Bartlesville Public Library
🏢 City of Bartlesville · Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Bartlesville Public Library
Founded in 1898 and home to a nationally significant civil-liberties story — librarian Ruth Brown's 1950 dismissal that inspired the Bette Davis film Storm Center — Bartlesville Public Library anchors Washington County with one of Oklahoma's richest genealogy collections, a Creative Corner makerspace, and four nights of extended hours.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–5:30pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5:30pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 600 S. Johnstone Avenue, Bartlesville, OK 74003
Phone: (918) 338-4161
Website: bartlesvillelibrary.com
Plus Code: 8686P2XC+2Q (Bartlesville, OK)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Bartlesville Public Library
The Bartlesville Public Library traces its roots to June 1, 1898, when the Fortnightly Club opened the city's first reading room in a millinery store on East 2nd Street, making it one of Oklahoma's oldest public libraries. A $20,000 Carnegie Foundation grant funded a permanent building that opened March 13, 1913, at 7th and Osage. The library made national history in 1950, when 30-year librarian Ruth Brown was dismissed during the Red Scare in retaliation for her desegregation work — a case that inspired the 1956 Bette Davis film Storm Center and led directly to the formation of the Oklahoma Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee; a mural inside the library now honors her legacy. The current facility at 600 S. Johnstone opened January 19, 1992, designed by McCrory/Olsen Coffey Associate Architects. Today the library serves Washington County with deep genealogy holdings, a Creative Corner makerspace, a Library of Things, a career center, and four nights of extended evening hours.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Carnegie heritage: the $20,000 Carnegie library opened March 13, 1913 — one of only 24 Carnegie libraries built in Oklahoma's history
- Ruth Brown civil-liberties milestone: her 1950 dismissal over desegregation advocacy inspired the 1956 Bette Davis film Storm Center and created the OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee; the library honors her with a permanent mural
- Local & Family History department: Washington County newspaper microfilm from 1895, Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3, Dawes Commission Rolls, city directories from 1907, and free obituary lookups for out-of-town researchers
- Creative Corner makerspace with Cricut Maker, Cricut Press, 3D printers, and digital conversion services — free for all cardholders
- Library of Things collection: STEM kits, LaunchPads, board games, and cake pans
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Bartlesville Public Library cardholders enjoy free digital access through Oklahoma's statewide resources:
📚 Services
- Local & Family History department: Washington County newspaper microfilm (Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise from 1895, indexed from 2000), obituary files, census records, Dawes Commission and Five Civilized Tribes rolls, city directories from 1907; free obituary lookups for remote requests (up to 3, Washington County focus)
- Creative Corner makerspace: Cricut Maker, Cricut Expression, Cricut Press, vinyl cutting, heat press (reservable, free for cardholders)
- 3D printing (FDM; $1 donation + $0.10/gram filament; monthly 3D Thursdays program)
- Digital Conversion Center (digitize photos, documents, home media)
- Career Center with Brainfuse JobNow (job search, resume help, interview prep)
- Library of Things (STEM kits, LaunchPads, board games, cake pans)
- Books@Home delivery service for homebound patrons
- Test proctoring
- Meeting rooms for community use
- Tax assistance (seasonal)
- InterLibrary Loan (ILL)
🎸 Programs
- 3D Thursdays — monthly 3D modeling and printing workshops (Tinkercad, Onshape) with monthly modeling challenge
- Three monthly Adult Book Clubs
- 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
- LEGO Club
- Children's storytimes and youth events
- Genealogy classes in partnership with the Bartlesville Genealogical Society
- Cooking classes and health/wellness events
- Adult literacy programming
📍 Nearby Libraries in Northeast Oklahoma
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Bartlesville · Browse all Oklahoma libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ruth Brown, and why does her story matter to the library today?
Ruth Brown served as Bartlesville's head librarian for 30 years (1919–1950), knew every child visitor by name, and championed integration of children's story time. In July 1950 she was fired amid Cold War-era accusations of stocking 'communist materials' — widely seen as retaliation for her desegregation work. The case attracted national attention, prompted an ALA investigation, and directly led to the formation of the Oklahoma Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee. Her story inspired the 1956 Bette Davis film Storm Center, and the library now honors her with a permanent mural.
Did Bartlesville originally have a Carnegie library, and what became of that building?
Yes. A $20,000 Carnegie Foundation grant funded a library building that opened March 13, 1913, at 7th and Osage — built partly on land donated by the Pemberton family. It served the community for nearly 80 years and is among the 17 of Oklahoma's 24 original Carnegie libraries still standing today. The library relocated to its current purpose-built facility at 600 S. Johnstone in January 1992.
Does the library hold genealogy resources specific to Washington County?
Yes — the Local & Family History department is one of the library's signature strengths. Holdings include Bartlesville newspaper microfilm from 1895 (indexed from 2000), Washington County obituary files, Oklahoma Federal Census records, Dawes Commission and Five Civilized Tribes rolls, city directories from 1907, and phone directories from 1940. In-library access is provided to Ancestry Library Edition and Fold3. Out-of-town researchers can request up to 3 obituary lookups at no charge by contacting the department at (918) 338-4167.
How does Bartlesville's Frank Lloyd Wright landmark connect to the library?
The library and Price Tower (510 S. Dewey Ave, four blocks away) are separate institutions. Price Tower — Wright's only realized skyscraper, completed in 1956 — now operates as a cultural arts center. Both are landmarks of Bartlesville's mid-20th-century oil-boom prosperity, but they have no direct institutional connection. The library's own architectural heritage is its 1913 Carnegie building and the 1992 facility designed by McCrory/Olsen Coffey Associate Architects.
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