Submitted by: Wendy Lucas, wendyc@uca.edu on 04/08/2025
The Arkansas Center for the Book at the Arkansas State Library is pleased to announce that Dr. Buck Foster’s So Great Was the Slaughter: Market Hunters, Sportsmen, and Wildlife Conservation in Arkansas has been selected for inclusion on the 2025 Arkansas Gems poster.
Arkansas Gems is an annual publication of the Arkansas Center for the Book, the official state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Launched in 2004 and formerly known as Fresh from Arkansas, the project celebrates notable works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art with strong ties to Arkansas. Each year, approximately twenty titles are selected based on literary or artistic merit, originality, and regional significance. Selected book jackets are featured on a colorful, poster-sized publication distributed to all public library branches across the state.
In addition to statewide distribution, Arkansas Gems are showcased nationally at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, where they are featured in the “Roadmap to Reading” (formerly the Parade of the States). The poster has proven to be a popular attraction for thousands of visitors interested in regional literature and culture.
The Arkansas Gems project supports the Arkansas Center for the Book’s mission to encourage reading, writing, and literacy throughout the state. The initiative is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Arkansas State Library. Posters are distributed free of charge, with a typical print run of 1,000 to 1,500 copies.
To view past editions of the Arkansas Gems poster and learn more about the program, visit:
https://www.library.arkansas.gov/programs/arkansas-center-for-the-book/arkansas-gems/