The Basics:

• How many members do you want? Our book club kits contain ten (10) copies of each title.
• How often will your club meet? Flexibility is important so adapt your schedule and book choices based on group feedback.
• Where will your club meet? Options include a member’s home, a coffee shop, or a CALS meeting room.
• Will your group have a defined host or a rotation of hosting duties? This can help spread the responsibility of organizing meetings.

Establish guidelines:

• What are your participation expectations? We recommend keeping it casual as you begin. Don’t put too much pressure on in-depth analysis, focus on enjoying the conversation and sharing perspectives.
• Should everyone contribute to the discussion? How will you manage differing opinions? A key factor in the happiness and success of the club is encouraging everyone to participate and be respectful of different viewpoints.
• How you will choose future books? (voting, rotating selection, share list with random selection)

Hosting a meeting:

• Allow everyone to share a bit about themselves and their reading interests.
• Facilitate a thoughtful conversation by asking open-ended questions about the book.
• Consider incorporating themed snacks or drinks related to the book.
• We recommend choosing a book that appeals to a wide range of interests to engage everyone. Rich themes and characters that can spark interesting conversation.

Book clubs at CALS branches:

Looking to join an existing club? Several branches have monthly club meetings that are open to the public!

Nixon Book Buddies meets the third Thursday each month at 1PM at Nixon Library in Jacksonville. After the discussion, the new titles are distributed for the following month’s session. For more information contact Opal Mitchell at omitchell@cals.org or 501.457.5038.

Thompson Library has a monthly adult book club that meets every third Thursday at 3PM. Copies of the book are available to borrow from the Thompson front desk. No registration is required. For more information contact Brittany Garner at bngarner@cals.org or 501.821.2060.

Maumelle Library Book Club meets every first Thursday at 6:30PM. The new title is distributed after the discussion. If you want to start now, drop by the front desk and request your copy! For more information contact Anne Weaver at aweaver@cals.org or 501.851.2551.

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April 6–12 is National Library Week—a time to celebrate the vital role libraries and library professionals play in transforming lives and strengthening communities.

However, as we come together to highlight the positive impact of libraries, libraries in Arkansas and across the country are facing serious threats.

Here are two key issues you should know about:

• On April 2, Senate Bill 536 narrowly passed the Arkansas Senate. The bill, if it becomes law, would transfer the authorities, funds, contracts and employees of the Arkansas State Library and its board to the Arkansas Department of Education. It places restrictive standards on materials intended for adults, based on what might be considered too explicit for young children, limiting access to information and disproportionately impacting small and rural communities.

But this bill isn’t just about books—it also puts critical digital resources at risk. SB 536 would abolish the Arkansas State Library, removing access to shared databases for career development, student research, and language learning. The State Library administers grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), including the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding used to enhance library services statewide, supporting summer reading programs, expanding access to eBooks and audiobooks, and providing resources for the visually impaired.

• Following an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump on March 14, IMLS is now in jeopardy. The Arkansas State Library receives $850,000 from IMLS that allows Arkansas residents access to essential resources tailored to local needs. If each public library, university, and school purchased access to these resources, the total cost would be more than $53 million.

What does this mean? 

• CALS databases that could be affected include Career and Technical Education, HeritageQuest, Pronunciator, ProQuest Central, STEM Databases, and World Book.
• SB536’s sponsors have not yet specified how these changes will be implemented, only that responsibilities will be transferred to the Department of Education.
• IMLS has suspended all grant disbursements, including reimbursements, and placed its entire staff of 70 on administrative leave.

Libraries and museums drive economic growth and provide a strong return on investment. The loss of state and federal support would devastate library services—affecting everything from books to job training tools. We urge you to consider how your family uses the library. It’s more than a place for children’s books—it’s a cornerstone of lifelong learning, workforce development, and community access to information. SB 536 and the possible elimination of IMLS put all of that at risk.

How can you help? 

• Contact your state legislators and share your personal story about what libraries mean to you, their importance to communities and your concerns about SB536. Time is of the essence. Please contact your representatives ASAP.
• Not sure what to say to your legislators? Unite Against Book Bans makes it easy. Just fill out their form with your district information, and they’ll send a templated email to the appropriate representatives on your behalf. Fill out the form.

Resources

SB 536

ASL Federal Funding PDF

ASL Explainer PDF

ULC Library Services PDF

ULC Programs PDF

Federal Funding Powerpoint

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Bring your goodies until March 31, and let’s make some magic happen! For donation drop-off information, contact Tracey at teatmon@cals.org or 501.225.0066.
 
View Event

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I often say that CALS is punching above its weight, and 2024 was no exception. From groundbreaking programs to civic engagement, our library system continues to meet the moment and tackle complex challenges. Libraries are increasingly called upon to address issues impacting their communities directly, and CALS has risen to that challenge with creativity and determination. 

In 2024, CALS embarked on a strategic planning process to chart a course for the future. Many of you contributed to this effort through interviews and surveys, and your valuable feedback, combined with insights from our staff, shaped our new mission statement: “We connect people. We nurture potential. We grow community.” This mission serves as our guiding compass as we adapt to the evolving needs of our patrons and the communities we serve. We look forward to unveiling the full strategic plan soon. 

CALS continues to embrace its role as a vital force for connection, inclusion, and empowerment. Last year, we celebrated significant milestones that highlighted the library’s enduring impact, including the Fletcher Library’s 50th anniversary and the grand reopening of the Williams Library. These joyful events underscored our commitment to serving as a cornerstone for the community. This fall, we will carry that momentum forward with the reopening of the Main Library, ushering in an exciting new chapter in our mission to connect people, nurture their potential, and grow the Central Arkansas community. 

The Six Bridges Book Festival was a phenomenal success, featuring notable authors such as Toluse Olorunnipa, Ilyon Woo, Robin Preiss Glasser, and Ann Patchett. Summer @ CALS offered new adventures for patrons of all ages, and we unveiled the CALS Cruiser, an innovative addition to our services. Additionally, a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge program—one of the largest in our history—will enhance the library’s Memory Lab, preserving the stories and histories that define our community. 

Our staff continues to support residents in crucial ways. One shining example is Be Mighty Little Rock, which directly addresses childhood hunger and food insecurity. Additionally, we are making a meaningful difference through initiatives like Little Free Pantries, the seed library, and garden programming. 

Your generosity fueled much of this progress. From supporting the Legal Fund to Giving Tuesday to year-end giving, we saw an extraordinary outpouring of support. Your contributions to programs like Food for Fines, the annual toy drive in partnership with Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive with Arkansas PBS highlight the library’s ability to meet the community’s needs. And CALS volunteers gave their time at neighborhood branches, outreach events, and popular programs. I’m continually inspired by the commitment of CALS’s donors and volunteers to creating a better world. 

The year also presented significant challenges, such as addressing homelessness in our city. While CALS is not responsible for every shift in approach, the library played a key role in fostering collaboration among the City of Little Rock and community partners. We have used our credibility as a public institution to shine a light on this pressing issue, providing resources and advocacy for our unhoused neighbors. 

Notably, the year ended with a favorable resolution to the legal challenge we lodged against an Arkansas statute adopted in early 2023. Just before Christmas, the federal judge presiding over the case issued a final ruling that agreed with the claims we had made in the lawsuit that key parts of Act 372 violated the U.S. Constitution. In his ruling Judge Brooks affirmed the authority of the professionals who run the library over “local governing bodies whose members lack training and experience in these matters and are not bounded by similar selection constraints.” He prevented implementation of the law because it would “permit, if not encourage, library committees and local governmental bodies to make censorship decisions based on content or viewpoint, which would violate the First Amendment.” With your continued support, we will remain steadfast in championing intellectual freedom and ensuring that everyone has access through the library to a diverse array of stories, knowledge, and perspectives. Doing so, we believe, inspires greater opportunities for growth and understanding.  

As we move into this new year, our mission will guide us. We want to continue to expand reliable access to all types of resources in various formats, as well as strengthen our existing partnerships that help us serve the community. I invite you to support CALS in whatever way feels right for you—whether through donations, volunteering, partnerships, advocacy, or simply enjoying the library’s many offerings. Together, we’ll keep building a community where everyone feels heard, supported, and connected. 

We are a community. We are CALS. 

Here’s to a bright and hopeful 2025. Thank you for being part of our story.  

Warmly, 

Nate Coulter
Executive Director
Central Arkansas Library System 

The post Happy New Year! appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

Last summer, a coalition of public libraries, library organizations, professional librarians, library patrons, booksellers, bookstore customers, booksellers’ associations, and authors’ associations challenged the constitutionality of Sections 1 and 5 of Arkansas Act 372. On July 29, 2023, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks issued a preliminary injunction, temporarily halting enforcement of certain provisions of the law.

Today, as many prepare for the holidays, Judge Brooks has issued a ruling in our favor.

Section 1 of Act 372 created a new criminal misdemeanor – subjecting librarians, booksellers, and even parents to up to a year in jail – for “furnishing a harmful item to a minor.” Section 5 of Act 372 would have required CALS and other public libraries to establish a burdensome challenge process and permitted local governments to stigmatize and impede access to disfavored or controversial viewpoints.

Today, Judge Brooks reaffirmed what he found in his preliminary injunction order: “Sections 1 and 5 of the Act remain vaguely worded and susceptible to multiple meanings; Section 1 violates the due process rights of professional librarians and booksellers and the First Amendment rights of library and bookstore patrons; and Section 5 empowers local elected officials to censor library books they feel are not ‘appropriate’ for citizens to read and allows (if not encourages) content- and viewpoint-based restrictions on protected speech without any compelling governmental purpose.” He concluded that Sections 1 and 5 violated the First Amendment and ordered the defendants not to enforce those sections.

“This is a significant milestone on a long, sometimes rocky road we were obligated to travel after the passage of Act 372. We took that path to protect our librarians from prosecution for doing their jobs and to prevent some local elected officials from censoring library books they did not feel were ‘appropriate’ for our patrons to read.

Judge Brooks’ ruling affirms the values that CALS librarians—and, I believe, most of our citizens—hold dear. Our Constitution does not authorize city boards, quorum courts, or even librarians like me to act as agents of government censorship by removing or restricting access to books simply because some members of our community find their content or ideas objectionable.

Under the law Judge Brooks has now permanently enjoined, elected officials would have been given the discretion to decide whether a book is ‘appropriate’ without the benefit of any criteria or procedures and without even having to first read the book. And librarians, fearing jail time, would have had an incentive to remove books that adults and older minors have the right to read; or maybe avoid the threat of prosecution by not acquiring those books,” said Nate Coulter, executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System.

We are deeply gratified by this ruling, and we are thankful for our allies, the librarians, booksellers, and reading advocates across the country who have worked together in defense of the freedom to read: Fayetteville Public Library, Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library, Olivia Farrell, Miel Partain (in her own capacity and as parent and next friend of Madeline Partain), Jennie Kirby (as parent and next friend of Hayden Kirby), Leta Caplinger, Adam Webb, the Arkansas Library Association, Advocates for All Arkansas Libraries, Pearl’s Books, LLC, WordsWorth Community Bookstore, LLC (d/b/a WordsWorth Books), the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, Inc., the Authors Guild, Inc., the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and the Freedom to Read Foundation. We are also grateful to the 264 donors who have contributed $75,335.30 to the CALS Foundation’s Legal Fund, which was created in May 2023 to underwrite the cost of challenging Act 372 in federal court.

Library patrons in Arkansas deserve access to a wide variety of materials and the ability to make their own choices. Parents—not the government—should decide what their children read and book banning has no place in our democracy. Together, we affirm one of our most fundamental values: the freedom to read.

This ruling is a significant moment for CALS and libraries across the state. We will provide further updates on this case as developments arise.

Link to the Memorandum Opinion and Order Granting Plaintiffs Summary Judgment

In the meantime, we encourage you to stay engaged with CALS. Visit your local branch, check out a big stack of books, and let us know how we can serve you better.

Happy holidays—and happy reading!

Central Arkansas Library System

For more background on the case, visit: https://cals.org/news/an-update-from-nate-coulter-regarding-act-372.

The post Victory for Libraries: Judge Rules in Favor of the Freedom to Read appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

Thinking about a new cycle as we move deep into the second half of 2024 here at CALS, we knocked out a solid first half. And we have so much more planned for the rest of the year.

In April, we successfully reopened the remodeled Williams Library with a series of events, including a fundraiser that will help sustain programming at the branch. Moving the entrance to the east side of the building facing our partners at Dunbar Middle School now seems so natural that before long patrons won’t remember that the entrance was ever anywhere else. We’re glad to have the branch back up and running. We have less ambitious but important updates happening now at Terry Library, McMath Library, and Dee Brown Library. The work at Main Library continues to make steady progress; you can keep up with the changes at cals.org/main2025. We will soon have something exciting to add, where we will need the community’s creativity to help us get it right. Be on the lookout for how you can make your mark on Main.

We just wrapped up one of the most successful Summer @ CALS seasons, with almost 11,000 people participating! Our programmers put together an amazing assortment of fun summer activities, including two Library Nights at Dickey-Stephens Park. I’m excited to see our annual summer reading program continue to keep people engaged with reading during the summer months.

We have held three well-attended Used Book Sales out at our Port location. We appreciate the continued enthusiasm for the sale despite the remoteness of the temporary location. The proceeds from these sales continue to fund important programming like our children’s after school meal program from Be Mighty, and the annual Six Bridges Book Festival.

The Book Festival in late September is just around the corner. Planning is in full swing, and as always, we think there will be something for every reader’s interest. Mark your calendars for September 22-29. We will start with a few virtual events before diving into the in-person discussions on Thursday. We will have cooking demonstrations in the new Williams Library community kitchen, a party on Friday night, and wrap things up with Little Readers Rock, the Root Pie Contest, and a special event with Ann Patchett and Robin Preiss Glasser on Sunday. You can meet local and nationally acclaimed authors, including some familiar faces like Eli Cranor, Ayana Gray, and Nate Powell, with newcomers Pulitzer winner Ilyon Woo, Crystal Wilkinson, Marcela Fuentes, and Alice Driver.

Another exciting thing happening soon is that we are expanding our reach with the addition of the long-awaited bookmobile. This library-on-wheels which we have dubbed the “CALS Cruiser,” is set to hit the streets in September. We will attend events within the community, but more importantly, it will help us reach patrons in areas where our existing branches are simply not convenient.

September will be a packed month. In addition to the Book Festival, two of our branches are noting significant milestones – Fletcher will celebrate 50 years with a 70s-themed party on September 7, while Thompson Library will celebrate 20 years later that same month.

We recently wrapped up a public survey that will help us write our strategic plan for the next three years. We appreciate the candid feedback from patrons about what we are doing right and what we could do better. I might be biased, but I think the future of CALS in the next few years is extremely promising. I am confident our wonderful staff will exceed your expectations most every day because, as I like to say to everyone, CALS punches above its weight.

There are a lot of challenges in our community and world to be concerned about for the future. But for a long time, going back to the first day of kindergarten for my oldest child in August of 1995, CALS has been a shining illustration of the best of local public service organizations in Arkansas. The fall we have planned for you will continue that tradition of excellence.

The post Notes from Nate: Traditions of Excellence at CALS appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

Thinking about a new cycle as we move deep into the second half of 2024 here at CALS, we knocked out a solid first half. And we have so much more planned for the rest of the year.

In April, we successfully reopened the remodeled Williams Library with a series of events, including a fundraiser that will help sustain programming at the branch. Moving the entrance to the east side of the building facing our partners at Dunbar Middle School now seems so natural that before long patrons won’t remember that the entrance was ever anywhere else. We’re glad to have the branch back up and running. We have less ambitious but important updates happening now at Terry Library, McMath Library and Dee Brown Library. The work at Main Library continues to make steady progress; you can keep up with the changes at cals.org/main2025. We will soon have something exciting to add, where we will need the community’s creativity to help us get it right. Be on the lookout for how you can make your mark on Main.

We just wrapped up one of the most successful Summer @ CALS seasons, with almost 11,000 people participating! Our programmers put together an amazing assortment of fun summer activities, including two Library Nights at Dickey-Stephens Park. I’m excited to see our annual summer reading program continue to keep people engaged with reading during the summer months.

We have held three well-attended Used Book Sales out at our Port location. We appreciate the continued enthusiasm for the sale despite the remoteness of the temporary location. The proceeds from these sales continue to fund important programming like our children’s after school meal program from Be Mighty, and the annual Six Bridges Book Festival.

The Book Festival in late September is just around the corner. Planning is in full swing, and as always, we think there will be something for every reader’s interest. Mark your calendars for September 22-29. We will start with a few virtual events before diving into the in-person discussions on Thursday. We will have cooking demonstrations in the new Williams Library community kitchen, a party on Friday night, and wrap things up with Little Readers Rock, the Root Pie Contest, and a special event with Ann Patchett and Robin Preiss Glasser on Sunday. You can meet local and nationally acclaimed authors, including some familiar faces like Eli Cranor, Ayana Gray, and Nate Powell, with newcomers Pulitzer winner Ilyon Woo, Crystal Wilkinson, Marcela Fuentes, and Alice Driver.

Another exciting thing happening soon is that we are expanding our reach with the addition of the long-awaited bookmobile. This library-on-wheels, which we have dubbed the “CALS Cruiser,” is set to hit the streets in September. We will attend events within the community, but more importantly, it will help us reach patrons in areas where our existing branches are simply not convenient.

September will be a packed month. In addition to the Book Festival, two of our branches are noting significant milestones – Fletcher will celebrate 50 years with a 70s-themed party on September 7, while Thompson Library will celebrate 20 years later that same month.

We recently wrapped up a public survey that will help us write our strategic plan for the next three years. We appreciate the candid feedback from patrons about what we are doing right and what we could do better. I might be biased, but I think the future of CALS in the next few years is extremely promising. I am confident our wonderful staff will exceed your expectations most every day because, as I like to say to everyone, CALS punches above its weight.

There are a lot of challenges in our community and world to be concerned about for the future. But for a long time, going back to the first day of kindergarten for my oldest child in August of 1995, CALS has been a shining illustration of the best of local public service organizations in Arkansas. The fall we have planned for you will continue that tradition of excellence.

The post Notes from Nate: Traditions of Excellence at CALS appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

“Off the Shelf” features new releases in both physical and digital media, exhibitions, and highlights larger system-wide programs. We hope this publication serves our patrons by providing current news about our collection– the foundation of all great libraries.

Here’s wishing you a reading list that grows shorter as the days grow longer.

Read Here

The post Get upcoming catalog and event news with “Off the Shelf” appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

Owner and founder of Advancing Black Entrepreneurship, Benito Lubazibwa spoke at length on the challenges that entrepreneurs, specifically minority owners face and the tools that the RIL can provide. He emphasized that the RIL provides four kinds of capital- knowledge, financial, social and possibly, the most important, hope. When discussing the idea of barriers to funding, Lubazibwa went on to remark that often people say teach a man to fish; but then you discover that the lake is polluted and that the playing field is not set up equally for all who want to own a business. This gets to the core of what the RIL aims to do – build a more equitable and just entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Arkansas.
Statistics shared that night included over 350 entrepreneurs being served during the 2021 year, with 80% of those being women. And over 1,000 hours spent consulting entrepreneurs both through the Incubator class as well as one-on-one mentorships.

Lakeisha Sharpley, a graduate, spoke about what her time in the program meant to her. She was appreciative of the opportunities that have been provided, including the ability to sell products directly to customers through the River Shop without the overhead of her own shop, nor the costs typically associated with pop-up events. She values the community that has been created among her class as well as her newfound desire to take risks. She discussed the amount of knowledge she has been able to gain through guest speakers and how she has learned “the unvoiced information that is typically kept away from us.” She ended her speech by saying that she came into the program with a small toolbox and now she has a big toolbox, full of information. Sharpley is a teacher at the Little Rock School District and is the owner of Lux + Soul, where she sells home décor and self-care items including candles and loungewear.

Keynote Speaker and Executive Director of CALS, Nate Coulter spoke about the history of the RIL and how the program came to be. He discussed that initially, this entrepreneurial hub was going to be housed on the 5th floor of the Main Library and that some funds were even spent there to get the space created; but then the opportunity to instead locate the RIL in the Cox building was presented and it was agreed upon that this was where it should have always been. He surmised that much like the graduates in the room, the path to success is never a straight line but takes persistence and patience.

Twenty-three graduates were awarded certificates of completion of the program. Many of these faces will stay with the RIL as mentors for the next group, while some are already diving into their respective projects. For instance, Corey Nelson announced the opening of his restaurant, Chicago Flamin’ Grill in Beebe. Lubazibwa ended with an African proverb, “No person is born great, a great person is created while others are sleeping.”

The highlight of the night was the announcement of the Demo Day winner. Weeks prior, the graduates all pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges. One stood out above the others, despite the lack of a formal PowerPoint presentation, the judges were overcome by Hezekiah Pierce and his company, Hezekiah Lawn Care, LLC and the passion he had for it. A shining example of the positive effect of extending grace and second chances, Pierce has spent time in prison. He served his sentence and upon release, became a resident of Our House. During his time in the Incubator program at the RIL, he lived at Our House and spoke at length about his plans to open a business, never missing a class. He recently secured his first apartment and is now living on his own.

Pierce sat shocked while his fellow graduates and Our House staff cheered and stood for him. Lubazibwa then announced that in order to help Pierce with his lawncare business a zero-turn lawnmower, trimmer, blower and a trailer had been purchased for him. Everyone was invited outside to see him accept his prize.

Guests then returned to the second floor of the Cox Building for drinks, live music and food from AfroBites catering.
Congratulations to the Spring 2022 RIL Incubator graduating class! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in Little Rock and across the state.

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The Rock It! Lab has three distinct areas: on the first floor, guests walk into the River Shop where entrepreneurs who have finished products can sell their wares. Current vendors range from packaged foods to stationery and clothing. The second floor is the Village Coworking Space where entrepreneurs can conduct meetings or use it as a general office space. Downstairs in the basement – is the 501 Makers Makerspace which offers creative entrepreneurs access to workspace. Here there are easels for artists, a screen printing machine plus sewing machines.

During the ribbon-cutting event, guests were invited to enjoy refreshments provided by businesses that have worked with Lubazibwa and ABE. There were plates of BBQ, mini cheesecakes, kettle corn, coffee and other drinks available. People were invited to purchase items from the vendors in the River Shop as well. In the 501 Makers Makerspace, artists worked on their projects and guests were invited to paint on a large canvas that one Rock It! Lab artist will later turn into a commemorative piece.

Read more about the event here, including an interview with the Arkansas Times featuring Benito and Leah Patterson, Rock It! lab Coordinator, as well as this feature from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Or watch a segment on Fox 16 here and on THV 11 here. Find out more about the Rock It! Lab here, where you can follow the latest events, sign up to be a mentor within the program, or get a consultation to see if your business has the potential to be successful.

Benito Lubazibwa cuts the ribbon before inviting everyone inside.

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