calsfoundation@cals.org

Upcoming Events
Grab N’ Go Activity Bags
Bags made up of different activities and crafts for kids.
Nature Quest
Go on a nature-themed scavenger hunt at the Children’s Library. Get the first clue from the front desk from 9am – 6pm, and bring us back the code word for a prize! A new hunt occurs around the beginning of each month.
Kids in the Kitchen
Join Ms. Kat for an easy recipe and storytime. Sometimes we make goodies, and sometimes we keep it healthy. We learn a little about where food comes from and nutrition along the way. Storytime is a read aloud with suggestions for further fiction and non-fiction reading on the topic.
Each Monday at 10:00am, learn different simple recipes to share with little ones on the CALS Kids Facebook page.
CALS Storytime Archive on YouTube
Virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) is hosting a virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event on January 18, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Part 1
Welcome and Keynote | 11:30 a.m.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr., City of Little Rock
Discussion of “March: Book One” | Noon
Nate Powell, Illustrator, “March: Book One” | Antwan Phillips, Moderator
National Service Meet &
Food For Good: Grab N’ Go Supper
The Nixon Library serves an afterschool meal:
Monday – Friday
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
For 18 years and younger.
A Conversation Worth Having: Roy Wilkins
“If a conversation is hard, it’s probably one worth having.”
Join us for A Conversation Worth Having: a part of our Civil Rights & Social Change Collection.
Every Monday night at 7pm CST we screen a virtual collection of talks, speeches, poetry, music, films and documentaries designed to educate, enlighten, and encourage empathy surrounding the struggles and hardships facing the African-American community. You can join us from anywhere around the world,
An event every week that begins at 9:00 am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, repeating until January 31, 2021
Book Wreath Grab and Go
The January grab & go craft is a book page wreath. Kits will be available starting Monday, January 4, 2021. Kits will be available at Fletcher & Terry Libraries. While supplies last.
An event every week that begins at 9:00 am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, repeating until January 31, 2021
Soup Starter Grab and Go Jars
Each kit includes the dry ingredients and recipe for a delicious 5 bean soup that teens can prepare at home. This soup is vegetarian as presented, but feel free to toss in some leftover holiday ham for an even tastier treat! Available starting January 11 while supplies last.
An event every week that begins at 9:00 am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, repeating until January 31, 2021
Snowman Craft Grab and Go
Kids grab and go craft is Craft Stick Snowman. Provided are the painted sticks, hat tie, and nose. Patrons will need to have glue or hot glue and a sharpie. ss Available starting January 11 while supplies las
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Tuesday, repeating until January 26, 2021
Baby & Toddler Storytime
Join us each Tuesday at 10:00am on the CALS Kids Facebook page for storytime, sing-alongs, puppet shows and more.
Next episode:
CALS Storytime Archive on YouTube
Oral History at Home: Beginners Oral History Workshop
The CALS Butler Center offers a monthly beginner’s oral history workshop taught by Benji de la Piedra, oral historian and author. Participants will learn how to
- think about questions, stories, memories, and dialogue like oral historians do;
- prepare for and conduct oral history interviews with the technology they have available to them (including phone and video chat); and
- imagine and pursue possible outcomes of the interviewing process.
This course is open to all.
Virtual BingoFlix: Samurai Cop (1991, NR)
Join us ALL January long for Virtual BingoFlix! We’re playing bingo along to the movie cliches in four of some the cheesiest movies and their sequels for your chance to win a FREE movie pass to the theater once we reopen!
On Tuesday, January 19, join us for Samurai Cop (1991, NR): Joe Marshall and Frank Washington are two tenacious police detectives who seek at all costs to stop the Katana, a renegade Yakuza gang composed of violent and sadistic killers who want to lead the drug trade in Los Angeles.
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday and Friday, repeating until April 24, 2021
An event every week that begins at 12:00 pm on Saturday, repeating until April 24, 2021
Transformation: Artworks by Sandra Sell and Elizabeth Weber
January 8 to April 24, 2021
CALS Roberts Library, Underground Gallery
This exhibition showcases the sculptures and paintings of two of Arkansas’s outstanding artists. Sandra Sell explores the contrast and rhythmic tension inherent in carved wood, and Elizabeth Weber’s work explores the concepts of hidden growth and transformation.
The exhibition is on view to the public in the Roberts Library on Wednesday and Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 12pm to 5pm from Friday,
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday, happening 4 times
Memoir Writing for Seniors: How to Write Your Story
Presented by CALS Writing Circle, this ongoing class meets once each week and takes attendees aged 55+ through the steps of writing their own life stories. You’ll be given tools and techniques to help you learn to write regularly and productively. Everyone is welcome; no writing experience is required.
No matter who you are, there are many reasons to write about your life. The act of writing your story can be a healing and transformative journey; it helps identify the threads and themes in your life and make sense of what you’ve lived.
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday, repeating until January 27, 2021
Preschool Storytime
Join us each Wednesday at 10:00am on the CALS Kids Facebook page for storytime, songs, games, and more!
CALS Storytime Archive on YouTube
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, repeating until January 28, 2021
Read Aloud Storytime
Join us each Thursday at 10:00am on the CALS Kids Facebook page for great stories and more!
CALS Storytime Archive on YouTube
Zoom Savvy
An event every month that begins at 6:00 pm on day Third of the month, repeating until June 17, 2021
An event every month that begins at 6:00 pm on day 21 of the month, repeating indefinitely
Take ‘N Make: Craft along on Zoom
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry
Six Bridges Book Festival presents: C.M. Waggoner, author of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry
Moderated by Danielle Butler
This event will be hosted virtually on the Zoom platform. Free registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You may sign up for Zoom and download the Zoom app at https://zoom.us/.
Sparks fly in this enchanting fantasy novel from the author of Unnatural Magic when a down-and-out fire witch and a young gentlewoman join forces against a deadly conspiracy.
Crafting with Opal
This is a craft along program. In this program we teach different crafts which could include sewing, crocheting, knitting, painting & others.
This is a virtual program that the Nixon library does live on Facebook every Thursday (excluding holidays). Just click here to go to our Nixon Facebook page to watch.
Arkansas Sounds Presents: A Tribute to the Legendary Magic 105
Join us every Thursday for Arkansas Sounds Presents, a free online watch party of Arkansas music and culture, including unreleased performances, interviews and related content from our CALS Arkansas Sounds archives.
On Thursday, January 21 at 7 p.m. CST, CALS Arkansas Sounds presents a tribute to legendary Arkansas radio station, Magic 105! We pay tribute to Magic 105 (1980-2008) with audio and video clips, photos, and a panel discussion featuring former on-air personalities “The Outlaw” Tommy Smith,
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Friday, repeating until January 29, 2021
Teen Time
1/8 – Mr. Dan’s Real World: Hypothermia
Mr. Dan explains what to do should you encounter someone with hypothermia
1/15- History’s Mysteries & Conspiracies: Ancient Aliens
Did aliens have a hand in creating ancient civilizations? Are they among us today?
1/22- Mr. Dan’s Real World: efaxing
Mr. Dan demonstrates how to send an efax at the Nixon Library *flexes* in Jacksonville.
1/29- History’s Mysteries &
STEAM Craft & Go
Grab & go kits available at Children’s Library with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
Virtual BingoFlix: Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance (2015, TV-14)
Join us ALL January long for Virtual BingoFlix! We’re playing bingo along to the movie cliches in four of some the cheesiest movies and their sequels for your chance to win a FREE movie pass to the theater once we reopen!
On Friday, January 22, join us for Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance (2015, TV-14): It’s 25 years later, and police detective Frank Washington is forced to team up again with his long estranged partner Joe Marshall to investigate a series of assassinations,
An event every 2 weeks that begins at 10:00 am on Saturday, repeating until February 27, 2021
Family Storytime
Join us every other Saturday at 10:00am on the CALS Kids Facebook page for storytime, songs, games, and more for the whole family.
CALS Storytime Archive on YouTube
Family Storytime: Snow
Join Ms. Terry for a snow filled storytime! Learn about snow and follow along a snowy experiment!
This program is pre-recorded and will post on the CALS Kids YouTube channel.
Food For Good: Lunch
The Nixon Library serves lunch:
Saturday
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
For 18 years and younger.
CALS Writing Circle: Writing with Everyday Objects
The use of an everyday object can help define a sense of place in your writing. Join author, storyteller, and Master Beekeeper C. L. Bee to learn how to choose a common object within the story’s setting as a focal point and guide for telling the story.
Bee grew up in the family bee business and says that “telling the stories the bees have so graciously provided is the culmination of many years’ worth of blunders as well as insights.”
A Conversation Worth Having: Shirley Chisholm
“If a conversation is hard, it’s probably one worth having.”
Join us for A Conversation Worth Having: a part of our Civil Rights & Social Change Collection.
Every Monday night at 7pm CST we screen a virtual collection of talks, speeches, poetry, music, films and documentaries designed to educate, enlighten, and encourage empathy surrounding the struggles and hardships facing the African-American community. You can join us from anywhere around the world,
Toddler Storytime: Fancy Storytime
Ms. Linda presents a fancy storytime featuring the works of Mr. John Cena, esq.
This program will stream live on @CALSChildrensLibraryAndLearningCenter Facebook Page.
Tinker Tok
Experiments using the science of sound and 3D printing. Enjoy the videos on the Children’s Library facebook page!
An event every month that begins at 6:30 pm on day Last of the month, repeating until May 25, 2021
Short Form: a virtual short story discussion group
Join us for a virtual discussion group focusing on short stories. We read a variety of genres, from literary and sci-fi, to horror and magical realism. We meet monthly on the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM on Zoom.
Our next meeting will be January 26. We will be reading two stories by Octavia E. Butler, “Bloodchild” and “Speech Sounds”. “Bloodchild” imagines an alien world in which humans are used as surrogates by insect-like creatures called Tlic.
Nixon Book Buddies
This book club reads fiction & non-fiction books.
Occurs the 3rd Tuesday of every month excluding holidays.
- February – A Jewish Refugee in New York by Kadya Molodovsky
- March – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- April – Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
- May – A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert
- June – The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer
- July –
Virtual BingoFlix: Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979, PG)
Join us ALL January long for Virtual BingoFlix! We’re playing bingo along to the movie cliches in four of some the cheesiest movies and their sequels for your chance to win a FREE movie pass to the theater once we reopen!
On Tuesday, January 26, join us for Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979, PG): Vince Lombardi High School keeps losing principals to nervous breakdowns because of the students’ love of rock ‘n’
Fianancial Planning for 2021
Read A-Loud w/Ms. Terry
Ms. Terry reads Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
This program is pre-recorded and will post on the CALS Kids YouTube channel.
3D Design with Blender (two-part class)
Leonard Downie Jr.: All About the Story: News, Power, Politics, and the Washington Post
CALS Bobby L. Roberts Library Presents
All About the Story: News, Power, Politics, and the Washington Post
Speaker: Leonard Downie, Jr. and Benji de la Piedra
Join CALS in-house oral historian Benji de la Piedra for a public conversation with Leonard Downie Jr., former executive editor of the Washington Post and author of the new memoir All About the Story: News,
Arkansas Sounds Presents: Bob Dorough
Join us every Thursday for Arkansas Sounds Presents, a free online watch party of Arkansas music and culture, including unreleased performances, interviews and related content from our CALS Arkansas Sounds archives.
On Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. CST, CALS Arkansas Sounds presents a full-length 2017 concert by legendary Arkansas jazz artist, Bob Dorough. This pianist, singer, composer, producer, and NEA Jazz Master wrote and directed episodes of the “Schoolhouse Rock!” children’s TV series from 1972 to 1996,
An event every 2 weeks that begins at 10:00 am on Friday, repeating until February 19, 2021
Guest Reader Storytime
Join us every other Friday at 10:00am on the CALS Kids Facebook page as we feature a special guest reader for storytime.
Next episode:
CALS Storytime Archive on YouTube
Virtual BingoFlix: Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Forever (1991, PG-13)
Join us ALL January long for Virtual BingoFlix! We’re playing bingo along to the movie cliches in four of some the cheesiest movies and their sequels for your chance to win a FREE movie pass to the theater once we reopen!
On Friday, January 29, join us for Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Forever (1991, PG-13): Corey Feldman leads a rock and roll rally at Ronald Reagon High, but must triumph over the evil plans of the school’s fascist principal,
Race, Rage, and Resistance: Cherisse Jones-Branch
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas presents Race, Rage, and Resistance
“To Make the Farm Bureau Stronger and Better for All the People”: African Americans and the American Farm Bureau Federation: 1920–1966
Speaker: Cherisse Jones-Branch
Cherisse Jones-Branch is the dean of the Graduate School and the James and Wanda Lee Vaughn Endowed Professor of History at Arkansas State University.
Airic Hughes: “Through the Heart of the City: Interstates, Segregation, and Social Memory in Urban America”
CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Presents LEGACIES & LUNCH
Through the Heart of the City: Interstates, Segregation, and Social Memory in Urban America
Speaker: Airic Hughes
Airic Hughes, a PhD candidate in history at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, will explore how federal urban renewal projects changed the landscape of numerous American cities throughout the twentieth century. Many of these projects worked in tandem with discriminatory urban planning policies such as redlining,
Why Some Startups Succeed (And Others Fail)
John Chamberlin has worked in the entrepreneurial community for over 50 years. He founded Arkansas Systems, now Euronet Worldwide, a global financial technology firm. His education includes a degree in Agricultural Engineering from Michigan State and a Master’s Degree in from MIT. This event will be hosted virtually on the Zoom platform. Free registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
An event every month that begins at 3:30 pm on day Second of the month, repeating until August 9, 2021
Finding Family Facts
The Butler Center offers a beginner’s genealogy class the second Monday of every month, taught by Rhonda Stewart, the Butler Center’s local history and genealogy expert. Participants will learn how to use online databases and city directories, as well as how to archive family documents. Jump-start your genealogy research with this fun and creative way to learn about the past.
Register for Finding Family Facts
Due to ongoing public health concerns, Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) has suspended all programs and outreach at this time.
Race, Rage, and Resistance: Richard Buckelew
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas presents Race, Rage, and Resistance
Loosening the Noose of Judge Lynch: Prevented Lynchings in Arkansas
Speaker: Richard Buckelew
Richard A. “Rick” Buckelew is a historian of nineteenth-century America who specializes in the history of race in Arkansas and the American South, with a particular focus on the history of lynching and racial violence.
Cooking Matters at Home: Hack Your Snack
February 9: Hack Your Snack: Must-Have Tips for Easy, Healthy Snacks for Your Family
Stop the mealtime madness! Join us for Cooking Matters at Home and learn to prepare delicious, affordable meals the whole family will enjoy. In each 30-minute group discussion, we’ll talk about different ideas for saving money while cooking tasty family meals at home. These online classes will be held over Zoom, so you will need either a stable internet or phone connection.
Race, Rage, and Resistance: Brian K. Mitchell
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas presents Race, Rage, and Resistance
Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana
Speaker: Brian K. Mitchell
Brian K. Mitchell is assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. A New Orleans native, Mitchell received a PhD in urban studies with a concentration in public history at the University of New Orleans.
An event every month that begins at 2:00 pm on day Third of the month, repeating until April 20, 2021
Oral History at Home: Beginners Oral History Workshop
The CALS Butler Center offers a monthly beginner’s oral history workshop taught by Benji de la Piedra, oral historian and author. Participants will learn how to
- think about questions, stories, memories, and dialogue like oral historians do;
- prepare for and conduct oral history interviews with the technology they have available to them (including phone and video chat); and
- imagine and pursue possible outcomes of the interviewing process.
This course is open to all.
How to Prepare Your Taxes
Creating Black Americans
Six Bridges Book Festival presents: Nell Irvin Painter, author of Creating Black Americans: African-American History and its Meanings 1619 to the Present
Moderator: Jessica McDaniel
Free registration is required. This event will take place on the Zoom platform. You will receive confirmation of registration when you register; a Zoom invitation will be sent to you on February 18th. You may sign up for Zoom and download the Zoom app at https://zoom.us/.
Friday Family Fun Night Trivia
Join us every 3rd Friday night for Friday Family Fun Night Trivia! Teams must register via Zoom and each month’s trivia will have a different theme. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team each month!
February 19 – BLACK CULTURE & HISTORY
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Race, Rage, and Resistance: Stephanie Harp and Kwami Abdul-Bey
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas presents Race, Rage, and Resistance
John Carter and Lonnie Dixon: Remembering 1927
Speaker: Stephanie Harp and Kwami Abdul-Bey
Stephanie Harp is a writer and historian, based in Maine, whose family ties to Little Rock and elsewhere in Arkansas go back many generations. She holds a master’s degree in U.S. history,
Cooking Matters at Home: Kids Say Yes to Fruits and Veggies
March 9: Kids Say Yes to Fruits and Veggies: Tips for More Fun and Fewer Fights
Stop the mealtime madness! Join us for Cooking Matters at Home and learn to prepare delicious, affordable meals the whole family will enjoy. In each 30-minute group discussion, we’ll talk about different ideas for saving money while cooking tasty family meals at home. These online classes will be held over Zoom, so you will need either a stable internet or phone connection.
Friday Family Fun Night Trivia
Join us every 3rd Friday night for Friday Family Fun Night Trivia! Teams must register via Zoom and each month’s trivia will have a different theme. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team each month!
March 19- HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (FILM TRIVIA)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Cooking Matters at Home: Drink to Your Health
April 13: Drink to Your Health: Tasty, Lower Sugar Choices for Kids and Caregivers
Stop the mealtime madness! Join us for Cooking Matters at Home and learn to prepare delicious, affordable meals the whole family will enjoy. In each 30-minute group discussion, we’ll talk about different ideas for saving money while cooking tasty family meals at home. These online classes will be held over Zoom, so you will need either a stable internet or phone connection.
Cooking Matters at Home: Making Recipes Work for You
May 11: Making Recipes Work for You: Your Family, Your Choice
Stop the mealtime madness! Join us for Cooking Matters at Home and learn to prepare delicious, affordable meals the whole family will enjoy. In each 30-minute group discussion, we’ll talk about different ideas for saving money while cooking tasty family meals at home. These online classes will be held over Zoom, so you will need either a stable internet or phone connection.
Finding Family Facts
The Butler Center offers a beginner’s genealogy class the second Monday of every month, taught by Rhonda Stewart, the Butler Center’s local history and genealogy expert. Participants will learn how to use online databases and city directories, as well as how to archive family documents. Jump-start your genealogy research with this fun and creative way to learn about the past.
Register for Finding Family Facts
Due to ongoing public health concerns, Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) has suspended all programs and outreach at this time.
True Stories Book Club
This book club reads non-fiction books including true crime, biographies/memoirs, self-help, current events, social sciences/politics.
Occurs the 2rd Thursday of every month excluding holidays.
- February – Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
- March – Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo by Paula Huntley
This is a virtual event that we do with Zoom.
Please contact the Nixon Library if you would like to attend. (501)457-5038