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Everyone knows that Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other online databases have revolutionized the way we research genealogy. Online research makes it so easy to find a lot of information in a short amount of time and is perfect for those just beginning to search. Before the rise of this technology, family and local history research was painstaking and required poring through volumes at the library or a courthouse and walking around cemeteries hoping to find information on that elusive ancestor.

The Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square, located within the CALS Roberts Library, features the work of Arkansas artists, including rotating exhibitions and shows by local Arkansas artists as well as artists from Arkansas who have made an impact on the national and international art scene. Works from the Central Arkansas Library System’s permanent art collection are also displayed regularly.

From the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas’s “Juneteenth” entry by Bibi Mwamba:

Juneteenth is a celebration held during the month of June in Arkansas and throughout the nation to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The celebration originated in Texas in 1865 to mark the date when the news of the emancipation of the slaves reached the state.

Ready to get out and see some great art? Come visit us in the CALS Roberts Library to see the exhibition of the Arkansas Society of Printmakers: New Kids on the Print Block. It is on view in the Underground Gallery of the Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square through Friday,

The past fifteen months have been a tumultuous time, and Arkansans—as they’ve been doing for fifteen years now, since our launch in May 2006—have looked to the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas to provide information and context as they navigated political news, social justice protests, and an unprecedented global pandemic.

The following entries were the fifteen entries viewed the most from March 2020 to May 2021.

To help celebrate 15 years of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas—the only state encyclopedia produced and supported by a public library—we asked 15 staff members from around the Central Arkansas Library System to pick their favorite EOA entries. They picked some good ones! Like everyone else, these CALS staffers use it for research, for work,

For 15 years since its launch in May 2006, the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, whose offices are in the CALS Roberts Library, has amassed more than 10,000 pieces of media to accompany its more than 6,000 entries: photos, documents, maps, audio clips, and more. In no particular order, here are 15 EOA staff favorites (with links to accompanying entries in the titles).

I know, I know, today is May 4th, as in May the Fourth (Force) Be with You! Each year, this special day reignites, to some extent, the old pop culture debate about which space-based franchise is the best. Apologies to you Star Wars folks trying to celebrate your special day, but it is beyond argument that Arkansas is certainly a Star Trek state.

The fifteen-volume Arkansas Prior Birth Index was published by the Arkansas Genealogical Society, compiling information on people born in the state of Arkansas before February 1, 1914, when the state did not require registration of births systemically. Factors such as the requirements for World War II military enlistments, defense plant employment, and the advent of Social Security caused a surge in Arkansas residents’ desire to document birth.

With Mother’s Day coming up next month (Sunday, May 9!), we’re excited to have some one-of-a-kind pieces of Arkansas art that are perfect for those special mothers, stepmothers, godmothers, and anyone else who deserves a treat for Mother’s Day.

Here is a sampling of the beautiful pieces we have for sale.