UAM librarian attends S.C. event
LaShonda Campbell, collection development librarian for the Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, recently earned a $1,000 scholarship from HARRASSOWITZ, a German publishing company, to support her attendance at the 2025 Charleston Conference.
Held Nov. 3-7 in Charleston, S.C., the conference is one of the premier international gatherings for library and information professionals, according to a news release.
This year’s conference, centered on the theme “Sailing into the Wind,” brought together thousands of librarians, publishers, scholars and vendors from around the world to discuss emerging trends, challenges and innovations in library science.
As part of the scholarship application process, candidates were required to submit a short essay on the conference theme. Entries were evaluated by a panel of librarians from the University of Chicago and the University of Florida, as well as publishing professionals.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
After attending the conference, Campbell emphasized the impact of the experience.
“The Charleston Conference is valuable to the Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center and me because it provides a rare space for honest, practice-driven discussions about collection development, budgeting, vendor relationships and the real challenges libraries face,” Campbell said. “Attending allowed me to bring back concrete strategies, new perspectives and informed questions that directly strengthen my work in collection development and my ability to support faculty and students.”
Dan Boice is director of the library at UAM.
“LaShonda worked hard to earn the HARRASSOWITZ Charleston Conference Scholarship and took advantage of other avenues to lower the cost of attending the conference. She returned with important new connections with publishers, vendors and colleagues that will serve the library and UAM well,” Boice said.
Regional Park light display open
The 29th annual Enchanted Land of Lights & Legends is open in Regional Park from 6-9 p.m. daily through Dec. 31. Admission is free, but donations are accepted at the end of the drive-thru light exhibit.
The Pine Bluff Festival Association Inc., a nonprofit organization, welcomes visitors to the Regional Park for the celebration of the Enchanted Land of Lights & Legends.
“This display of lights, established in 1997, is made possible by your continued support for this project and has expanded over the years due to your generosity,” according to a news release. “This is Arkansas’s largest free drive-thru of holiday lights with 1.3 miles of more than 240 displays, many of which are animated.”
Civic panel to meet
The Civic Auditorium Complex Commission in-person meeting will be held at noon Dec. 16. Details: Pine Bluff Convention Center, (870) 536-7600.
AGFC offers scholarships
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is accepting applications through Dec. 31 for conservation scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year.
Any Arkansas resident majoring in a conservation-related field and attending an Arkansas college or university is eligible to apply. Students must have and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher (on a 4.0 scale).
Applicants must also submit a current transcript, a curriculum vitae of their course of study, a 300-word minimum essay, and a short video about their background and career plans and how those relate to conservation, according to a news release.
Becky Bloomfield, program coordinator, said incoming freshmen and sophomores who receive a scholarship will receive $2,500 per semester. This amount increases to $5,000 per semester for incoming juniors and seniors.
Recipients are required to complete at least 40 hours of volunteer work with the commission involving at least four divisions during the year they receive funding.
Bloomfield said the volunteer aspect is much more than a requirement for a scholarship; it’s a valuable “foot in the door” at the commission.
The commission’s Conservation Scholarship Program is funded by the sale of Conservation License Plates. This program has been helping Arkansas students since 2001, the year after the first Conservation License Plate was issued.
Details: www.agfc.com/conservationscholarships.
NAACP contest seeks applicants
High school students interested in participating in the Pine Bluff Branch NAACP’s 2026 Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) program must apply by Dec. 30.
ACT-SO is an enrichment program of the NAACP that recognizes the academic achievements of high school students.
The goal of this program is to allow young people the opportunity to gain recognition equal to that which is often only achieved by entertainers and athletes, according to StuffinTheBluff.com.
Students at Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel and White Hall high schools are eligible to participate. Students interested in participating must be of African descent and an amateur in their competition.
The competition categories include visual arts, performing arts, humanities, STEM, business and culinary arts.
Participants work with community-based volunteers for nearly one year to develop projects and performances. The experience culminates where students compete for scholarships, gifts of technology and other rewards.
Local winners can earn monetary prizes and medals for first, second, or third place. Local first place winners will be given the opportunity to compete in the national competition slated for July 18-22, 2026 in Chicago.
To apply for the 2026 Pine Bluff Branch NAACP ACT-SO Program, visit https://naacp.org/our-work/youth-programs/act-so-achievement-program .
For details, visit https://vimeo.com/378283796 or contact Maryann Lee, Pine Bluff Branch NAACP ACT-SO Program chairman, at (870) 718-5330 or mizmaryann@gmail.com.