All materials in the Arkansas State Library’s collections are fully cataloged and searchable online. All collections are physically accessible to visitors of the Arkansas State Library. Access to a limited number of depository materials is restricted due to the age and fragility of the items.
All digital materials from the State Employee Resource and Traveler Statewide Resource programs are available to all patrons onsite using the library’s public access computers or WiFi.
Arkansas Collection
The Arkansas Collection collection contains published, non-fiction materials written by Arkansas authors, and materials about Arkansas, its history, its people and its resources. This is a permanent, depository collection maintained in accordance with A.C.A. § 13-2-207. As a depository collection, only additional copies of a title circulate.
Arkansas Documents
Pursuant to A.C.A. § 13-2-210, the Arkansas State Library serves as the official State Documents Depository for the state. The resulting Arkansas Documents Collection contains state documents and publications produced by Arkansas state government.
All digital documents are publicly accessible online.
Arkansas Rules
In accordance to the Administrative Procedures Act, the Arkansas Rules Collection contains final copies of all new, amended and emergency rules adopted by state agencies pursuant to A.C.A. § 25-15-204(e)(1)(B).
All digital rules are publicly accessible online.
Federal Documents
Pursuant to A.C.A. § 13-2-210, the Arkansas State Library serves as the Regional Federal Depository Library for the state. As Regional, the library retains tangible copies of every government document distributed by the U.S. Government Publishing Office.
Records and online access for all digital documents distributed by GPO are included in the online catalog.
Library Science Collection
The Library Science Collection includes books, periodicals, onsite access to online journals and other materials about the profession or suitable for professional librarians, library staff, and students working towards an MLS or related degree.
Public and academic libraries may request materials from this collection via interlibrary loan.
Newspaper & Periodical Collections
The State Library carries a historical run of the Arkansas Gazette on microfilm, and also subscribes to several newspaper archives that are available onsite.
All print newspaper subscriptions are retained by the Arkansas State Library for three months, then transferred to the Arkansas State Archives for preservation. Current subscriptions include:
- Log Cabin Democrat (Conway, AR)
- The Leader (Cabot, AR)
- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Sunday edition only)
- Ashley County Ledger
- Courier (Russellville, AR)
- Daily Record (North Little Rock, AR)
- El Dorado News-Times
- Jonesboro Sun
- Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
- Paragould Daily
- Pine Bluff Commercial
- Sentinel Record (Hot Springs, AR)
- Southwest Times Record (Fort Smith, AR)
- Texarkana Gazette
Periodical Collections
General and Library Science periodicals are retained for 4 years. Periodicals from the Arkansas Collection, Arkansas Documents and Federal Docouments collections are retained permanently.
Non-Fiction Circulating Collection
The Circulating Collection contains published materials that supplement titles in the depository collections.
Patent & Trademark Core Collection
As the Patent and Trademark Resource Center for the state of Arkansas, the library offers onsite access to USPTO’s core collection, in addition to supplementary research materials available in the Circulating Collection.