Tag Archives: Central Arkansas Library System

Now’s the time to nominate museums and libraries for National Medal for Museum and Library Service

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National MedalLittle Rock is blessed to have a dynamic library system and over a dozen exciting museums.  Let’s face it, the words “dynamic” and “exciting” are not always synonymous with libraries and museums.

Each year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services presents select museums and libraries with the nation’s highest honor, the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.  IMLS is now accepting nominations for the 2016 award which recognizes libraries and museums that make significant and exceptional contributions in service to their communities. Nomination forms are due October 1, 2015.

All types of nonprofit libraries and library organizations, including academic, school, and special libraries, archives, library associations, and library consortia, are eligible to receive this honor. Public or private nonprofit museums of any discipline (including general, art, history, science and technology, children’s, and natural history and anthropology), as well as historic houses and sites, arboretums, nature centers, aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, and planetariums are eligible.

Winners are honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC, host a two-day visit from StoryCorps to record community member stories, and receive positive media attention. Approximately thirty finalists are selected as part of the process and are featured by IMLS during a six-week social media and press campaign.

Winning the medal elevates an institution’s profile and can positively impact fundraising, programming, and outreach activities.

Anyone may nominate a museum or library for this honor, and institutions may self-nominate. For more information, reach out to one of the following contacts.

Program Contact for Museums:
Mark Feitl, Museum Program Specialist
202-653-4635, mfeitl@imls.gov

Program Contact for Libraries:
Katie Murray, Staff Assistant
202-653-4644, kmurray@imls.gov

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Their mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Iron Tongue and Adam Faucett & the Tall Grass tonight at 7 at Ron Robinson Theater

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RRT TongueLocal heavy rock group Iron Tongue joins forces with the huge voice of songwriter Adam Faucett & the Tall Grass for a night of powerful original music.

Iron Tongue is a group of veteran musicians with diverse backgrounds. Their soulful heavy rock songs of pain, regret and heartache recall their influences of Blue Cheer, Grand Funk, Kiss, Deep Purple, Buddy Guy, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Adam Faucett & the Tall Grass hail from Little Rock. Faucett possesses a voice that the Onion A.V. Club warns “knocks your brain into the back of your skull.” Faucett has drawn comparisons from Tim Buckley to Cat Power to Otis Redding. Called “one of the greatest, most thoughtful lyricists the state has to offer” (Arkansas Times), Faucett has pushed the borders of his “part folk, part blues, part elemental rock stomp, part unidentifiable cosmic holler” (Arkansas Democrat Gazette) with his new album, Blind Water Finds Blind Water, presenting his most arresting and beautiful songs to date.

The concert starts at 7pm at the Ron Robinson Theater. Tickets are $10.

86 Percent say YES to CALS Bonds

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Cals ELectionAs noted last night, 86.10% of the voters approved the Central Arkansas Library System bond refinancing.  It really was a no-brainer, though a complicated explanation.  A “Yes” vote meant property taxes would be reduced (thanks to refinancing at a better interest rate).

The final numbers were 3,834 FOR, 619 AGAINST.  Two ballots were cast which were overvotes (voters filled in both bubbles) and five ballots were cast which were undervotes (they were blank). 4400 votes in a special election in July is a fairly decent turnout. It was 3.51% turnout.  When one considers how anemic voter turnout is for presidential elections, this should be viewed as fairly strong.

Looking at the precinct reports, it shows a deep level of support from all areas of the city.  It passed overwhelmingly in every precinct.  The most votes garnered against it in a precinct were 291 at one of the two Pulaski Heights Presbyterian precincts in Hillcrest.  But as that precinct had over 3,000 voters, it was still only 9% of the voters at that ballot box.

The Central Arkansas Library System is in the process of hiring a replacement for retiring director Dr. Bobby Roberts.  Certainly one of the things they must find is someone who knows how to run elections.  Library knowledge, creativity and a vision are not enough. Without the ability to build coalitions of voters, the other skills are all for naught.

In the meantime, the Central Arkansas Library System will move forward with plans to upgrade and expand physical plants and acquire more books and technology.  As is often the case, the planning for the campaign can be the easy part.  After the win comes the execution of the plan.

Now (as Pulitzer Prize and Tony winning playwright Tony Kushner writes in Angels in America, which is available to be checked out from CALS) – “The great work begins.”

CALS Election Results – FINAL – 86% approval

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Cals ELection

FINAL UNOFFICIAL NUMBERS

FOR – 3834 (86.10%)  AGAINST – 619 (13.90%)

Landslide doesn’t even begin to describe it.

 

UPDATE 9:08.  If this trend continues, it is another rousing success for retiring CALS Director Bobby Roberts.  He will give deserved credit to the CALS Board and to the campaign committee.  But his vision and his hard work over the years have as much to do with the CALS success at the ballot box as anything.

 

UPDATE 9:03  No new numbers.  With only 1/3 of the precincts remaining, it is difficult to see how the negative votes could overtake the positive ones.  However, not knowing which precincts have reported, there could still be some strong pockets of NO votes out there.

 

UPDATE 8:52  46 precincts

2319 FOR and 451 AGAINST.

That continues the over 80% approval.  Perhaps my previous post can be disregarded.

 

UPDATE 8:49  Given the huge jump in the favorability percentage, I suspect that includes the Heights and Hillcrest.  I expect as the other results come in, the numbers will move back toward the middle to lower 70s.

 

UPDATE: 8:44  30 precincts

1421 FOR; 296 Against.  Moved to over 80% favorable

 

UPDATE 8:42. 12 precincts reporting (including early and absentee)

FOR: 682 and AGAINST: 209

Maintaining the rough 3 to 1 favorable margin.

 

UPDATE: 8:40.  And still we wait…..   I firmly believe I probably could have driven to all 70 polling sites and looked at their posted numbers by now.  Well that is a slight exaggeration, but not much.

UPDATE: 8:12pm – still awaiting the pollworkers to return to HQ with results.  In the meantime, a look at the first numbers.  Four people went to the trouble to vote absentee, and turned in Blank Ballots.   One absentee voter filled in both options.

I am all for voting.  Heck, I even vote for the school district millage every year.  But I make sure my ballot counts.

Oh, well….

 

ORGINAL: With the early and absentee votes reported, 569 people cast votes FOR the library refinancing and 174 people cast votes AGAINST the bonds.

There were also 4 blank ballots cast, and one ballot cast with apparently the voter marking For and Against.

This will be updated as results come in.

CALS Election Today – Vote Yes!

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Cals ELectionVoters in Little Rock need to go to the polls today! (July 14, 2015)

It is your chance to take an already outstanding library system and make it even stronger!

The Central Arkansas Library System is asking Little Rock voters to approve a bond refinance that will generate about $15,000,000 and reduce property tax rates from one mill to 0.9 mill.

Vote YES!
What will CALS do for Little Rock Voters?

  • Expand the Thompson, Fletcher, and Dee Brown libraries and reconfigure their children’s areas
  • Limited remodel in the Main Library and refurbish the Williams Library
  • Expand and upgrade the digital/Internet network
  • Purchase thousands of books, eBooks, DVDs, & CDs

How does it affect the Little Rock taxpayer?

It will lower taxes by about $2 per year on a $100,000 home and extend the bond payments by approximately five years.

Lower property taxes and higher quality libraries!

(This is only the second time the Culture Vulture has gotten political. The other concerned the vote to renovate Robinson Center Music Hall.  In both instances, the financial impact per citizen was negligible, but the cultural impact was phenomenal.  The Culture Vulture will never endorse candidates.)

Don’t Refuse THE GODFATHER, PART II tonight at the Ron Robinson Theater

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RRT g2Arguably the best sequel ever, The Godfather, Part II is the only sequel to win the Oscar for Best Picture after the original film also won that award.  Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 epic examines both the rise of Michael Corleone and the early days of his father Vito Corleone.

Al Pacino returns as Michael with Robert De Niro taking on the role of younger Vito.  Both men were nominated for Oscars with De Niro taking home the Best Supporting Actor award.  Others in the cast include the return of Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda and James Caan along with newcomers Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, and Troy Donohue.  Danny Aiello, Bruno Kirby and Harry Dean Stanton can also be seen in small parts.

The screenplay was by Coppola and Mario Puzo, on whose novel the first two films were based.  The Godfather, Part II was nominated for 11 Oscars. In addition to De Niro’s win and the Best Picture trophy, it won for Director (Coppola), Screenplay (Coppola and Puzo), Art Direction and Score.

Tonight at 7pm, this big film returns to the big screen as the Ron Robinson Theatre screens it as part of the Great Directors series.  Tickets are $5, with concessions available for purchase as well.

Sing the SONG OF THE SEA at Ron Robinson Theater this afternoon

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RRT song of seaSong of the Sea was nominated for Best Animated Feature earlier this year at the Oscars.

This Belgium film set in the British Isles tells the tale of Saoirse, a little girl who can turn into a seal.  She goes on an adventure with her brother to save the spirit world and other magical beings like her.

An international cast of actors voice the characters in this film including David Rawl, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, Fionnula Flanagan, and Lucy O’Connell.  It was directed by Tomm Moore, based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Will Collins.

It screens this afternoon at 2pm at the Ron Robinson Theater.  Admission is $5 with concessions available for purchase.

This is part of the Kid Flix series.