Franklin Williams is one of many Arkansans who served in the armed forces of the United States during both World War II and the Korean War. His collection at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System contains a notable sample of the type of communications developed on behalf of those in military service in the middle of the twentieth century.

The bond between the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and the Center for Arkansas History and Culture—a collaboration between the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) and the University of Arkansas Little Rock (UA Little Rock) that makes archival materials from both entities available to the public in the Research Room at the CALS Roberts Library—began as a dream of the possibility of connecting patrons with local history in an organized way that meets the standards of archivists and genealogists on a national level.

I always knew that June was Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ community, but I didn’t know until recently that July is Disability Pride Month. As soon as I found out, I got excited to create a program highlighting Arkansans with disabilities who have become known locally, nationally, and internationally for their incredible accomplishments.