Owasso’s new library
By Sadie Woollard
Photo of incoming library courtesy of Sikes Abernathie Architects
After years of buzzing rumors, Owasso is officially getting a new library. With this charming town being one of the fastest growing suburbs in Oklahoma, most citizens can agree that the beloved 34-year-old Tulsa City County Library (TCCL) should grow with the community and continue to be the heart of Owasso.
Owasso High School senior and regular library patron, Ava Leader, is dear friends with the books on the library shelves. TCCL has become a regular study spot for Leader.
“I like coming [to the library] because it's quiet … [and] it helps me unwind. I like to be surrounded by books—it's motivating,” Leader said.
Leader has been going to TCCL since she was a kid. She is one of the countless Owasso students that the library has watched grow up. Now, the library is finally going to get its chance to grow, too.
The new library will have more space for kids, more meeting rooms, individual study rooms, outdoor space, rooftop apartments, interactive spaces and outdoor activity zones.
Photo of incoming library courtesy of Sikes Abernathie Architects
The planned start time of construction is March 2025, and construction should last about a year. While Owasso eagerly awaits the new building, the library employees and books will be moved to 5th Ave Business Park so that the librarians can continue to share their loved books and smiling faces.
Jennifer Ballard, the manager of TCCL, is very excited for the new library building and the ways it will help her serve her community. Although she is thrilled for the new building, Ballard will miss the building that she watched her kids grow up in.
“I have been told that Owasso was going to get a new library since the day I started working here. So that's been sixteen years plus," Ballard stated.
Owasso’s current library is only 10,000 square feet; the new library is planned to double in size. With Owasso’s library being one of the busiest in the Tulsa Library system, the workers are excited about the extra space.
“It's bittersweet, and I will definitely miss this building that I have spent so much time in. But, I am very excited and looking forward to having a new space and having more of what we need to give our customers what they need,” Ballard said.
Photo of incoming library courtesy of Sikes Abernathie Architects