SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 | 11AM
Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos
Join us at Main Library for a lively and colorful celebration of culture and heritage. There will be plenty of family-friendly activities, making it a perfect day out for everyone.
Executive Director Search
The Central Arkansas Library System Board of Directors has selected three finalists for the position of executive director following a national search to identify the library system’s next leader.
As part of the selection process, the Board invites CALS staff and community members to hear directly from the candidates and share their feedback ahead of the final round of interviews on October 27. Each candidate has prepared a brief presentation, approximately 10–12 minutes long. After watching all three presentations, please take a few moments to complete the online feedback form. Feedback will be compiled and shared with the Board as an additional resource during its deliberations.
Please complete the survey by 9:00am, October 27, 2026.
Featured Events
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Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos
See beautiful altars (ofrendas) adorned with photos, marigolds, and mementos, honoring our loved ones who have passed. Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere with live music, savor delicious traditional Mexican food, and explore stunning art installations.
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CALS Speaker Series presents Brian Goldstone (J. N. Heiskell Distinguished Lecture)
Pulitzer Prize winning author Brian Goldstone will discuss his book There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. Moderated by Ben Goodwin, Executive Director of Our House. A book signing will follow the session.
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CALS Used Book Sale
CALS is thrilled that the Used Book Sale is back! Come shop for used books from November 5-7. $1 paperbacks and $2 hardcovers. Open to the public.
Latest CALS News
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The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies has awarded the 2026 Booker Worthen Literary Prize to Eli Cranor. This annual…
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CALS, NLRPLS along with three other county libraries are working together to celebrate Library Card Sign Up Month in a…
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Library Square Books, CALS new used bookstore, celebrated its grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Thursday, August 20, with an enthusiastic…
Frequently Asked Questions
If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please call us at 501-918-3000 or use the “Need Help” chat feature.
Call us at 501-918-3000 or stop by any branch. If possible, please have your library card number ready when you call.
Hoopla has two kinds of limits: individual and collective. The individual limit is 7 items per month, and it only applies to your personal checkouts. The collective limit is for all checkouts across the whole system and depends on our budget. It resets at midnight every night and tends to fill up very quickly. If you’re having trouble accessing an item on hoopla, check to see if we also have it on the Libby app.
Yes! You can find our donation procedures, along with information on upcoming events on the CALS Used Book Sale page.
You can use your barcode (the number on the back of your card) and your PIN/password. Our website uses “PIN” and “password” interchangeably; your password and PIN are the same thing.
If you don’t remember your PIN and are having trouble resetting it, give us a call at 501-918-3000 or use the chat feature on our website.
You can park in our lot or parking deck. The entrance to the lot is on 2nd street. The parking deck is beside the library; the entrance to the deck is on Rock street.
Staff at the front desk can validate your parking for two hours; just bring in the ticket that prints out at the gate entrance. Otherwise, parking is $2.00 per hour (the first 30 minutes are free).
All of our study rooms are first come, first served; no appointments are required. You may use the room for up to two hours, or longer if no one is waiting for the room.
The Main Library has a total of 16 study rooms. There are also two 1-person phone booths on the lower level.
All of our branches have study rooms as well, with the exceptions of Millie Brooks and Roberts.
Nope! You only need a card if you’d like to borrow books or other items, or to use certain services such as the Production Studio.
Your first ten pages printed each day are free (this applies to both black-and-white and color prints).
After the first ten, black-and-white prints are 10 cents/page, while color prints are 50 cents/page.
A double-sided page is counted as two pages.
Once you’ve placed your request, a staff member will get back to you to let you know if we’re able to book the room.
For after-hours requests at Main, contact our Events Coordinator at meetingspaces@cals.org.
Yes! Our Digital Literacy Department hosts Drop-in Tech Help sessions at Main Library. These take place most Tuesdays from 12pm to 4pm.
The Digital Literacy Team also offers classes periodically in subjects such as Google Docs, Excel, and web safety.
In addition to their programs, the team also offers one-on-one Digital Literacy Guide appointments.
For more information on the Digital Literacy Department, or to schedule an appointment with a guide, visit the Tech Help page.
Note: If you’re the author, please fill out Author/Publisher Submission Form.
You can also request to borrow the title from another library in the country through our Interlibrary Loan program.
You may also fill out a paper application by visiting any CALS location
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Off the Shelf features new releases in both physical and digital media, exhibitions, and highlight larger system- wide programs. We hope this publication serves our patrons by providing current news about our collection.
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On December 16th, 2025, the Little Rock city board approved our resolution to improve upon the 2nd and Cumberland Street greenspace. Thank you for your commitment to creating an attractive green space for people to enjoy in 2026.
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We invite you to explore the reimagined spaces and amenities at Main, learn about CALS programming, and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what makes the public library such a wonderful resource for central Arkansas.
