More to center story
In spring 2019, the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) adopted a strategic plan to guide the library’s policies, programming, and budget decisions through 2022. The plan included reimagining our mission, vision, and core values.
In a letter to the editor published on Aug. 25, Little Rock resident Linda Bell expressed concern about the perceived lack of funding for CALS’ Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, stating that “one of the finest Arkansas history programs in the state” was “forced to take crippling budget cuts.”
While it’s true that the Butler Center, in the CALS Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art, is an exceptional resource for Arkansas history, there is more to the budget story. With the development of the strategic plan, we took a closer look at our spending to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of the 15 libraries that compose the largest library system in the state.
Despite some reorganization, the Butler Center is as vibrant as it ever was, even during a pandemic. The staff has digitized thousands of photos and documents to make them more easily accessible on RobertsLibrary.org as well as in our research room. Our website also offers connections to the community through interactive projects like documenting Arkansas’ pandemic experience and gathering stories from Arkansas women and men who served in the Vietnam War. We serve millions of visitors each year— virtually and in person—through the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the monthly Legacies & Lunch series, and a robust genealogy program that includes monthly events and regular workshops featuring national speakers.
We’re proud of the work that comes from the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and are always happy to see it reaching new audiences and contributing positively to the library’s reputation as a cultural institution. While our strategy evolves over time as the community’s needs grow and change, our purpose remains the same: to share the story of our great state and its people in a way that is factual, relevant, and diverse in perspective. GLENN WHALEY
Little Rock Glenn Whaley is Roberts Library branch manager.