The Central Arkansas Library System is reminding local residents about the variety of free services always available and new services that have been added that could be beneficial to individuals as they recover from the tornadoes that happened on March 31.
Until further notice, all faxing, scanning, and printing can be done free of charge. Additional services and items include:
• water bottle filling stations
• charging stations
• notary services
• access to computers, printers, and wifi
• access to meeting spaces
• assistance from Digital Literacy Guides
• meals and snacks through Be Mighty
• shelf-stable foods and personal hygiene items through the Little Free Pantries
Through Be Mighty, CALS offers access to meals and snacks at designated times, while Free Little Pantries can be found at 10 branches for pickup during regular business hours. Beyond that, CALS has a Community Resources team (located at Main Library, 100 Rock St.) that is available to offer assistance and connect residents with a network of resources.
If residents find themselves with damage around the house and need access to tools, the Tool Library at Dee Brown Library, 6325 Baseline Rd., has categories including automotive, electrical, yard work, and safety equipment. Tools must be checked out and returned at Dee Brown, and can be kept for 7 days. The tool library allows cardholders 18 and older to check out up to five tools at a time or three power tools.
The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center announced yesterday the opening of an SBA Business Recovery Center at CALS Terry Library, 2015 Napa Valley Dr. It will be open Mondays - Fridays, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. This will allow business owners impacted by the storm the opportunity to visit with SBA members to assist them with an SBA disaster loan.
Additionally, CALS has enacted the “History as it Happens” series through Robert’s Library to gather information, photos, and video to create a complete picture of the events.