Category: Check it out!

September 22 through 29, book lovers buzzed around downtown Little Rock, meeting authors, hearing behind-the-scenes stories, and scooping up copies of books; during all this, there were many moments of connection, learning, and joy. Over 8 days, CALS hosted 35 free public programs (most of them at CALS locations); welcomed 5,600+ audience members and students;

The American Library Association Annual Convention took place in Chicago June 22-27. Eleven CALS staff members were able to attend this year, from a variety of departments across the system including communications, human resources, branch management, youth services, and community resources.

The conference brought in 15,000 library workers and students for this multi-day convention.

May is AAPI Heritage Month, and recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. The reason May was chosen comes back to two important dates; May 7 and May 10. May 7, 1843, marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States.

Thanks to Libby and OverDrive (the platform that CALS uses for ebooks), CALS has access to a program called “Together We Read,” which allows for simultaneous reading of books. (If you weren’t aware, despite being a digital file, ebooks are still checked out one at a time and “count” toward the life of the book).

Some weekends you just know that you want to spend it on the couch, binging something, moving only to refill your snacks or to change from comfy clothes into comfier clothes. When you’ve run through everything new on the streaming services, that’s where the Binge Box comes in. CALS has a selection of pre-chosen movies that will get you through even the longest weekend.

Freegal has launched a new platform, Freegal Music+. Transforming Freegal Music into a state of the art streaming platform and app. We all enjoy music through our phones, Bluetooth speakers, car, or computers. Now with over 18 million songs from 200+ genres, including today’s top music. Read here to find out all the music options CALS has to offer.

Off the Shelf will feature 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-- the foundation of all great libraries.

 

Have you ever tried to download an ebook only to be told that you have to wait? It doesn’t make sense – how can multiple people not use a digital file at the same time? You would think that’s the main benefit of a digital book over a physical one.