Arkansas State Library

What Arkansas State Library does

The Arkansas State Library is a state government agency operating under the Arkansas Department of Education, headquartered at 900 W. Capitol, Suite 100 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1979 and operating with 11-50 employees, it functions as the official information resource center for the State of Arkansas. Its designated role under A.C.A. § 13-2-210 makes it the official State Documents Depository and Federal Depository Library for the state. The library serves three primary segments: Arkansas state agencies and legislative staff (via State Employee Resources, government document services, and meeting space), public libraries across all 75 Arkansas counties (via the Mockingbird virtual union catalog, professional development, consulting, E-Rate support, and resource sharing), and Arkansas citizens (via the Traveler Statewide Digital Resources program, the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium, and the Arkansas Center for the Book). Leadership consists of State Librarian Jennifer Chilcoat and Deputy Director Kristen Cooke.

The library's product portfolio is built on a stack of third-party platforms: Preservica for digital preservation of state documents, Mockingbird (ShareIt-based) for the virtual union catalog and interlibrary loan, OverDrive for digital content via the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium, and EZproxy for authenticated remote access to subscription databases including ProQuest, EBSCO, HeinOnline, NewsBank, and BioOne. Core products include the Traveler Statewide Digital Resources program (the flagship consumer-facing offering), State Employee Resources, the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium, the Mockingbird Resource Sharing platform, the Arkansas Documents Collection, the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, the Patent & Trademark Resource Center, the Federal Depository Library Program, and the Arkansas Center for the Book. Specialized services include E-Rate consulting, public library consulting, the ALL-In Leadership Institute, People Connect Institute webinars, MLS scholarship assistance, and interlibrary loan.

The library is funded through state government appropriations as a state agency, supplemented by federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It administers State Aid to Public Libraries funds for statewide library development. All services are provided free of charge to eligible users with no commercial pricing; the agency has no revenue model beyond public funding. Its go-to-market is direct-to-citizen (Traveler Program, public services) combined with direct-to-institution (State Employee Resources for government workers, consulting and resource sharing for public libraries) across a single statewide geography.

Name

Arkansas State Library

Legal name

Arkansas State Library

Website

https://library.arkansas.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arkansas State Library is a state government agency under the Arkansas Department of Education that serves as the official information resource center for Arkansas state agencies, legislators, the state's 75-county public library network, and Arkansas citizens, providing digital databases, document depository services, and statewide resource-sharing programs funded through state appropriations and federal LSTA grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations (EDAEAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• State library services
• Digital resource access
• Interlibrary loan services
• Government document depository
• Library professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: The Arkansas State Library is funded through state government appropriations as an agency under the Arkansas Department of Education. It administers state and federal funds for library development.
2. Federal LSTA Funds: The library administers federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds for library development and programs such as the Traveler Statewide Digital Resources program.
3. State Aid to Public Libraries: The library administers State Aid To Public Libraries funds appropriated for public library development across Arkansas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Arkansas State Library operates as a state government library agency providing a comprehensive portfolio of information services, digital resources, and professional development programs. Its core offering is the Traveler Statewide Digital Resources Program, providing online databases and subscription content to all Arkansas residents, schools, libraries, and universities, supplemented by State Employee Resources, the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium, Mockingbird resource sharing, and specialized services for the blind and print disabled. The library serves as the official State Documents Depository and Federal Depository Library for Arkansas.

Product overview

The Arkansas State Library operates as a state government library agency providing a comprehensive portfolio of information services, digital resources, and professional development programs. The core product is the Traveler Statewide Digital Resources Program, a statewide database subscription service providing online resources to all Arkansas residents, schools, libraries, and universities. Supporting this are State Employee Resources (restricted database access for government workers), the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium for digital content through OverDrive, and Mockingbird Resource Sharing for interlibrary cooperation. The library maintains physical and digital collections including the Arkansas Documents Collection, Arkansas Collection, Arkansas Rules Collection, and Federal Depository collections. Specialized services include the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, Patent & Trademark Resource Center, and the Arkansas Center for the Book literacy program. Professional development offerings include the ALL-In Leadership Institute, People Connect Institute webinars, and youth services workshops. The organization serves three primary audiences: state government (via depository services and employee resources), public libraries (through consulting, E-Rate support, and resource sharing), and citizens (via Traveler resources and local library support).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traveler Statewide Digital Resources Program A statewide digital resource program providing online databases and subscription content to all Arkansas residents, schools, libraries, and universities. Includes resources suitable for students at every level from early education to post-graduate studies.
• State Employee Resources Subscription database collection restricted to active Arkansas state government employees at non-educational institutions. Includes specialized resources for government, legal, scientific, and professional research.
• Arkansas Digital Library Consortium (ADLC) Statewide consortium providing digital book checkouts through OverDrive. Reached record-breaking one million digital book checkouts in 2022 and joined OverDrive's Million Checkout Club.
• Mockingbird Resource Sharing Virtual union catalog and resource sharing platform for Arkansas libraries, enabling participating libraries to share catalogs and interlibrary loan services across the state.
• Arkansas Documents Collection Official state documents depository collection maintained pursuant to A.C.A. § 13-2-210, containing publications produced by Arkansas state government. All digital documents are publicly accessible online.
• Arkansas Collection Permanent depository collection of published, non-fiction materials written by Arkansas authors, and materials about Arkansas, its history, people and resources.
• Arkansas Rules Collection Collection of final copies of all new, amended and emergency rules adopted by state agencies pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act.
• Federal Depository Library Program Regional Federal Depository Library serving Arkansas, retaining tangible and digital copies of government documents distributed by the U.S. Government Publishing Office.
• Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) Specialized services providing reading materials in accessible formats for blind and print-disabled individuals, including Talking Book Topics and NLS materials.
• Patent & Trademark Resource Center Designated as the Patent and Trademark Resource Center for Arkansas, providing onsite access to USPTO's core collection and supplementary research materials.
• Arkansas Center for the Book State-level affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book, promoting books, reading, and literacy through programs including If All Arkansas Read the Same Book, Arkansas Gems, and book clubs.
• People Connect Institute (PCI) Webinars Continuing education webinars for Arkansas library workers covering customer service and professional development topics.
• ALL-In Leadership Institute Year-long intensive professional development program for Arkansas library workers designed to develop leadership skills and enhance delivery of library services.
• E-Rate Services Consulting and support services for public libraries seeking E-Rate telecommunications discounts.
• Public Library Consulting Advisory services supporting the development and improvement of public libraries across Arkansas.
• Interlibrary Loan Service borrowing materials from other libraries on behalf of eligible patrons including state employees and libraries statewide.
• Reference & Research Assistance Research support services including Ask a Librarian assistance for patrons needing information help.
• Meeting Space for State Agencies Conference rooms available for reservation by state agencies and state-affiliated organizations, featuring various sized rooms with wireless internet and teleconferencing capabilities.
• MLS Scholarship Assistance Scholarship assistance program supporting library staff pursuing Master of Library Science degrees.
• If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Annual statewide reading program designed to encourage reading enjoyment and promote book discussions across Arkansas. The 2026 selection is The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-breaking 1 million digital book checkouts through ADLC in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the digital content platform for the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium (ADLC), which enables OverDrive's billionth checkout milestone and over 1 million digital book checkouts in 2022.
• Arkansas Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arkansas State Library operates under the Arkansas Department of Education, with the State Librarian reporting through the Department. The library's staff email domain is @ade.arkansas.gov.
• NewsBankmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides Access World News collection with over 14,500 news sources including 485 image editions, and over 100 Arkansas newspapers available to state employees and Traveler program users.
• BioOnemajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides BioOne Complete Archive with access to over 200 scientific journals spanning more than 20 years of biological, environmental, and ecological research, available to state employees.
• ProQuestmajorTechnology or IntegrationPrimary database provider offering ABI/INFORM, various ProQuest Central databases, and other research resources for State Employee Resources and Traveler programs.
• HeinOnlinemajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides comprehensive legal database collections including U.S. Code, Federal Register, Congressional publications, and state-specific legal collections for government research.
• EBSCOmajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides Academic Search Complete, NoveList Plus, GreenFILE, and other databases accessible through the State Employee Resources and Traveler programs.
• Aggrage / ShareItcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the Mockingbird virtual union catalog platform (agshareit.com) that enables Arkansas libraries to share catalogs and facilitate interlibrary loan.
• PreservicacoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the digital preservation and access platform for Arkansas Documents Digital Collections, making state documents and publications accessible online.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: The national library of the United States, serving as the de facto higher-tier peer for state libraries. While broader in scope and federally chartered, it provides parallel functions in federal depository services, digital preservation, and bibliographic standards.

Direct peers

• Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The state library agency for Texas, serving an analogous mandate of providing state government information services, supporting public libraries, and administering state and federal library development funds. Directly comparable in role, structure, and statutory mission.
• New York State Library: The state library for New York, operating under the state Education Department with a similar mandate of supporting state government research, legislative reference, and statewide library development. Closely comparable in statutory positioning and service portfolio.
• Oregon State Library: Oregon's state library agency, providing state government reference, library development support, and statewide services including Talking Book and Braille services. Comparable in size, mandate, and service mix.
• California State Library: California's state library agency, providing reference services to state government, administering state and federal library funds, and coordinating literacy and library development programs. Directly comparable in function and breadth of services.
• State Library of Ohio: Ohio's state library, providing statewide library development, government information services, and direct library services to state agencies and blind/print-disabled residents. Directly comparable in role and operating model.
• Florida State Library: The Division of Library and Information Services for Florida, providing state-level library coordination, federal LSTA grant administration, and statewide resource sharing. Directly comparable in mandate and funding structure.

Others

• Institute of Museum and Library Services: The federal agency that administers LSTA grants to state libraries, including the Arkansas State Library. Functions as a key funding and policy partner rather than a peer service provider, but materially shapes the operating environment for state libraries nationwide.
• Digital Public Library of America: A nonprofit digital library aggregating content from libraries, archives, and museums across the U.S. Comparable as a digital aggregation and access layer that partners with state libraries; an ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• New York Public Library: One of the largest public library systems in the U.S., serving a major metropolitan area with extensive digital and physical collections. Operates at a different scale and geography but is comparable in providing free public access to digital resources, research databases, and library services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arkansasstatelibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansas-state-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arkansas State Library