Friends of TCCL Newsletter - Spring 2023

TCCL named a 5-Star

Library by Library Journal

by Lisa Lawrence

Have you seen the banners announcing the 5-Star ratings at your local branch library and wondered what that’s all about? We Tulsa County residents know our library is outstanding, but who else thinks so?

A five-star rating is the Library Journal’s highest rating, and TCCL is one of only five such libraries in our same expenditure range category from across the United States. We are in company with two libraries from California, and one each from Missouri and Oregon. Specifically, they are located in San Francisco and Santa Clara County, CA; Saint Louis County, MO; and Multnomah County, OR.

The following eight criteria are used in scoring: (1) circulation of physical items; (2) circulation of e-materials; (3) library visits; (4) program attendance; (5) public computer users; (6) Wi-Fi sessions; (7) library database usage; (8) website visits.

Has TCCL been recognized in past years? In 2019, our libraries received a three-star rating. In 2016, we scored four stars.

It is informative to look at these criteria and compare the TCCL numbers to others in our elite five-star category. Though comparisons must be viewed with each total population number in mind, in categories of program attendance and numbers of electronic retrievals, TCCL ranks high in per capita terms.

The Library Journal is a publication for librarians, founded by Melvil Dewey in 1876. It reports news about the library world, professional library practice, and reviews library-related materials and equipment. Their annual rating of public libraries comes from a survey compiled by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The 2022 report is based on data from 2020 submitted by 5,359 public libraries. Of that total number, 258 libraries were recognized with three, four, or five stars. In other words, less than five percent of participating libraries were recognized, and we are at the top of that group.

Oklahoma has two other libraries that received stars this year. Metropolitan Public Library in Oklahoma City received three stars, as did the Watonga Public Library.

States with the most libraries receiving stars range from Illinois (43), New York (22), Iowa, (22), and Massachusetts (20). Fourteen states have zero libraries that were recognized, including our regional neighbors Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi. The Library Journal explains that of those fourteen states, libraries in twelve of those states receive lower than (national) average in total operating expenditures. Funding, of course, is one measure of commitment to the health of a library. Be thankful for Tulsa County citizen support of our libraries, which allows us to offer excellent materials and programs.

What can you do to ensure that we continue to receive high rankings from the Library Journal? Look again at the eight scoring categories, and continue to engage with our TCCL in those ways. For me, I immediately see a couple of criteria that I want to include in my library habits.

Let’s not forget that the outstanding TCCL staff is crucial to the success of each of our 24 branches. Their spirit of teamwork, commitment, and creativity enhances the excellent customer service we receive. Together, we all benefit. Hooray for our libraries! 

Staff at Nathan Hale Library celebrate their 5-Star status.

PRESIDENT’S PODIUM

programs for Travels and trying new venues with Books Sandwiched In.

Over the last three years, we have weathered a pandemic such as the country had not endured since 1918. Thankfully, Zoom allowed us to continue meeting and to uphold our mission of supporting the Tulsa CityCounty Library and literacy. While those virtual meetings are not the same as in-person meetings, they did permit us to keep working together providing lively programs and helping maintain activities at TCCL.

The Friends resumed in-person programs and meetings, creating more opportunities for connecting people with library activities. Travels with Tulsans and Books Sandwiched In returned with audiences happy to be back at Central Library. Both of those programs have made innovative changes, expanding the number of

THANK YOU, FRIENDS!

The Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries not only provide innovative programs, but the group also supports library staff members by offering scholarships, helps with Staff Development Day, and contributes to Take Your Child to the Library Day, among other programs. All of these activities are made possible through memberships and donations. Thank you for being a member of the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. Consider taking a more active role by becoming a Board member or volunteering for a committee.

Being a member of the Friends is a most rewarding experience. It is a special joy to serve as president and work with so many innovative, creative, and generous people. I am fond of sharing quotations about books, reading, and libraries. Here is one to treasure:

"Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up

Thanks to your generous support, we have now exceeded our annual fundraising campaign goal of $21,500. We can't support our library systerm without YOU! Your generosity makes an impact in the lives of those in our communities by strengthening the crucial work of our libraries.

There's still time! Our campaign cycle runs until June 30, so if you haven't joined or renewed your membership as a Friend yet, simply visit www.TulsaLibrary.org/Friends to give by credit card. You’ll receive an “I  My Library” decal with your gift of $25 or more.

CONSIDER AN EMPLOYER MATCHING GIFT

Utilizing your employer’s matching gift benefit is often as easy as filling out an online form. Talk to your employee benefits representative or visit your benefits website to see if your company has a matching gift program. Many employers will double or even triple your support, allowing you to make a greater impact on our library and our community.

windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve and contribute to improving our quality of life." Sydney Sheldon 

Dorothy Minor, President

MAKE A TRIBUTE GIFT

To honor or memorialize a loved one with a gift to Friends, simply return a donation form, found at www.TulsaLibrary. org/Friends, with your gift of any amount.

FROM DEC. 22, 2022 - APRIL 30, 2023

WE RECEIVED GIFTS RECOGNIZING THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS:

$100, $50, $50 - In Memory of Carla Arrington

$30, $25, $25, $25 - In Memory of Charlotte Ankershiel

$100- In Memory of Marina Metevelis

$100 - In Memory of Marion Noldt

$100 - In Memory of Margaret & Eugene Starr

$50 - In Memory of Carol Eames

$50 - In Honor of Gwen Hampton

$50 - In Memory of Sally Frasier

$50 - In Memory of Edith Senske

$25 - In Memory of Tom Herndon

It's good to see you again.

TCCL brings Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Tulsa County

by Dorothy Minor

Here we go! Children birth to age 5 in Tulsa County can now receive a free, age-appropriate book in the mail each month. The Tulsa City-County Library has joined Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to make these books possible. Children in Tulsa County will benefit from this program. Rebecca Harrison has recently taken the job as the first Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Community Engagement Manager.

If you are a parent or guardian, you can enroll your children age birth to five years at this link: www.tulsalibrary.org/imaginationlibrary. There, you will also find answers to questions you may have about the program. Simply click on “Enroll Now.” While paper registration forms are available at any Tulsa City-County Library, the fastest way to enroll is online at the link above After enrolling, expect books to start arriving in 6 to 8 weeks. The books will continue to arrive to each child until the child’s fifth birthday. If you encounter any difficulties or questions not answered by the FAQs, contact Rebecca Harrison, Rebecca. Harrison@tulsalibrary.org.

The program is a partnership of the Oklahoma Dept. of Education, Birth Through Eight Strategy for Tulsa and the Dollywood Foundation.

Harrison says, “This program will have a huge impact on the families of Tulsa County by helping to inspire a lifelong love of reading.”

After all, in the words of Barack Obama, “Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible.” 

Annual library Volunteer Appreciation returns!

To coincide with National Volunteer Week (celebrated April 16-22) TCCL held a Volunteer Appreciation event on April 16, hosted by Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. On hiatus since 2019, it is such a pleasure to see library volunteers back in branches and being honored in-person for all the ways they support TCCL. The Friends offered up festive decorations and a spread of food for the gathering at Central Library.

Are you interested in volunteering at TCCL? The library is actively looking for volunteers, including adult literacy tutors. Contact Volunteer Supervisor Tom Ferjo at tom.ferjo@tulsalibrary.org. 

TCCL CEO Kim Johnson, Tulsa mayor GT Bynum and others celebrate the launch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library on March 21.

Left: CEO Kim Johnson addresses volunteers with words of thanks.

Top: Owasso Library volunteers join Branch Manager Jennifer Ballard, Library Commission chair Leanne Helmerich and Kim Johnson at the Volunteer Appreciation.

In conversation with poet Quraysh Ali Lansana

by April Schweikhard

The Adult Creative Writing Contest recently wrapped up accepting submissions for its 46th annual year. Although award winners won’t be announced until the contest Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 13, the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries are excited to introduce our speaker for the ceremony, which will take place at the Central Library Aaronson Auditorium at 2:30 p.m.

This year’s speaker is Quraysh Ali Lansana, a multiple-award-winning author of nine poetry books, three textbooks, and three children’s books, editor of eight anthologies, and coauthor of a book of pedagogy. Quraysh grew up in Enid, Oklahoma, and is currently a Fellow with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, an adjunct professor with the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State UniversityTulsa, and a founding member of Tri-City Collective. In 2020, he co-launched the duPont-Columbia award winning radio program Focus Black Oklahoma to fill a void in mainstream media of discussing topics relevant to Black Oklahomans and other marginalized communities. You can read more about Quraysh and find his bibliography of works at https://www. qalansana.com/.

To hear from our speaker in his own words, I spoke to Quraysh via Zoom and asked him to answer a few questions. Here is a short excerpt from our conversation.

On your website, you describe yourself as poet, author, and educator. How do these three identities interact with each other?

I am a human who is committed to knowledge, information sharing, information gathering, self-expression, and providing platforms for others to express their thoughts and ideas. Certainly, as an author, that's where my poems and my books are a part of that end goal. I

started writing poetry when I was 19 as a sophomore at OU. I'd always loved it, but I hadn’t started really writing it until I was a journalism student as a way to scream on a piece of paper as opposed to screaming at a human being. Shortly after I moved to Chicago after my 25th birthday, and I was writing poems and starting my career, I had a realization of my purpose—to write and to inspire. And that inspiration is most consistently manifested in the classroom because I love teaching. I realized that those two things were my life's work and why I am on the planet. Those are the reasons that those three things come together because it's really my purpose and why I'm here, particularly the idea of helping to provide platforms and opportunities for others to share their thoughts and their ideas. I believe that writing is liberatory. I think self-expression is cathartic and important because everyone has something to say.

What encouragement would you give to someone who has an interest in writing but doesn’t feel that they have anything to say?

One of the things that Ms. [Gwendolyn] Brooks was quoted as saying is that if she ever needed a poem, all she had to do was look out the window. There's always something happening outside. She believed the poet was an observer first. As her student and her last protege, I believe that observation involves listening—not just listening with your ears, listening with your heart, with your mind, sometimes with your fingers and your kneecaps. Privileging listening first and then talking second. I think that is something for young writers from which they would benefit—to listen first, to consume other artistic disciplines and others' ideas, and then, once you form your thoughts on a topic or theme, that is your work. That is the writing. It's then translating those thoughts, those emotions, and those feelings onto the page.

Many thanks to Quraysh for sharing his thoughts with the Friends. We look forward to hearing more from Quraysh on May 13! We hope you can join us.

Saturday, May 13 2:30 p.m.

Central Library

Aaronson Auditorium

Presenation of Awards and Keynote Address

Light refreshments will be served.

Prolific Oklahoma poet and author Quraysh Ali Lansana will speak at the 2023 Adult Creative Writing Contest Awards Ceremony on May 13 at Central Library.

2023 ADULT CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST AWARDS CEREMONY

Slime, stickers, treats and...dragons!

by Laura Raphael

Pandemic blues over and a green light for in-person programming made the annual event of National Take Your Child to the Library Day a roaring – literally – success at all 24 Tulsa City-County Library locations on February 4, 2023.

The National Take Your Child to the Library Day, which the Tulsa City-County Library has been celebrating since 2018 with the help of Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries, is a yearly event that encourages families to explore the resources and activities available at their neighborhood libraries. On this day, libraries become hubs of learning and discovery, offering handson activities that encourage children to explore their interests and develop their skills.

In Tulsa and Tulsa County, all 24 library locations had special stickers to give to children and parents that allowed for fun and personable interactions. Library staff would ask for a child’s name, write the child’s name in the blank, and then present it to them: “We [Heart] Jasper!” (Or whatever their name was!)

For 16 branch libraries, there was even more fun to be had, from building cardboard castles to taking selfies with famous picturebook character Olivia to scavenger hunts…and even dragons!

At the Peggy Helmerich Library, children enjoyed a full day of activities including creating world maps, a scavenger hunt,

storytime, music, and face-painting. The funds also allowed for the purchase of a high-quality world map, which will serve as inspiration for many globe-trotting dreams, plans, and learning. Helmerich Youth Librarian Julia Cantrell shared: “Thank you to the Friends who sponsored those fun activities for very excited kids! The world map is now on display in the storytime room indefinitely where it will be admired by many!”

The Central Library’s Children’s Department coordinated a buildingwide scavenger hunt, providing floor maps, various activities on each floor, and a special photo spot to end the day and be entered into winning a prize.

At several libraries, the focus was on connecting school-aged readers with books they might like –and literally giving away books for their reading habits! The Nathan Hale Library program was modeled on a state fair theme, with a prize wheel, games, snacks and conversation, and two big giveaway baskets of books. Youth Associate Kristina Acosta wrote: “I want to thank the Friends of the Library for their funding because I was able to add even more fun to this event by purchasing fun book fair-themed prizes plus snacks. The kids had SO much fun spinning the prize and the look on their faces when I got to tell them that everything was free was so sweet.”

Finally, enter dragons! The Broken Arrow Library took castles and dragons as their program theme, and activities involved building a cardboard castle and making dragon scale slime with Children’s Associate Angela Martinez. There were plenty of books on dragons and castles to check out as well! Keeping the mess at the library instead of at home was especially appreciated by parents and children: “Mom never lets me do that at home!”

The National Take Your Child to the Library Day has become a day many Tulsa and Tulsa County families look forward to every year. More than just an annual event, it’s a wonderful way for children and families to connect with their community libraries and discover the magic of reading and learning!

Sarah Munson, the Pratt Library Children’s Associate, summarized the gratitude that all Children’s staff have for the Friends of the Library support – and why it’s so important to the library’s mission for children’s services:

“I would like to extend my thanks to the Friends of the Library for the funds which we used to encourage children to enjoy their access to information and to encourage them to see the library as a fun place where they can connect with each other and their interests, rather than a cold, quiet, and distant place.” 

Hardesty Regional Library Children’s Associate Chelsea Appleton— or is that Olivia the Pig?—gets into the spirit at a special storytime.

Dragon slime and castle building kept participants active at Broken Arrow Library.

400 Civic Center Tulsa, OK 74103

918.549.7419

TulsaLibrary.org/Friends

Editing and Layout: Tara Farrar

Contributors: Lisa Lawrence,

Sherry Leslie, Dorothy Minor, Laura Raphael, April Schweikhard

Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries (FOL) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to aid and promote the activities and goals of the Tulsa City-County Library. @ your library is published for members four times a year.

2022-23 OFFICERS

Dorothy Minor, President

Marty Laughlin, 1st Vice President

Cindy McDonald, 2nd Vice President

Nancy Carroll, Treasurer

Lillie Haddican, Assistant Treasurer

Gisele McDaniel, Recording Secretary

Glad Platner, Corresponding Secretary

2022-23 BOARD MEMBERS

Lin Arnett

Laura Bottoms

Bob Caruso

Chris Cole

Courtney Cooper

Doris Degner-Foster

Laura Duncombe

Ros Elder

Laura Frossard

Karen Gaddis

Mindy Galoob

Catherine Gatchell

Donna Hart

Barry Hensley

Janet Holland

Marty Laughlin

Randy Lewin

Gabe Lowe

Gisele McDaniel

Elizabeth Mefford

Diane Morrow-Kondos

George Moudry

Karen Owens

Diane Pennington

Virginia Richard

Diane Schnell

April Schweikhard

Marian Sexton

Karla Tomsen

Dale Watts

Cecilia Whitehurst

Library honors author Steve Sheinkin

by Sherry Leslie

Writer Steve Sheinkin is the recipient of the 2023 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Youth Literature. Sheinkin, who makes his home in Saratoga Springs, New York, visits May 6 as part of the Young People's Creative Writing Contest Awards Ceremony. He will present awards to the contest winners, share words about his writing process, his inspirations, and background, followed by a question-and -answer period and book signing.

Given annually, the Zarrow award includes a $10,000 prize and an engraved crystal book.

In addition, to accompany the award, free copies of Sheinkin's book Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team were given to Tulsa Public Schools teachers who registered and attended a seminar together about the book. Lots of classroom activities about the subject matter were provided in a written curriculum given at the seminar. Materials covered included location maps of Thorpe’s home and the Carlisle School, school football today, schools in general, and other topics of interest around the book. A free copy of the book was also provided to students in each teacher’s class.

Other books by Sheinkin, mostly covering historical subjects, include Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown and Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America

Thanks to the late Henry and Anne V. Zarrow, to the Tulsa Library Trust for admistering this notable award, and to the library's Youth Services staff for their support of the educational program. 

FRIENDS OF TCCL ANNUAL MEETING

Thursday, May 4 12:00 p.m. | Central Library

2023 ADULT CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST AWARDS

Saturday, May 13 2:30 p.m. | Central Library

LIBRARY CLOSURES

Libraries will be closed May 29 and June 19.

ASIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL

Saturday, May 20

11:00-3:00 p.m. | Martin Library

SUMMER READING PROGRAM

Runs June 1 - July 31

Visit TulsaLibrary.org/Summer for info on how to register beginning June 1.

HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Saturday, June 10

All Day | Hardesty Regional Library

Steve Sheinkin