Who We Are
The Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC) was established on campus in December 1978 and relocated downtown in March 2009. Following the opening of its digital services lab in 2014, CAHC has prioritized digitizing and making accessible its collections, as well as the staff and technology to support these priorities.
Over the following years, CAHC has positioned itself as the state’s premier teaching archive. It continues to develop hands-on training experience for its students, positioning them to attain the credentials for competitive placement upon graduation.
Mission Statement
The UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture collects, preserves, and makes available Arkansas history that connects people and their shared experiences. It educates the next generation of archivists and public historians, and it serves teachers, students, and the public.
Vision Statement
The UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture explores and promotes Arkansas’s rich history by identifying, collecting, and preserving records of enduring value to the state.
As a cutting-edge leader in archival practice and education, we prepare students for future careers and serve researchers in the metropolitan area and the state. Professionals seek our collaboration on best practices and archival technologies, and we are a good neighbor to other libraries, archives, and museums. We provide access to an extensive repository of archival materials, allowing the public to use these records and gain a deeper understanding of Arkansas’s story—where our state has been and how its history can inform its future.
CAHC is a leader in community engagement, regularly participating in and promoting outreach, programming, and virtual and physical exhibits that use state-of-the-art technology. Through our efforts, the people of our state and beyond actively engage in understanding Arkansas’s place in the nation’s history.
Our Collections
CAHC collects and makes available to the public resources on Arkansas history and the region. Our strengths include Arkansas’s arts and music, business and professions, civil rights, education, global connections, labor and economic life, Little Rock’s urban fabric, politics and public policy, religion, under-documented communities, and women’s history and organizations.
Most notable among these holdings are the gubernatorial and congressional collections. CAHC houses the papers of five former Arkansas governors: Carl Bailey, Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers, Frank White, and Jim Guy Tucker. In addition, the Center holds Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Paul Rockefeller’s papers and U.S. Representative Vic Snyder’s papers.
Our materials include architectural drawings, audiovisual recordings, books, born digital materials, correspondence, ephemera, journals, legal documents, maps, newspapers, oral histories, pamphlets, and photographs and negatives. In total, the collections comprise about 10,000 linear feet, 70,000+ images, and approximately 8,000 books.
View the Online Catalog
Staff Directory
Main number: 501-320-5780
Email: [email protected]
Jess Porter, Ph.D.
Executive Director
[email protected]
Emily Summers, M.A.
Head Archivist
[email protected]
China Higginbotham, B.A.
Assistant Director for Finance and Administration
[email protected]
James Wethington, M.L.I.S.
Archivist and Engagement Coordinator
[email protected]
Amanda McQueen, M.A., Ph.D
Archivist and Student Coordinator
[email protected]
Caitlin Robertson, M.A.
Digital Records Specialist
[email protected]
Katie Moseby, M.L.I.S., M.A.
Assistant Archivist
[email protected]
Participate
CAHC welcomes your participation in the preservation of Arkansas history. Here’s how you can help:
• Donate – Our collection development guidelines will help you determine whether you may have papers, photographs, or other materials that could be donated to the center’s archives.
• Support – Our development fund allows us to expand our holdings, support processing, public programming, and acquire technology to digitize our holdings.
