Welcome to CALS Roberts Library

Location & Hours Explore our Collections

The Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art is the special collections branch of the Central Arkansas Library System.

CALS Roberts Library houses the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies,  Encyclopedia of Arkansas, DIY Memory Lab, CALS Art Program, and UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture. The mission of the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art is to engage the people of Central Arkansas in meaningful conversations about our rich history and artistic heritage and its impact on our present.

Upcoming Events & Programs

  • Legacies & Lunch: The Freedom Train in Arkansas

    CALS Main Library Darragh Center & Online via Zoom

    Dr. Kelly Houston Jones will outline the Freedom Train’s activities and explore the public discussions generated by its historic journey through Arkansas in 1948. Free lunch provided!

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  • Journaling Club

    CALS Main Library | Boulevard Bread Co.

    Join us once a month and enjoy camaraderie without the small talk–instead, dive in and explore yourself on the page with thoughtful prompts from Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy and engage in meaningful conversation with others doing the same.

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  • Personal Archiving

    Online via Zoom

    Learn the basics of saving your family papers, photos, and more.

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preserve your memories

CALS DIY Memory Lab

Digitize your home movies, photographs, slides, negatives, and scrapbooks!

Make an Appointment
color and black and white photographic prints laid out on a grey grid surface

Recent Blog Posts

Need a Speaker?

We offer programs and guest speakers to groups of all sizes and ages. We will come and speak to your group about Arkansas history, CALS Art Collection, Butler Center of Arkansas Studies collections, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, and Personal Archiving / DIY Memory Lab.

Book a Speaker

explore arkansas history

Digital Projects