Encyclopedia of Arkansas

One of the best sources of information about the state of Arkansas, its history and people is the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Curious about the history of Petit Jean State Park? Interested in the singer Lucinda Williams's connections to Arkansas? The Encyclopedia has information on these and many, many more topics. Here is a brief description of the website and its goals, taken from the About page:

The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture Project strives to offer a definitive, comprehensive, and accurate record of the twenty-fifth state. The online version of the Encyclopedia is the first component of the Project. The online version of the Encyclopedia will be maintained and updated in perpetuity by the staff of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies.

It is a great place to start for students who need to do reports, or others just seeking facts. Each article has links to other, related articles, as well as a bibliography at the end. There are many pictures, maps and other resources available as well. Take some time to poke around and see what you can find. I promise it will be worth the time!

Database Spotlight: Sanborn Maps

In addition to its various print collections, the Arkansas State Library also provides access to a wide range of online databases. These are available to patrons free of charge on the in-house public computers, and can be accessed remotely by State Employees who have applied for remote access privileges.

One of the interesting databases is the Digital Sanborn Map collection. This is a collection of fire insurance maps, some going back as far as 1867. According to the ProQuest information page "Sanborn maps are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. They are large-scale plans containing data that can be used to estimate the potential risk for urban structures. This includes information such as the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, location of windows and doors. The maps also give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers."

The Arkansas State Library has access to all of the Arkansas maps in the collection, including those for Little Rock, Arkadelphia, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, and Texarkana. For more information about how to access the maps, please contact the library or visit our website.

New State Library Services Website

The Reference, Circulation and Interlibrary Loan departments at the State Library have a new website. From it, you can ask a reference question, browse the catalog, or (if you meet the requirements) submit an Interlibrary Loan request. There are also links to our available databases, directions about how to apply for a library card, and other useful information. It is still a new site, so check back often for updates. Some of the pages we hope to develop are a list of new books, patent and trademark information (beyond what is already there), and information for job seekers in Arkansas. Please follow the links and take a look. If you have suggestions about pages you would like to see included, leave a comment below.

Are you hungry for something to read?

We have had a lot of new books arriving at the Arkansas State Library recently. Here are three titles you may want to check out:

• New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes and Their Histories edited by Susan Tucker (TX 715.2 .L68 N49 2009). A collection of essays and recipes, this book is a veritable gumbo of history, anthropology and gastronomy that comes together to provide a satisfying meal for the reader. Each of the 14 chapters focuses on a specific signature food of New Orleans, from Sazerac, red beans and rice, to, yes, gumbo.
  

• A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (TX 649 .W588 A3 2009). This is the sort of book that you read over and over again, and recommend to all of your friends. Wizenberg started writing a blog several years ago about her life and about food and how the two intertwine and quickly gained a legion of readers, including one who would go on to be her husband. Many of the chapters are expanded blog entries, and all of them contain mouth-watering recipes. Two thumbs up from the staff!

• Greasy Rider: Two dudes, one fry-oil-powered car, and a cross-country search for a greener future by Greg Melville (GE 197 .M45 2008). OK, this one isn't strictly food related, unless you count the fry-oil, but don't let that stop you from reading. The author and an old college buddy set out to drive from Vermont to California in an old Mercedes powered by used French fry oil. Along the way they investigate green and sustainable technologies.