TALK OF GREENWOOD
Dr. Jerry Goodwin
Tulsa City-County Library CEO Kim Johnson (c) joins children for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Rudisill Regional Library on North Greenwood Avenue on June 14. Photo, Provided
The New Location To Be In The Historic Greenwood District
The Tulsa City-County Library broke ground on the new site for the Rudisill Regional Library on North Greenwood Avenue. The library branch is currently located at the corner of East Pine Street and North Hartford Avenue, 1520 N. Hartford Ave. The new site will be constructed near B. S. Roberts Park and the Langston University-Tulsa campus.
Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months with a grand opening expected in early 2026. The current library location will remain open during construction, and TCCL leadership is working with community leaders to identify a new purpose for the existing building.
“I started my career at the Rudisill Regional Library, and I know firsthand what the resources provided means to everyday people who rely on the library for information and assistance,” said TCCL CEO Kim Johnson. “I’m confident that the new Rudisill will be an anchor for the historic Greenwood District and larger north Tulsa community.”
The new library will retain much of the artwork in the current location with expanded space and amenities. The Jeanne B. Goodwin Storytime Room will double in size, as will the African American Resource Center – a research destination that allows authors and historians to easily research Black Wall Street and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. In addition, a genealogy center will return to Rudisill, focusing on African American ancestry.
Additionally, the new library will feature an outdoor reading space, drive-thru window, multiple collaboration spaces, and even a gift shop. The entire facility will have a music theme with a jukebox, recording studio, and mural.
As part of the new construction, Bank of Oklahoma recently announced its commitment of $2.5 million to support the construction of the new facility, which will include the BOK Harmony Hall, an 11,000 square foot event space with an outdoor patio and skyline views that will seat up to 450 people for lectures, meetings, trainings, or evening events.
“The new Rudisill Regional Library will be something north Tulsans will be proud of. It will carry forward all the amenities that the community already relies on Rudisill for, but in a beautiful and modern facility designed around how people use libraries today. I look forward to seeing all the ways the community will use the new Rudisill to advance their education, careers, and lives in their new location inside the historic Greenwood District,” said Johnson.
Major donors include Bank of Oklahoma, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Sanford and Irene Burnstein Family Foundation, Coretz Family Foundation, Hille Family Foundation, ONEOK, Helmerich & Payne, Temple Foundation, and the Cherokee Nation.
The Rudisill Regional Library branch is one of four branches that will be replaced through TCCL’s MY Library, OUR Future Capital Campaign. The other three branches planned for new construction are Brookside, Owasso, and South Broken Arrow.
For more information or to offer support for Rudisill or for any other branch, visit www.mylibraryourfuture.org.
About the Tulsa City-County Library
The Tulsa City-County Library operates a network of 24 public branches, two non-public branches and a traveling bookmobile. With more than 5,100 daily visitors and 7 million items circulated each year, TCCL has been designated with the prestigious five-star rating by the Library Journal, putting TCCL in the top five library systems in the United States. The mission of the Tulsa City-County Library is to inspire, promote learning, and create connections that strengthen our communities.
