Library
Read On! Tulsa Race Riot/Massacre Exhibit
I remember briefly learning about the Greenwood District and the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot/Massacre in high school. The lessons made an impact, but it wasn’t until the Race Riot/Massacre was mentioned in the HBO show “The Watchmen” that I realized how little I know about that area of Tulsa, its history, and the larger repercussions for our state as a whole.
When the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum reached out to your Pryor Library (and many other libraries in NE Oklahoma) asking if we would be interested in a permanent loan of their “Spirit of Greenwood/1921 Tulsa Race Massacre” exhibit at no cost, we quickly accepted. The exhibit, which is on display now in our lobby, is quite moving.
Learning about events like the 1921 Race Riot/Massacre isn’t comfortable, but it is important. Honestly, that’s true for much of our country’s history. Past events are complicated and difficult to wrap our heads around, especially as we delve into the details. This exhibit doesn’t try to give us an exhaustive lesson on Greenwood or the Race Riot/Massacre, but it does offer a glimpse into what it was like to be there.
With historical photographs from the Greenwood District in its heyday and after its destruction during the riot/massacre (nothing graphic), the exhibit makes the time and place very tangible. It reports some of the findings of the 2001 Tulsa Race Riot Commission Report and discusses the change in terms from “riot” to “massacre.”
After viewing the panels (or before), you should check out the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum’s website (tulsahistory.org) and read the 2001 Tulsa Race Riot Commission’s report through the Oklahoma Historical Society’s website (okhistory.org/research/forms/freport.pdf).
It’s worth the discomfort to learn about this important part of Oklahoma’s history.
Library closed for President’s Day
Our physical building will be closed on February 17th, but we’re open 24/7 online! Check your account, place holds, download ebooks and audiobooks, learn a language, research your family history – all from where ever you are, day or night.
Read On! Friends of the Library
Last week, the Friends of the Pryor Creek Library held their first fundraiser – a murder mystery party where each ticket holder was assigned a character and attended a party in honor of the fictional bed & breakfast, “The Harrison House.” Of course murder ensued and then the guests were tasked with solving the crime. (If you missed this year, they promise to do it again next year, so stay tuned!)
The Friends group has two primary goals: to support the Pryor Public Library and to support increased literacy in Pryor and Mayes County. The Friends group’s primary literacy initiative is enrolling Mayes County children under 5 years old to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This program sends age appropriate books through the mail to enrolled children at no cost. It’s a fantastic way to get good books into the homes of children.
Each book is chosen with the child’s age in mind and the inside cover offers suggestions for ways parents and caregivers can interact with their child while reading the book. These suggestions help adults teach young children the vital early literacy skills they need so that they are ready to learn to read when they start school.
When my children were younger, we enrolled them in the Imagination Library. I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of books. I was impressed to see familiar characters (like Llama Llama) and books that were recently published. It was a great program for our family and it seems to be just as beneficial to Mayes County families. In fact, as of this writing, we have 150 readers!
While the program is free for the families enrolled, it does cost the Friends group $25 per child per year (which is an amazing bargain for 12 books). All of the money raised at the murder mystery party will support the Imagination Library program.
Read On! Parental Guidance
A legislator in Missouri is causing quite the kerfuffle in the library world. The proposed “Parental Oversight of Libraries Act” would require public libraries in Missouri to have a board in addition to their regular Board of Trustees to ensure libraries aren’t providing children access to materials the new panels find age-inappropriate. Loss of state funding for the libraries and fines and/or jail time for the librarians are the proposed penalties in this legislation.
There’s a lot to unpack here. There’s a lot wrong with this bill and a lot of good reasons for librarians and library users to be appalled by it. At its core, this legislation fails to understand the relationship public libraries have with parents, guardians, and caregivers. Parental oversight already exists in public libraries. In fact, public libraries rely on parents and caregivers to help the children in their lives choose materials and activities that are appropriate for them and in line with the values of their families.
In Pryor, parents/guardians are required to sign children up for library cards. They also need to grant permission before any minor can access an internet computer. We assume any minor in the building has permission to be there. We also assume that any materials a child wants to check out have been vetted by their parents.
Your library staff would never presume to step between a child and their parent by telling a child they are not allowed to read or watch something because of its content. As a parent, I would have some very serious words coupled with a fairly harsh tone for anyone who tries to override my parenting in such a way. Especially if that interference came from an institution whose role is to provide access to materials and information for a diverse and vibrant community.