Main on the Move

Main Library will be closing to the public to undergo renovations in Fall 2023; this page will be continuously updated with the latest news.

Do you have thoughts, comments, or suggestions about the renovation? Click below to tell us.

Leave a comment

 

June 1, 2023

The Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square are officially closed to make way for Mini Main. In order to disrupt as few services as possible during the renovation, the space where the Bookstore lived will be used for essential library services for the duration. We are sad to see the space go, but take heart, the entire staff will remain at CALS in a variety of positions. Here is a rendering of what we anticipate that space will look like and how it will be used.

Future 2FAN events will move across the street to our neighbors at UA @ Little Rock Downtown. The Underground Gallery will still feature works from CALS’s extensive permanent collection of Arkansas artwork and will exhibit artwork from Arkansas artists and collectors.

May 12, 2023

While the focus has been on Main, Williams Library is also expected to get a nice facelift! Be on the lookout for information about what to expect and the timeline of that project. Exterior work has begun with the addition of a new sign and a piece of artwork by Stephen Shachtman at the entrance to the adjacent Dunbar Gardens. See the artwork here.

April 17, 2023

Roberts Library blog has a bit of an update on the future of the Galleries & Bookstore as we move into the next phase. Read it here.

March 13, 2023

Concordia Hall has closed to the public in advance of the renovation. This space will be used to house the temporary Teen and Youth Services area. It is anticipated that it will continue to house art in some form during that time.

March 1, 2023

CALS hosted a Media Day on Tuesday, February 28, you can read news coverage from Arkansas Times, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and from KARK. During this event, a timeline of the renovation was announced as well as renderings provided by Polk Stanley Wilcox.

February 28, 2023

Two community meetings have been announced. Here’s your chance to let your voice be heard! We’ve moved into the planning phase of the renovation at Main and our partners, Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects want to hear from you. The public is invited to discuss what you would like to see in the future with both Main Library as well as the space that houses the Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square.

March 11, 2023 10 a.m. to noon- Ron Robinson Theater
Learn More

March 30, 2023 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.- Darragh Center in the Main Library
learn More

February 26, 2023

Update to the music move- the YA and adult music is now at home at Rooker where it will remain until after the renovation.

February 24, 2023

We are hosting a Media Day on Tuesday, February 28, at 10:00 in Concordia Hall. We’ll use this time to highlight some of our upcoming programs; provide updates on the Main renovations, bookmobile, and book sale; and give the public an opportunity to imagine how “Mini Main” will look inside Roberts Library. The event is open to the public. We’re also offering tours of Main Library.

The adult and young adult music has moved to its new home at the Oley E. Rooker library. It’s available for browsing, or feel free to place a hold on your favorite tunes and pick them up at your home branch!

February 1, 2023

Executive Director Nate Coulter addressed concerns over the closure of the Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square in an opinion piece for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. You can read it here.
If you have any trouble accessing the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette page, you can view as a PDF here.

January 27, 2023

On January 26, the CALS Board of Directors met in the Darragh Center at Main for the monthly board meeting; as the renovation looms and more information has become available to the public, there have been thoughts and input. Currently at the center of this discussion is the anticipated closing of the Galleries & Bookstore at Library Square. This space will need to be used for essential library services downtown, including (but not limited to) a book pickup area, public meeting rooms and public computer access. The board listened to the the statements put forth by the citizen in attendance and promised to take these concerns into serious consideration as the project moves forward.

Read more about the board meeting in the Arkansas Times and in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Read this article from Soiree that explains the move.

January 18, 2023

Beginning January 31, the YA and adult music collection will be moved to Rooker Library and remain there until after the renovation is complete. Once Rooker is ready to receive everything, the music collection will be suppressed, so it will not be visible to patrons for check out or holds. The shelving will be moved to Rooker, followed by the music collection. Once everything is set back up and accessible, the collection will be unsuppressed. This process should take around a month to complete. In the meantime, we suggest checking out Freegal; this app gives patrons access to 24/7 streaming as well as 5 free song downloads per month.

January 5, 2023

Executive Director Nate Coulter explains a bit of what can be expected in the near future as CALS begins the big move at Main. Read his letter here.

 

Do you have thoughts, comments, or suggestions about the renovation? Click below to tell us.
Leave a comment