Latino Art Project Exhibition

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Share Your Experiences and Photos of the March 31 Tornados

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The 1927 Flood

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Vanished: Documenting a Forgotten Era of Little Rock’s Built Environment

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DIY Memory Lab Now Open

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Lost West Ninth Street

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Love Your Library?
Make a Gift to Show Your Support!

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COMMUNITY HISTORY PROJECTS

Community History

Looking north on Main Street from 4th Street

Mapping Downtown Little Rock

Using images from our collection, we have constructed an architectural tour of downtown Little Rock.

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Community History

Arkansas Traveler Project

The Arkansas Traveler Project is a collection of interactive narratives that examine various topics of Arkansas history. The project uses a mapping tool to provide context and illustrate spatial relationships.

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Community History

Wood frame houses with car parked in driveway

Lost West Ninth Street

For many decades, Little Rock’s West Ninth Street was the heart of the city’s African American community. “The Line,” as the street was sometimes known, was home to businesses, churches, fraternal groups, and a host of other entities.

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Art @ Roberts Library

Event

Latino Art Project Exhibition

Latino Art Project Exhibition
Thursday, November 2, to Saturday, December 30, 2023
Underground Gallery

The Latino Art Project Exhibition will open in the CALS Underground Gallery as part of the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration hosted by the Central Arkansas Library System, the Mexican Consulate of Little Rock,

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Recent Blog Posts

Blog

My Sister Feeds Me

We will officially acknowledge things we are thankful for in our lives on the day of recognition known as Thanksgiving Day. Some will spend all or part of this day with family or friends who wear the label of family. Some will spend the day alone or with strangers. My day will be repetitive of my family beginnings.

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Blog

The EOA’s Project Zelda

I wanted to call it Project Hogthrob after Link Hogthrob of The Muppet Show, but I was outvoted. Instead, it was named Project Zelda.

This has been something with which we have been preoccupied of late, a project that involves revisiting every single entry we have on the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

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Blog

One Last Research Question

October 6, 2023, was the last day of my thirty-eight-year career at the Central Arkansas Library System. I spent the first thirty years in the Reference Department, now known as Information Services, and the last eight in the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art. A substantial portion of both positions involved answering research questions,

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Art Exhibitions

Art on Exhibit at CALS

The CALS Art Exhibitions highlight art by Arkansas artists and showcase exhibitions that promote Arkansas history and culture. The CALS Permanent Collection is displayed in our branches and rotating exhibitions are featured in the Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square.

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Archival Collections

Archival Collections

The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies archival collection offers unique glimpses into the state’s history through documents and photographs. Many of the collections depict the daily life in Central Arkansas by preserving the cultural, political, literary, military, and environmental history of Pulaski and Perry Counties.

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Genealogy

Genealogy Help & Resources

Whether you have been on your family history journey for years or are just beginning, the CALS Roberts Library offers resources for genealogists and researchers at all skill levels.

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CALS Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art (including Mini-Main Library, Underground Gallery, CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture and DIY Memory Lab) is open to the public the following days and times:  

Mini-Main Library ~ Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m

2nd Floor Research Room (Butler Center/UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture)

    • Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    • Saturday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

DIY Memory Lab & Recording Room (by appointment only)

Masks are recommended for those who have not been fully vaccinated. If you are feeling unwell or experiencing COVID-related symptoms, please use our online digital resources. (as of March 1, 2022)