Spiritualism has a long history in Arkansas, intertwined with the profound impacts of the Civil War and subsequent societal changes. Originating as a belief system that suggests the dead can communicate with the living, spiritualism gained traction in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century.
The devastation of the Civil War—with Arkansas losing over 10,000 residents in the fighting—created a landscape ripe for spiritualist practices.
Recently, I undertook some freelance work for the Arkansas Times, sifting through their back issues to find some articles to be republished in their fiftieth anniversary special—both some oddities of the past and some article still relevant today. Not only was it a fascinating journey back in time, but it also offered an insight into how a periodical like this stays around.
Get ready to relive cherished memories and celebrate the art of home movies on Saturday, October 19, from 1-4 PM at CALS Roberts Library on the third floor.
Academics spend a lot of time applying for grants to fund our research—often ones that are tenuous matches at best for our projects, ones that we have to massage our research proposal to fit into. I didn’t have that problem for the Stricklin Research Fellowship. It’s the only research grant offered by an archival research institution in Arkansas.
From the Vault: A Survey of the CALS Art Collection
On view through Monday, December 30, 2024
Underground Gallery, CALS Roberts Library
The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) houses more than just books.
“I, José da Silvestra, who am now dying of hunger in the little cave where no snow is on the north side of the nipple of the southernmost of the two mountains I have named Sheba’s Breasts, write this in the year 1590 with a cleft bone upon a remnant of my raiment, my blood being the ink…”
So reads the beginning of a document that sparks a search for ancient treasure in the 1885 novel King Solomon’s Mines by H.
Every month, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and the CALS Roberts Library collect and report statistics for a variety of reasons, primarily for the Arkansas State Library’s requirements, but also so that we can evaluate the impact our activities have on our community. Here are some of the things we were up to last month.
As a heritage studies PhD student at Arkansas State University, I spend a lot of my free and scheduled time with my head buried in books and peer-reviewed articles that reveal intimate details about the lives of individuals and communities that have impacted the social sphere. This summer, I got the opportunity to occupy my time with an internship at the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas,
Sean Clancy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette recently published a profile of Little Rock romance novelist Margaret Etheridge (who writes under the name Maggie Wells), author of the Arkansas Special Agents series, and one particular quotation from her really hit home. When Clancy asked her if she had received any resistance from her editors at Harlequin to setting her latest stories in Arkansas,
The official title I wear is “Genealogy and Local History Specialist.” When people ask me what I do at work, I generally tell them my job is to answer questions.
Some people who call us at the CALS Roberts Library or visit the Research Room have an exact question they want answers to,
The Butler Banner archives between 1999-2018 are available in PDF format only. The Butler Banner was our print newsletter.
We allow certain outlets to reprint our copyrighted Butler Banner or CALS Roberts Library blog posts with express permission. To seek permission, please email Glenn Whaley at gwhaley@cals.org.
Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Give a donation in someone’s name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 or calsfoundation@cals.org.
Spreading your gift out through monthly contributions is a great solution for your budget and ours. Your monthly donation provides ongoing and predictable support we can count on to fund educational and cultural programming for the patrons, communities, and neighborhoods being served by CALS.
Leave your legacy with a planned gift that can help ensure quality materials, programming, and services for our libraries. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 or calsfoundation@cals.org.
Or, sign up for Kroger Rewards and a portion of your purchases at Kroger will be donated to the CALS Foundation. Simply go to krogercommunityrewards.com, click “Create an Account” to sign in, and select CALS Foundation as your organization to support.
If you would like to make a donation by check, print this donation form, fill it out and mail it with your check to:
Central Arkansas Library System
100 Rock Street
Little Rock, AR. 72201
The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Creating an account gives you access to all these features.
