News & Announcements
CALS Director to Speak at "Art of Architecture" Series
Bobby Roberts, director of the Central Arkansas Library System, will speak on "Architectural Design for Public Spaces: CALS, a Case Study". His talk will focus on CALS' role as a client and its working with architects to create some of Central Arkansas's most architecturally significant buildings.
His presentation, scheduled for May 11, 2010, is the fourth in this year's Art of Architecture public lecture series. His talk, scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Arkansas Arts Center's lecture hall, will be preceded by a 5:30 p.m. reception.
The library system which Roberts oversees includes 14 properties—12 libraries, the Cox Creative Center and the recently opened Arkansas Studies Institute among them. Several architects who have worked with him in developing CALS's people-serving spaces will be on hand to share their perspectives on the properties' development.
The lecture, like others in the series is sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Center, the Central Arkansas Chapter of the AIA, UA's Fay Jones School of Architecture and Friends of Architecture.
About Bobby Roberts
Bobby Roberts grew up in Helena, Arkansas and graduated from Central High School in 1962. He holds a master's degree in Library Science from the University of Oklahoma and a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Arkansas. He has been Director of the Central Arkansas Library System since 1989. Roberts earlier served on the faculties of both the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
His specialty is military history with a particular interest in the Civil War. He is the co-author of four books on the Civil War in The Portraits of Conflict series, author of 11 articles/book chapters, and co-editor of four Civil War books.
Between 1983 and 1984 Roberts served as Governor Bill Clinton's Liaison for Public Safety. In January, 1986 the governor appointed Roberts to the Board of Correction and he served until July, 1993. From 1994 until 2004, Roberts served on the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The Commission advise Presidents Clinton and Bush, and Congress on federal information policy.
In 2002, he received the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects "Award of Merit" for his commitment to building quality public buildings. In 2004, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Arkansas' J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He also received the Jimmy Strawn Historic Preservation Award from the Quapaw Quarter Association in 2009.
Roberts also serves actively on the Board of New Futures for Youth and is currently on the University History Institute Board.
Roberts was named Library Journal's Librarian of the Year for 1998. It is one of librarianship's most prestigious national awards.