Benton’s Own Bill Brown
By Cody Berry Another one of the Saline County veterans featured in our new exhibit is Benton’s own Bill Brown. This is his story. Charles William “Bill” Brown was born in Benton on December 29, 1920, to Charles E. and Sammy Ashby Brown. Brown graduated from Benton High School in 1938 and joined the U.S. … Continued
Saline Reads
Introducing the biggest book club in Saline County! Why read a book alone when you can read it with so many friends? We’re proud to announce the new Saline Reads program. We’ll have daily videos on Facebook and YouTube reading with your favorite librarians and staff in Benton, Bryant, and East End! Tune in on … Continued
Part Time Library Assistant at East End Branch job opening!
The Branch Library Assistant is responsible for all public service operations including circulation, reference, and technology help. Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings until 6pm and most Saturdays 8am-4pm. 29 hours per week. Qualifications: High School Diploma, Associate Degree preferred. customer service experience, and experience with Microsoft Office and PCs. … Continued
Seasonal Library Assistant Job Opening
The Seasonal Library Assistant is responsible for all public service operations including circulation, reference, and technology help at all branches. Schedule is variable and may include Saturdays up to 19 hours per week. Qualifications: High School Diploma preferred, customer service experience, and programming/event planning experience preferred. The successful applicant needs to be friendly, outgoing, motivated, and … Continued
The Story of Alvin Lloyd McNeil
By Cody Berry I recently wrote about Ewell Ross McCright who was a prisoner of war during WWII. Well, he wasn’t the only local veteran to have spent time in a POW camp. In the Gann Museum’s new exhibit, “My Country Called,” named after historian Arnold Wright’s book, we have some newspaper clippings and a … Continued
Introducing Our New Exhibit: My Country Called
By Cody Berry Over the past few months, I’ve been searching the building for anything that came from the 1940s in hopes of building a display on Saline County during the Second World War. This year marks eighty years since the end of WWII in 1945 and this is our tribute to the brave men … Continued
Dream Big at Saline County Library
Join us for a week of exploring figures from history in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series! From Monday – Thursday, September 15 – 18 from 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM, there will be special storytimes at the Benton branch for those dreamers looking to reach for the stars. What’s happening in Benton StorytimesEach day … Continued
Summer Reading Challenge RECAP!
We did it! Our Summer Reading Challenge in 2025 was fantastic, and we’re so proud of our staff for their hard work in putting together so many engaging programs! We saw thousands of visitors at the library this summer, and we appreciate you, too! Your joy and creativity made all of our branches a wonderful … Continued
McCright’s Purple Heart
By Cody Berry I recently saw an announcement online about Purple Heart Day on August 7th. This made me think about the recipients of that award that I’ve been researching over the summer. One of them was a man from Benton named Ewell Ross McCright. McCright was born in Benton on December 4, 1917, to … Continued
Bauxite: The Death of a Dream
Pictured above: The Alcoa plant in Bauxite, originally built in 1952, but now owned and operated by the Almatis, Inc. By Cody Berry This week I wanted to cover the end of Bauxite as a company town. The end didn’t come because the mines were depleted or the aluminum industry shutdown after WWII. By 1944, … Continued