Nominate an Entry

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas needs authors to write on all aspects of the state’s heritage and culture. Authors will receive an honorarium for each accepted entry they write. We are collaborating with many individuals and organizations to create the most accurate and comprehensive reference ever produced on the state.

CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas authors need to have thorough knowledge of their subjects and be willing to research them using primary sources. All entries will go through a comprehensive review process and be fact checked for accuracy.

For information on the writing and editing process, see the Author Guidelines, our Encyclopedia Style Guide, and Guidelines for Significance.

Before nominating a topic, see our most recent list of entries needing authors (below). If your topic is not listed, send an e-mail to the editor at glancaster (at) cals.org.

Art

Business and Economics

Civil Rights and Social Change

Counties, Cities, and Towns

Education

Ethnic Groups

Exploration and Archaeology

Folklore and Folklife

Government and Politics

Historic Preservation

Land and Resources

Law

Literature and Authors

Media

Military Science

Recreation and Sports

Religion

Science and Medicine

Transportation

Review Entries

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is strongly committed to accuracy. We rely on volunteer reviewers to provide feedback on the entries.

To volunteer to review, or to get more information, contact our staff historian at mpolston (at) cals.org.

Suggest a Topic or Author

Our list of ENTRIES NEEDING AUTHORS (see main Write an Entry tab) is by no means definitive, and we add to this list on a regular basis. We invite you to suggest topics to include in the Encyclopedia and to suggest authors (including yourself) to write the entries for these topics. Before you suggest a topic, we recommend you review our Guidelines for Significance.

Suggest Media (Photos, Audio, Video, Etc.)

Most of the media accompanying text entries comes from individuals, archives, and museums, both in Arkansas and out of state. You are welcome to suggest media to accompany a specific entry or offer to let the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas copy your photos, audio, videos, maps, or historic documents. All media used on our site is properly attributed to its owner.

Our Media Submission Guidelines provide additional information on how to submit media. If you have any questions or would like to suggest or offer media, email our media editor Starr Carr at smcarr (at) cals.org or call her at (501) 320-5756.

Become a Volunteer

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas needs volunteers in a number of areas. Please email editor (at) cals.org if you would like to volunteer, giving us any information that might help in assigning duties: when available, need to work at home/can come into the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas offices, areas of expertise, etc. Volunteers will be recognized in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Involve Students

Student participation in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas would like to involve college and university students in the creation of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. This is an unprecedented opportunity for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience in publishing, research, and Arkansas history while contributing to one of the largest and most comprehensive academic projects our state has undertaken.

Students can participate in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas in five possible ways:

1. Adapting class research into CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries.

Under faculty supervision, students may submit the subjects of their research as possible CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries. Supervising faculty must first submit students’ topics to the Editor for approval. If accepted as a potential author of that entry, the student will follow the same editorial procedures as all CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas authors, including editorial review, requests to rewrite, fact checking, and final approval of the text. Students will be credited as the authors of their work in all versions of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Faculty members interested in having their students adapt research papers into CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas entries, or to write entries as part of their assigned coursework, are encouraged to contact Guy Lancaster, Editor, as soon as possible since many topics have already been assigned: glancaster@cals.org / (501) 320-5753.

2. Internships with the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

The EOA offers one internship per semester and one per summer to upper-level undergraduate students and to graduate students. Duties may include writing, editing, digitizing, and/or office work, in addition to historical research. Interns are expected to work 8 hours per week, primarily at the EOA’s downtown Little Rock office. We offer a $500 stipend plus a small travel allowance for those coming from outside Little Rock. The names of all interns will be permanently listed on the EOA website.

To apply, please send us a copy of your résumé or vitae. Include courses you have taken and other experiences that are relevant to the internship, as well as three references with their contact information (email, phone number, and mailing address). At least two references should be faculty members who are familiar with your academic work.

Also, write a one-page statement explaining why you are interested in an internship with the Encyclopedia of Arkansas and what experience you hope to gain. Include any particular interest in Arkansas history you have, your future career goals (if known), and how the internship will help you meet them.

At the end of this statement, please provide us with the following information.

Which term you are applying for:

Fall (deadline: July 1), Spring (deadline: Nov. 1), or Summer (deadline: April 1)

Full name:

Mailing address:

Cellphone number:

Email address:

What College/University You Attend:

Major:

Minor:

Degree Program (BA, MA, etc.):

Anticipated Date of Degree:

GPA:

Email résumé/references and the one-page statement to Guy Lancaster at glancaster@cals.org; for questions, call him at (501) 320-5753. (Educators: also email him if you would like an internship flyer to post)

If you are unable to send your submission by email, mail paper copies of all materials to:

Guy Lancaster, Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Central Arkansas Library System
100 Rock Street
Little Rock, AR 72201

3. Volunteering for the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas apart from coursework.

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas has numerous opportunities for volunteers, including fact checking, writing, digitizing documents, office work, and publicity. Students are welcome to volunteer their time on their own, outside the academic setting. For office work and some other volunteer activities, they will need to come into the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas offices in Little Rock. Fact checking, writing, and digitizing can be done off site. All volunteers will be listed and thanked in the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

We hope you will agree that the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is not only a valuable resource for our state, but also a wonderful opportunity for college and university students in Arkansas to gain experience and contacts in their fields of study.

For more information, please contact:

Guy Lancaster, Editor
glancaster@cals.org
(501) 320-5753