Camille
Post a picture of yourself at the Jenks
Library.
Years ago, in the old City Hall, officials found a
cupboard containing 30-40 old books. This was the closest Jenks had to a library
until a 1961 city-county bond issue created a mandate for a Jenks Library. Under
the leadership of Mrs. Allie Beth Martin, a 1,200 sq. ft. site was selected in
the Odd Fellows Building on Main Street. It had been a café and it needed
cleaning badly, but was the only location that was large enough for a library.
The library staff was undaunted. They cleared the area and installed shelving as
dividers. On Saturday, September 15, 1962, the Jenks Library opened to the
public under the leadership of Mrs. Mattie Chandler as its first librarian.
Katie Yeager took over as managing librarian from 1968-1980.
Above the library was a tap-dance studio. According to
Librarian Ann Hunt, "everyday after school the kids would go up there and
tap dance on the wooden floor. We would almost have to shout to make ourselves
heard." Despite the tap lessons, the Jenks Library flourished.
By the year 1975, the population of Jenks had doubled.
It was time for a new library. A site was selected on the corner of B and Elm
Streets, across from what would become the new City Hall. With the assistance of
"all hands and the cook -- and even husbands,” the Jenks Library
completed their move into the new building in one day and opened the building on
September 21, 1975. Library staffer, Joy McCorkle stitched pillows in the new
"library colors" -- brown, beige, orange, green and gold. The cushions
were for use by the teenagers so they could sit on the floor as they listened to
recordings and cassette tapes. The new library also included separate seating
areas for youth and adults; display areas for fine arts and more reference
material. It also offered a room seating 30 or more for community meetings,
kitchen facilities and a larger work area for the staff. In just a few months
after moving into their new building, circulation had already increased 50 per
cent to 2,600 volumes a month and that figure was expected to double within the
next year.
In 1992, the decision was made to expand the Jenks
Library. It had outgrown its present space. A 2,000 sq. ft. expansion was
approved by the Tulsa City-County Library Commission. During the construction,
alternate library service was provided in an old bookmobile parked in a nearby
park. Ann Hunt, the managing librarian from 1980-1999, and her staff still talk
about enduring Oklahoma windstorms in a rocking bookmobile. In addition, the
driving test for parallel parking was also in the same parking lot. It was not
unusual for a fledgling driver to accidentally bump into the bookmobile. No one
was ever hurt but it kept the librarians on their toes.
The new expanded library featured a different entrance,
an updated color scheme, room for additional books, more work space and a large
catering kitchen. In addition, the meeting room was expanded to seat 75 people.
Local groups such as the Toastmasters and the Jenks Garden Club use this meeting
room on a monthly basis. During the summertime, the meeting room is filled to
capacity with kids enjoying the special programs that are a part of the Summer
Reading Program.
When stores along Main Street began stocking antiques
and collectibles, Jenks Library followed suit by starting a special book
collection. Head librarian, Ann Hunt sought and obtained a grant to begin a
collection of books on antiques. Every year since then, money has been budgeted
to buy more books for the collection. Now more than 400 of the library's 20,000+
holdings are on antiques. The collection includes books on just about anything
people collect and resell. Toys, dolls, furniture, dishes, rocking horses,
paperweights, Disney collectibles and jewelry are among the items featured in
the books. People come from all over the library system to find information from
this collection. In fact, one church group drove all the way from Okmulgee
looking for information on the church's dishes.