The 2023 Banned Books Week writing contest has a winner! Congratulations to Kimberly Hillestad O’Bannon for Odds and Ends. Honorable mention goes to Taylor Bell for The Monster Heist.
Thank you to everyone who submitted. Read the winning stories here:
POSTED 10/10/2023The Six Bridges Book Festival took place September 25 through October 1 and brought in about 50 authors from across the country. Monday through Wednesday, the festival began with a delicious appetizer – if you will – a series of virtual events, including Stephen Aryan, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, and Caroline Dodds Pennock among others. Then Thursday brought the beginning of the main course – all the in-person events!
When it comes to summer reads, your mind might go to breezy beach reads where the protagonist is faced with the challenge of choosing between two equally suitable men. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with a book like that, what about a moody book that dives beneath the surface of a once-forgotten city?
The vocation of a librarian requires a commitment to freedom of speech and the celebration of diverse viewpoints unlike that found in any other profession.
–U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks (court order, July 29, 2023)
On August 1, a new law concerning libraries, librarians, and books went into effect.
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.
The Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center (CLLC) has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the library through a series of ten events! The celebrations began on March 16, the date the library officially opened in 2013, with the Birthday Kickoff extravaganza with drumming instructor, Stephin Booth. On March 25, there was a “Trip to the Theater,” featuring a concert with kids comedy band mömandpöp in the Linda Bly Theater.
The Main, Rooker, McMath, and Terry branches now have book lockers available as a hold pick-up location. These lockers give you a chance to check out your holds at your convenience, even if the best time for you is when the branch is closed. You’ll need to choose a locker as your pick-up location when you place your hold(s).
Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Give a donation in someone’s name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 or calsfoundation@cals.org.
Spreading your gift out through monthly contributions is a great solution for your budget and ours. Your monthly donation provides ongoing and predictable support we can count on to fund educational and cultural programming for the patrons, communities, and neighborhoods being served by CALS.
Leave your legacy with a planned gift that can help ensure quality materials, programming, and services for our libraries. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 or calsfoundation@cals.org.
Or, sign up for Kroger Rewards and a portion of your purchases at Kroger will be donated to the CALS Foundation. Simply go to krogercommunityrewards.com, click “Create an Account” to sign in, and select CALS Foundation as your organization to support.
If you would like to make a donation by check, print this donation form, fill it out and mail it with your check to:
Central Arkansas Library System
100 Rock Street
Little Rock, AR. 72201
The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. Read our Privacy Policy.
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