Ponca City Library: A Reflection of our Community

In 1904, Ponca City had a population of 2,000 and Oklahoma had yet to achieve statehood. A pioneering group of women, members of the Twentieth Century Club, spearheaded a book exchange for their group. The women were given use of the back room of an insurance office to house their books. Soon, interest grew in the book exchange with citizens outside of the Club wanting to borrow books. This marked the auspicious beginnings of our local library.

The exchange soon outgrew that back office and the women of the Twentieth Century Club knew that more space was necessary. They raised $700 to buy lots at 5th & Grand for a library to be built. Once the lots were purchased, they were given to the City. The Club then wrote to the Carnegie Library Fund requesting a grant to build a library and were given $6500 for the project. The first library was completed in 1910 and stayed precisely on budget.

The women of the Twentieth Century Club donated the first 500 books to start the library’s collection. Over the years, the library served our community well as it grew and changed. The 1930s saw an oil boom in Ponca City and our population bubbled to over 16,000. The library housed 18,000 volumes and was bursting at the seams. 

In 1933, another strong-willed group of women petitioned the City Commission to apply for a PWA loan of $100,000 to build a new library. The loan was granted. The town also voted on a bond issue to help pay for the new build. A Library Committee was organized to help hire architects, review plans and start construction. In 1935, construction was completed, and the new library was dedicated to our community. Again in the 1980s, the library had outgrown its home. The City broke ground on a major expansion in 1987 and rededicated the 28,075 square foot library on Sept. 10, 1989. The expansion stayed true to the initial Spanish-style architecture to create a cohesive look inside and out. 

The Ponca City Library has a history of citizen involvement from its beginning that continues today. As a department of the City, the library has an Advisory Board made up of community members who help guide the library’s policies and plans. These individuals help connect our library to the community it serves. Library Director Holly LaBossiere says “public libraries are at their core supposed to reflect and be developed by their community.” Because of that, LaBossiere and her staff put a lot of thought into what materials are brought into this community hub. She expands, “That’s why we try to have all sorts of different things for all sorts of different ages and all different interest levels.” LaBossiere explains they aren’t building a collection that would work in another town – they are building a collection of materials specifically tailored to Ponca City.

To expand on this point, LaBossiere shares about the diverse groups, programs and events taking place at the library. Upstairs houses various sections including the Children’s Section, Young Adult Fiction & Nonfiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, Business, Spanish Language Section, Videos and Audiobooks. The Archival Room is also on the upper floor and houses a great deal of historic memorabilia. The library has board games and book club kits that can be checked out too. Book club kits come with multiple copies of the same book, as well as discussion materials, when possible, to facilitate starting your own book club.

The lower level houses meeting rooms, the magazine collection, the ever-popular Book Sale room and the Makerspace. In the book sale room, customers can peruse thousands of volumes and fill up a bag with books for only $1. The Makerspace is an interactive lab with incredible devices like 3D printers, 3D pens, Cricut Makers, a CNC Router, a Glowforge and a sewing machine. Customers can make appointments to work on specific projects Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 1-5 p.m. in two-hour increments. Guidance from staff on how to use machines is available; however, preregistration is required.

Library staff also coordinate several classes and workshops centered around health and financial literacy. During tax season, the library has volunteers on hand to help local families file their taxes for free. LaBossiere estimates 700-800 people are helped by this service each year. Citizens can get help learning to use technology as well, everything from cell phones to computers.

The library also hosts events that skew more creative like a Writer’s Group, an Anime Group and painting classes. As part of the Pon-Con event (Ponca’s very own Comicon), the library helps with a microfiction graphic novel contest each year. Pieces entered are judged by a panel and cash prizes are given to the top three novels. The library also hosts weekly story time events for both families and children.

Another fun event is the monthly “Let’s Talk About It” meetings where book discussions are led. More than a book club, experts are brought in who lead a more nuanced sort of book discussion. LaBossiere says a lot of these experts are teachers. “They can really inform you about the place in literature or what was going on when it was written or what the underlying meanings are and things like that.”

An important role of the library is that of a meeting space for local clubs and nonprofits. LaBossiere says the usage of their meeting spaces has grown since COVID-19. Some months they host up to 70 community group meetings. Last June the library saw over 10,000 customers. This doesn’t count the number of customers using the digital resources like audio books and Kindle books that can be checked out by card holders.

Recently, the library worked with Pioneer Tech to rebrand themselves. Their new logo features an updated color scheme and an adorable fox launching into a juicy read. LaBossiere says this has been a goal of hers for years and loves the new logo.

The library also houses the Richard Gordon Matzene Art Collection. The collection contains over 150 pieces of art including oil, gouache, watercolor, lithographs, linocuts, clay pottery, sculptures and more. This collection is an absolute gem and worth visiting.

The Ponca City Library is clearly more than just books. It’s a community institution that has been fought for and championed for many years by our local citizens. If you live or work in Kay County and can sign your name, you are eligible for a Library Card and access to the many amazing services our library has to offer. 

For more information, you can follow the City’s Facebook page for library updates and news about events. You can visit the library in person to pick up a monthly schedule, renew your library card or begin checking out books. If you have questions, you can give them a call at 767-0345. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday (winter hours) 2-5 p.m.

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