Holiday Message from the Executive Director

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to extend my holiday greetings and pause to reflect on the momentous events at CALS over the past 12 months.

Our Library

Among the best things our 15 CALS libraries offer are spaces for community connection alongside quiet moments for rest and reflection. Whether you visit a library for that reason or for one of the many other resources available over the next several weeks, my wish is that your holidays afford you laughter, good times, and meaningful moments with the communities that give your life purpose.

Our Community

There is never a bad time to express gratitude, but it seems particularly fitting at this point in the year. I’m grateful for the depth and breadth of support the institution of the public library enjoys here in central Arkansas. I’m grateful for the staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and community partners who ensure that CALS is a reliable, high-quality public utility—one that people depend on every day, much like water and electricity. That reliability and the excellence of our library services and programs drive continued widespread support for the library.

I am grateful that the renovations to the Main Library have been completed and have been so well received by the community. If you haven’t yet been inside, or taken a moment to marvel at the exterior of the reimagined downtown library, I hope a visit will lift your spirits, as it has for so many since we reopened. As I’ve said before, this is a warehouse of stories and information as well as a symbol of our community’s commitment to learning, connection, and access—giving everyone an opportunity to enrich their lives.

Our Purpose

My staff teases me about often finding me in my “second office,” the new Boulevard Bread location inside the renovated library. I enjoy the coffee and breads as well as the sandwiches and soups, but I especially enjoy watching people experience and discover the new library. It fills me with joy to see the wide array of patrons who come to pick up a book, attend a meeting or program, or meet a friend or work colleague for lunch or coffee. All of this is part of the community building that CALS does every day, in one way or another, at all of our branches.

We have eclipsed one million digital checkouts for 2025, which is a great cause for celebration—CALS is meeting the demand for information in a variety of formats. But as much as I enjoy Libby and audiobooks, I want to encourage everyone to visit the library, especially Main, now that it stands as a showcase of public libraries second to none. I hope you’ll take time to enjoy it during the holidays and share in the sense of community it offers.

Thank you for all you do to support and strengthen your library. My best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.

Nate Coulter
Executive Director
Central Arkansas Library System