501-918-3025
calsfoundation@cals.org
calsfoundation@cals.org
2022 Annual Report
Every year when it comes time to wrap up, most businesses look to their board of directors and stockholders to see if they met the expectations set forth for the year. At CALS, we look to our patrons to let us know how we are doing. Based on the numbers and smiling faces on the next pages, I can confidently say that 2022 was a successful year for us.
This year at CALS, we were back to the books, back to the library, and back in action. After the disruptions due to COVID-19, it was so nice to have a full year where things felt like we were finally back to normal (or some version of normal).
We provided access to thousands of books, magazines, and movies; we served almost 50,000 meals to kids through Be Mighty; and we had nearly 15,000 people experience the big screen (and stage) at Ron Robinson Theater through a variety of programs. Our outreach team logged around 2,000 miles while helping almost 3,600 people.
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas hit 7,000 entries, plus 13,000 photos and other media. As a public library system, we are all about accessibility, making available the information and tools people need to get by and succeed in our world. The EOA web resource is a measure of our ability to achieve that goal. In the past, Arkansas history was a niche subject, but that’s no longer the case. The EOA makes Arkansas available to the whole world.
Through the Six Bridges Book Festival, we were able to introduce Little Rock to many nationally and internationally acclaimed authors; our staff, volunteers, and patrons rolled out the red carpet and made them feel welcome as they shared their books and ideas in panel discussions and other events.
We celebrated milestones and anniversaries – and held events that will later become anniversaries! We wrapped up the four-year strategic plan with more goals accomplished than not, and the ones we didn’t wrap up are already underway. CALS continues to touch lives in a multitude of ways, reaching far beyond the pages of a book. We continue to be the Library, Rewritten.
