recording a music video. This is all free and available for you to use. You just have to sign up for the timeframe, go in there, and use it.
VR Room With Oculus 2 and Oculus Rifts
Lastly, one of the other amazing things about the innovation center in the Fayetteville library is the VR room.
They have high quality VR sets ready for you to use. The library has sectioned off safe areas where you can go and immerse yourself in the whole VR experience. You can go there and play Beat Saber or other cool games on the headsets.
For the nerds reading this, they have an Oculus rift hooked up to a computer, which means that it has really high, intense graphics, and the simulation is incredible.
Walk into the Fayetteville library any time you want a fun experience involving VR headsets at no cost.
Getting a Library Card
So you’re asking yourself the question, how do I get a library card?
If you live in Northwest Arkansas, you can get a library card. Simple as that. If you live in one of the following areas, you are eligible for a library card:
- Bentonville
- Rogers
- Fayetteville
- Springdale
- Farmington
If you live in one of these areas, you can walk into the Fayetteville library and ask for a library card to access and enjoy all their services – completely free of charge!
Conclusion
The Fayetteville library has so much to offer, and it’s all completely free. If you’re resident in Northwest Arkansas, you should take advantage of the huge range of equipment and use it as an opportunity to get more involved with your community. I doubt you’ll find a library like this anywhere else!