On Judith Ann Horton's birthday, May 17, we celebrate a figure from the Guthrie community and Oklahoma library history. Judith's work was ground-breaking! This amazing Black librarian, educator, and civic leader is known for founding the Excelsior Club in 1906 and the Excelsior Library in 1908.

 

To Judith, the path for the state's first social club for women of color was clear. “I can conceive of no better way to hasten education and uplift,” she said, “than the establishment of reading rooms and libraries in every community."

 

At the time, segregation laws enabled library boards such as that of the Guthrie Carnegie to bar public access. Working with club members and Guthrie Guide editor George N. Perkins, Judith campaigned for the first public library to serve Black Oklahomans. 

 

With half the funding that the Guthrie Carnegie Library received, Excelsior Library served nearly 1,000 visitors monthly for 40 years. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, the original building is cared for by the Guthrie Friends of Excelsior Library who plan to restore it as a museum.   Over 100 years after these statewide firsts, Judith Ann Horton's legacy continues, marked with an induction into the Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame in 2018.

For 11 years, Horton worked without pay as Excelsior's librarian to ensure customers could access vital library services. Like Gertrude Brown Richard,

she kept the doors to learning open.

 

Share Your Story with ODL

Sharing ODL customer stories highlights the tangible impact archives and libraries have on communities, showcasing how they foster literacy, provide access to information, and support lifelong learning. By sharing real-world examples next to data and statistics, these highlights tell the larger story of how individuals and their communities thrive when connected with library or research services. Curious about what we've featured in the past? Check out our new Agency Stories page. Click the button below to share your story!

 

A Night on the State's Literary Red Carpet

Claim your seats for the 37th annual Oklahoma Book Awards ceremony on Saturday, May 16 at the Oklahoma History Center. Enjoy dinner and refreshments in view of the State Capitol. Afterwards, mingle with nationally recognized and up-and-coming authors during a special book signing.

 

Join us for this evening to remember. Get your tickets today! Email info@libraries.ok.gov with any questions.

 

 

 

 

My Favorite Book Contest 2026

The Oklahoma Center for the Book is thrilled to announce the winners of this year's My Favorite Book student writing contest. These moving letters from across the state demonstrate how stories can inspire, teach, and encourage young readers.

 

DIVISION 1

First- Relic Foster | Letter to Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Second- Daniel Atkinson | Letter to John Hendrickson, Life on Delay Third- Jinlin Chen | Letter to Kelly Yang, Front Desk

 

DIVISION 2

First- Anna Corfidi | Letter to John David Anderson, Posted Second- Sophia Laubach | Letter to Shirley Jackson, The Lottery Third- Nuam Kiim | Letter to Deb J. J. Lee, In Limbo

 

DIVISION 3

First- Georgena Weaver | Letter to Daniel Kraus, Whalefall Second- Paxton Miller | Letter to Elie Wiesel, Night Third- Abigail Bannister | Letter to Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

 

The awards ceremony will be held at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Multi-Purpose Room 100. Join us on May 13 at 10:30 a.m. to watch students read their letters and receive cash prizes. Each winner will also present their school or public library with a $1,000 grant.

 

For more information about the competition and other programs, email info@libraries.ok.gov or visit the website.

 

 

 

Projects need to be completed by August 31, followed by final reports in September. This grant opportunity is funded through the LSTA by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 

 

 

These grant opportunities are contingent upon both continued federal fiscal year 2026 funding through the LSTA and project approval by the ODL Board. 

 

 

Check out this new opportunity made possible by a partnership between the State of Oklahoma and Google. The Google AI Certificate program equips individuals with the skills needed to use AI tools in the workplace.

 

Through hands-on projects, participants will develop a portfolio that demonstrates their ability to solve problems, create content, and enhance productivity in a wide range of professional settings.