Collinsville Library

The Collinsville Library is the oldest library building within the Tulsa City-County Library system and the only remaining Carnegie Library in Tulsa County.  In 1903, a group of Collinsville women formed the Comedy of Errors Book Club.  As their first order of business, the group adopted a project to fund a library for the town.  The first books were donated by a Methodist Church organization and were kept in the home of Comedy of Errors Book Club founder, Mrs. J.A. Tyner.  The books were moved to several locations in downtown Collinsville until 1911, when the books found a permanent home in a room on the second floor of the new City Hall.  Members of the COE Club held teas, talent shows, and benefits to purchase books for the library.  They even had a "book shower" which brought in books from women's groups all over the state.

In 1913, Clyde Bollman and J.B. Potter traveled to New York City in order to secure funds from the Carnegie Foundation.  They were granted $7,500 to erect a building on land furnished by the City of Collinsville.  Construction of the new building began in 1915.  At the dedication ceremony on July 20, 1917, the members of the COE Club were recognized for starting the project and keeping it alive, and for donating 1,500 books to the library. The new building was located on a 100 x 400 foot lot on the corner of 13th and Main.  It was a one-story, brick and stone edifice with a tile roof and a full basement. 

In 1962, a Tulsa County-wide election created a new city-county library system.  As a result, the Carnegie Collinsville Library closed its doors on June 30, 1962.  The following day, July 1, 1962, it reopened as the Collinsville Library Branch of the Tulsa City-County Library.  More changes came in 1999, when the library was closed for an $800,000 renovation and expansion project.  During the ensuing year, library services were run out of a small store front on Main Street which had been one of the collection's early homes before 1917.  When the library reopened to the public on April 6, 2000, the expansion project had more than doubled the size of the building to 7,580 square feet from its original 3,260.  Other new features included an expanded collection, a children's corner with a bay window, a stained glass window, and the first elevator in town.  The renovations maintained the historical integrity of the original building, which still proudly displays the inlaid cornerstone that designates it as a Carnegie Library.  In 2017, the building underwent another renovation.  This $123,000 project removed and rebuilt the concrete steps facing Main Street and installed a system of French drains throughout the property. Inside the building, the large circulation desk was removed to make way for a more modern, customer focused design, including two self-check machines and a self-service fax/scanner for public use.  

Build A Reader Family Storytime is 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.

Stay and Play is monthly. Check TCCL Event Guide for details.

PAWS for Reading is monthly. Check TCCL Event Guide for details.

Teen programs are monthly. Check TCCL Event Guide for details. 

The Collinsville Book Discussion meets at 12:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.

The Patchworkers quilting group meets on the second Tuesday evening of each month. 

The All Thumbs Knitters group meets at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

 In addition, scout troops, sports groups and homeowners associations also use the meeting room.

In 2017, the Collinsville Library celebrated its centennial. Looking back, customers and staff are proud of the library's long history.  However, the focus of the Collinsville Library has always been on the future.  For 100 years, the library's building and its collection have been ever-changing.  But through it all, Collinsville Library and its staff have been dedicated to leveraging the latest resources and technology to help our customers succeed in the modern world. 

The Collinsville Book Discussion meets every month on the 2nd Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Check the Library's Monthly Event Guide or call 918.549.7323 for more information.