Joe Hudak – Head of Main Library

Favorite Moment

The grand reopening of the Main Library.

Top 5 Books

• Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, Megan Greenwell
• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Stephen Graham Jones
• The Dad Rock that Made Me a Woman, Niko Stratis
• The Last American Road Trip, Sarah Kendzior
• One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, Omar El Akkad

Kyly Hawk – Assistant Manager, Fletcher Library

Favorite Moment

Beginning my position as Assistant Manager at Fletcher.

Top 5 Books

• Dating After the End of the World, Jeneva Rose
• Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid
• Our Infinite Fates, Laura Steven
• Buring Daylight, Emily McIntire
• The Lies of Alma Blackwood, Amanda Glaze

Ellen Samples – Director of Programming

Favorite Moments

The author session with Victoria Christopher Murray in February 2025 and the Six Bridges Book Festival.

Top 5 Books

• Harlem Rhapsody, Victoria Christopher Murray
• The Names , Florence Knapp
• Happy Land, Dolen Perkins-Valdez
• Wreck, Catherine Newman
• The Correspondent, Virginia Evans

Heather Pressgrove – Youth Projects Coordinator

Favorite Moment

Getting to either go out into the community (daycares, schools, Park Plaza events) and share a storytime or go into branches as a substitute for another programmer’s storytime.

Top 5 Books

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins
• Educated, Tara Westover
• The American Heiress, Daisy Goodwin
• Awake, Jen Hatmaker

Tameka Lee – Chief Communications and Engagement Officer

Favorite Moment

This is probably a popular choice, but the Main Library grand reopening. It was the culmination of two years of construction, ideas, and planning, and the Communications team put in so much work to create a memorable experience that matched the grandeur of the building.

Excited About

A full year back at Main. I’m excited to see what comes next—especially new programs and our signature cultural events, like the Black Family Expo and Día de Muertos.

Top 5 Books/Films/Albums

• The Look, Michelle Obama
• Harlem Rhapsody, Victoria Christopher Murray
• Sinners
• Zootopia 2
• GNX, Kendrick Lamar (Stream with hoopla here)

Eliza Borné – Chief Development Officer

Favorite Moment

My favorite CALS moment over the past year was the entire day of October 4, 2025. By then, CALS’s staff, architects, construction workers, and others had been working for years to renovate the Main Library and prepare it to welcome back our community. I had spent many months giving hard-hat tours to donors who had stepped up to give generously in support of the project. October 4 was both the Grand Reopening of the Main Library and the main day of the Six Bridges Book Festival, and it was incredibly gratifying — after so much hard work and preparation — to watch the building come roaring back to life with people and programs. That day was a blur of greeting guests, assisting with Six Bridges author programs, and running all over our campus to pitch in where needed. My husband and kids had come downtown for the day to enjoy the festivities. Though I was working, I was able to meet up with them briefly in front of Main for a hug and a quick photo as we celebrated our city’s fabulous new library that we will all get to enjoy for decades to come. Getting to share this day with so many library supporters and especially my family was an experience I will always cherish.

The post Looking Back & Looking Ahead appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

Our Library

Among the best things our 15 CALS libraries offer are spaces for community connection alongside quiet moments for rest and reflection. Whether you visit a library for that reason or for one of the many other resources available over the next several weeks, my wish is that your holidays afford you laughter, good times, and meaningful moments with the communities that give your life purpose.

Our Community

There is never a bad time to express gratitude, but it seems particularly fitting at this point in the year. I’m grateful for the depth and breadth of support the institution of the public library enjoys here in central Arkansas. I’m grateful for the staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and community partners who ensure that CALS is a reliable, high-quality public utility—one that people depend on every day, much like water and electricity. That reliability and the excellence of our library services and programs drive continued widespread support for the library.

I am grateful that the renovations to the Main Library have been completed and have been so well received by the community. If you haven’t yet been inside, or taken a moment to marvel at the exterior of the reimagined downtown library, I hope a visit will lift your spirits, as it has for so many since we reopened. As I’ve said before, this is a warehouse of stories and information as well as a symbol of our community’s commitment to learning, connection, and access—giving everyone an opportunity to enrich their lives.

Our Purpose

My staff teases me about often finding me in my “second office,” the new Boulevard Bread location inside the renovated library. I enjoy the coffee and breads as well as the sandwiches and soups, but I especially enjoy watching people experience and discover the new library. It fills me with joy to see the wide array of patrons who come to pick up a book, attend a meeting or program, or meet a friend or work colleague for lunch or coffee. All of this is part of the community building that CALS does every day, in one way or another, at all of our branches.

We have eclipsed one million digital checkouts for 2025, which is a great cause for celebration—CALS is meeting the demand for information in a variety of formats. But as much as I enjoy Libby and audiobooks, I want to encourage everyone to visit the library, especially Main, now that it stands as a showcase of public libraries second to none. I hope you’ll take time to enjoy it during the holidays and share in the sense of community it offers.

Thank you for all you do to support and strengthen your library. My best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.

Nate Coulter
Executive Director
Central Arkansas Library System

The post Holiday Message from the Executive Director appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989, PG-13)
Thursday, December 4 @ 7PM
As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

Die Hard (1988, R)
Friday, December 5 @ 7PM
Yippee-ki-yay! New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there’s no one to save the hostages — but him.

Home Alone 35th Anniversary (1990, PG)
Saturday, December 6 @ 12:30PM
When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O’Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

White Christmas (1954, NR)
Tuesday, December 16 @ 7PM
Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, two army buddies, become a top-notch musical comedy team after the war and are now the toast of Broadway. While on the road in Florida, the stars become involved with two aspiring singers, the sister act of Betty and Judy. Despite some romantic complications between the couples, everything ends on a happy note when Christmas Eve brings rave reviews for the show and much-needed snowfall!

Elf (2003, PG)
Thursday, December 18 @ 7PM
Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.

BingoFlix: Gremlins (1984, PG)
Friday, December 19 @ 7PM
It’s Christmas chaos — BingoFlix style! A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the `mogwai’ but sells it to him with the warning to never expose him to bright light, water, or to feed him after midnight. All of this happens and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977, NR)
Saturday, December 20 @ 12:30PM
From the heart of Jim Henson comes one of the sweetest and most charming holiday specials ever made! Emmet and Ma Otter are very poor, but they are very happy and talented singers. Christmas is around the corner, and they both want to get the other a very special present. The prize in the talent show is $50. Both Emmet and Ma get a song ready for the competition; Emmet forms a jug band, and Ma practices alone, to vie with the Riverbottom Gang.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, PG)
Saturday, December 20 @ 7PM
Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings — and every December, It’s a Wonderful Life reminds us why we love the movies. George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence – who then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all his good deeds over the years.

The post Holiday Movies at Ron Robinson Theater appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

For each non-perishable item brought, fines will be reduced by $2; patrons may bring up to 15 items to offset up to $30 worth of fines. CALS encourages patrons to donate to the drive even if they don’t have any fines and will apply additional “funds” to randomly selected accounts. Fines accrued for billed items or replacement fees are not eligible under the program. Items can be dropped off at any CALS library.

Patrons are asked to bring unopened, prepackaged non-perishable items. Recommended items for the holiday season include canned meats, fruits, and vegetables. Other items that are popular in the pantries include sanitary products, soaps, deodorants, diapers, and school supplies. While all non-perishable items are welcome, CALS is requesting no glass or homemade items, please.

To make a donation directly to the Little Free Pantries, items can be purchased from their wishlist and shipped directly to them.

The post Food for Fines 2025 appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

How to mail your Letter to Santa:

Through Mail:
Mail your letter to the Main Library using the address below. Use this special template to write your letter or create your own! Make sure your parents are there to confirm your address so that you can receive a letter back from Santa!

Santa Claus (Youth Department)
100 Rock Street
Little Rock, AR 72201

In Person at the Main Library:
Place your letter in the special Santa Express Mailbox in the Youth Services Department at the Main Library

Online Submission:
Submit your letter online using the link below:

Letter to Santa

Dates: November 10th – December 19th
Location: Main Library
Ages: 1-18

Posted: Nov 13 2025 14:15

The post Letters to Santa appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

During a check presentation held at the newly renovated Main Library, Comcast representatives Evangeline Parker-Guest, Senior Manager of External Affairs, and Solomon Graves, Manager of Government Affairs, joined CALS leaders and community partners to celebrate this investment in digital learning and access across Central Arkansas.

The CALS Digital Literacy Guides Program provides free one-on-one assistance and group instruction to residents seeking help with technology. The guides work directly with patrons to teach new skills, troubleshoot devices, and make technology more approachable – serving approximately 1,450 patrons annually through individual sessions and group classes. The guides are based at CALS’s Dee Brown and McMath branches, but they meet with community members at every branch in the Central Arkansas Library System.

“Access to technology and the skills to use it effectively are essential in today’s world,” said Nate Coulter, Executive Director of the Central Arkansas Library System. “Comcast’s investment in our Digital Literacy Guides Program will help us continue to connect residents with the tools and training they need to thrive.”

The Comcast Foundation grant will help CALS expand access to digital resources, strengthen its technology training programs, and enhance computer labs where residents can develop essential digital skills. In 2024 alone, the program offered more than 90 classes – both in person and online – covering topics such as Microsoft and Google applications, Adobe Creative Suite, and Canva design tools.

“CALS continues to play an essential role in helping residents learn new skills and take full advantage of the technology available to them,” said Evangeline Parker-Guest, Senior Manager of External Affairs for Comcast. “We’re proud to support this work and help ensure more people have the opportunity to participate fully in the digital world.”

As the largest public library system in Arkansas, CALS serves more than 344,000 people –  about 11% of the state’s population – across urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods. Through its programs and partnerships, CALS continues to make learning, technology, and opportunity accessible for all, with a focus on reaching communities that have historically faced barriers to access.

This grant is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion initiative to open doors for more people through programs that promote connectivity, skills training, and economic mobility.

To sign up for tech classes, inquire about tech help, or for any of your digital literacy needs, please visit the Tech Help/Digital Literacy web page.

Tech Help/Digital Literacy

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Unfortunately, on Friday of last week, an executive from CDI Contractors, the construction company that is managing our renovation, informed me that they cannot deliver on their assurances that the building would be ready for the public by September 20. With the contractor’s determination that it could no longer meet the completion date they had given us in June, we have had to postpone our reopening.

We now intend to make library services available at the Main Library beginning Monday, September 29. That means you can come to Main to check out a book, use a public computer, access a study room, and walk through our beautiful building. We’ll host the formal reopening activities on Saturday, October 4. 

While the postponement is disappointing, our commitment to a festive and memorable celebration remains unchanged. On October 4, families can enjoy games, crafts, food trucks, music, and more. The new date also coincides with the biggest day of the annual Six Bridges Book Festival, a perfect opportunity to welcome people into our renewed spaces while celebrating the festival’s return to Main. I encourage you to explore the engaging talks, workshops, and activities at SixBridgesBookFestival.org.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who has expressed enthusiasm, contributed financially, written words of support, or otherwise helped us prepare for this milestone. I’m also grateful to all the artisans and laborers who did the actual work to make the renovations a reality that our staff and patrons will enjoy for many years.

We cannot wait to welcome you back. Please mark your calendars for October 4, when together we will open the doors to a renewed and reimagined Main Library.

Nate Coulter
Executive Director

The post A Message from the Executive Director – Main Reopening Update appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

The Library Speakers Consortium features author talks every month with not only novelists, poets and fiction writers but also experts on business, careers, personal growth and lifelong learning. Past presenters include Max Brallier, Elizabeth Acevedo, Dan Santat, Shelby Van Pelt, Lisa Jewell, Jodi Picoult, Madeline Miller, Kate DiCamillo, Katherine Applegate, and many more. Recordings are usually available after the event. Best of all, all sessions are FREE to attend!

Please visit the link below for a complete list of upcoming authors!

Search LSC events

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Content Controls allow users to configure what library content appears in Libby for themselves or for their family, based on the intended audience for each book,
audiobook, and magazine in the library collection. This feature is optional. When content controls are in effect, they apply to every library in the user’s Libby app.

Audience Choices

There is a new action named Content Controls in the Settings section of the Menu. To access it, the user must first add a library card to Libby.

Within Content Controls, users can make decisions about how Libby displays “mature content” available at their libraries: whether it appears in deep search results, whether it can be sampled or borrowed, and whether cover images are visible or redacted.

Restrictions that a user selects for how Libby displays “mature content” can also be applied to “general content” and “young adult” titles (except for cover image redaction, which is limited to mature content).

Simplified Presets

Libby for Everyone works just like Libby does today, with no restrictions by audience except those users manually choose to apply.

Libby for Kids shows only titles for “juvenile” and “young adult” audiences when searching and browsing in Libby. Users can apply deep search, sample, and circulation restrictions to young adult titles if they wish.

Libby for Grown-ups is for people who borrow “general content” and “mature content” titles only. It prevents kids’ titles from appearing at their libraries in Libby. Users who enjoy young adult titles can re-enable that content using a toggle within the preset.

Default Behavior

We are changing the default behavior of the app for users who have not yet added a library card to Libby.

• “Mature content” titles do not appear in deep searches until they add a card.
• “Mature content” titles cannot be sampled until they add a card.

Content Control and Passkeys

Users can choose to lock Content Controls with a passkey. We introduced recovery passkeys to Libby in 2024. Now a user can use an existing passkey (or create a new one) to lock their Content Controls choices on a specific device.

Get Libby app!

• Download Libby for iOS, Android, and Kindle
• Visit Getting Started for device specific information

The post Content control now available on Libby! appeared first on Central Arkansas Library System.

Enjoy the Afro-Caribbean style drumming of local percussionist Stephin Booth. Join us for a delightful bubble show by soap bubble and foam artist Big Poppa Bubble. mömandpöp are here for an interactive, kid-friendly concert featuring all the themes of summer. Ooh, aah, and laugh at Scott Davis’ delightful magic show. And…get ready for an artistic, magical journey this summer, as Tommy Terrific goes canvassing through a magical art gallery in his new show, “The Magic of Art.”

Many locations serve free meals for youth ages 18 & under. Visit Be Mighty Little Rock for times and locations.

All Summer @ CALS Events

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