A national touring exhibit that studies the history of America's military postal system and its importance to the morale of military personnel will open Saturday at the William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., in North Little Rock.
The exhibit "Mail Call" will continue through April 15. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours.
"Mail Call" demonstrates the importance of mail correspondence to members of the nation's military overseas and how military mail communication has changed throughout history.
The exhibit includes actual correspondence, both written and recorded on audiotape, and "offers an appreciation of the importance of military mail and the hard work that had gone into connecting service men and women to their government, community and loved ones at home," according to a news release describing the exhibit.
"Mail Call" is the touring version of the National Postal Museum's permanent exhibition organized and circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The North Little Rock stop is part of a 15-city tour.
The exhibits show how members of the nation's military still treasure letters delivered from home, even in today's era of instant communication through email and social media, according to a Smithsonian news release.
"Mail has always played a very important role in the lives of the men and women of our armed forces and their families at home," exhibit curator Lynn Heidelbaugh of the National Postal Museum said in the news release. "Writing and receiving correspondence has a significant power to help shape morale."
More information on the exhibit is available on the library's website lamanlibrary.org.
Metro on 02/06/2015