I visited the library after attending a block party rally event calling for more transparency in tulsa courts by requiring camera placement in each courtroom and judge chambers. i decided to go in the library after the event in large part because of a previous court case i'd observed, in which a judge asked a party representing herself to provide copies of her piece of evidence, but because the court copy machine was not working, she had to go across the street to print copies from the library. and due to the potential postponement of a court date i surmise such a delay could engender, i'd decided to print a copy of the flyer i received promoting the event from the library printer, as i'd not used any copying machine at that library location since its remodeling. the print and copy station, located on the first floor, at about the middle of the room to the right, facing away from the main court adjacent entrance, was user friendly based on the experience i had. the copy machine charged 25 cents to print the flyer with color, and it would have been 10 cent if i were printing in black and white. further, the copy machine, located in the picture to the far left, includes instructions for how to use it, with the only confusion i'd experienced being which direction to face the document in the insert slot, so you might want to pay a lil closer attention to that aspect than others when printing a copy. lastly, having not visited the library for any significant amount of time since the installment of study rooms to the second floor, i got a close look into some of the several reservable glass enclosement quiet rooms overlooking downtown, a distinct feature among all library locations i've visited, in tulsa or otherwise. read more

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If you haven't been down to the Central Library in downtown Tulsa you are missing out. I attended for an event and the space was perfect! Great place to host events, ample spots for vendors to set up, great conference room space. Parking can be a bit tricky but the parking garage felt safe and secure. You do have to keep in mind that there are homeless in the area but I did not have any concerns. read more

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This 3 story library is amazing. It's one of the largest and most beautiful library. There's a lemonade shop toward the entrance, and a parking garage. It's great for downtown Tulsa residents, but I can't see non-downtown residents would ever step foot in this place. It's not as accessible as there's a 2 hour parking limit for the parking garage. Also, there are several study rooms on 2nd and 3rd floor. They are located at the corners. P.S. I tried to take pictures for this review but they wouldn't let me. read more

The library, itself, as absolutely beautiful & well maintained. The librarian present on the evening of my (first) visit, March 22nd, was so helpful. I'm a recent transplant from California and she was patient, kind and so informative. I wish I caught her name. So many amenities, great variety, clean. Loved everything about it. This is NO fault of the library, but I feel it needs to be mentioned... the homeless. Downtown is full of transients and homeless people. Most seem to be mentally unstable, whether due to illness or substance abuse, I can't say, but it did make me a little uneasy while walking up the stairs and into the building. There was 7 homeless people setting up camp out front and 2 were yelling things, randomly, and cursing. Just be safe, in the evening, at least. read more

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Pros: lovely building. Lots of good programs for a variety of age groups and interests. Cons: none I can think of read more

This library is so beautiful! It is downtown on 5th & Denver. It has its own parking garage, which can get pretty full depending on when you go (only 140 spaces). The first two hours are free - you have to get your ticket validated - then it's $3 and it goes up $2 dollars every hour. They also charge $20 if you lose your ticket, so be careful! It can get somewhat pricey if you are planning to be there for a while. Thankfully there is also street parking available. The main entrance is on the second floor and you walk to the lobby where the Starbucks is. It is usually pretty busy since people walk over from the Courthouse. It is a great meeting space for big groups since it has an auditorium (seats 200), a children's story time meeting room (seats 50), computer lab (seats 31), and a future lab (seats 127). It is also a great place to study, with 8 small study rooms and 4 large group study rooms (each seats 10). You can request a meeting room online. All you need is your library card. You can also reserve a room if it's available once you're there. They regularly have different events, most of them family friendly. They have a children's garden with a big TV screen outside. Most recently, they are offering guided meditation, essential oils, Reikiand yoga programs throughout December and January with positive affirmations up on the screen. They have super cool technology available too, including a Maker Space with 3-D printing station and a recording studio, a Digital Literacy Lab, and a Learning and Creativity Center. Laptops for in-library use are available from the checkout dispenser in the southeast corner on the 1st floor. There are 12 PCs and 12 Macbooks available with the Microsoft Office Suite as well as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign and Acrobat. Laptops check out is for 2 hours. It is also an After-School Homework Club location. The club offers free one to one homework assistance for students in grades 3-8. You can register online or in person. The club runs Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-6 pm. If you would like to take pictures while in the library, you have to fill out a Publicity Approval For TCCL Meeting Room Users online and submit it beforehand. I learned this the hard way. My friends and I tried to take pictures inside at different spots and the security officers told us it was not allowed without approval. We couldn't get it then since it was a Sunday. You live and you learn... read more

My husband and I went here to turn in our adult reading program documents to show that we had finished the program. We had fun doing it and it was an easy three books a piece. I can read that in about a week and a half. My friend Chris greeted us at the door. I believe he is head of circulation. At any rate he was super welcoming and took us right to where we needed to go to turn in our stuff. He was knowledgeable about the program and that we got coupon books. He offered to help us find anything else we needed. Chris is great! The coupon books were awesome. They included coupons for meritt's bakery, mazzio's, and a ticket into the Tulsa Fair among a few others. I will definitely do this every summer. I think it's a really neat and fun thing to do and it reminds me of when I was a kid and would do the reading program at my local library every single summer. read more

Central Library - Libraries Near Me - Tulsa, Oklahoma

This is my favorite library. Great hours and helpful staff and very kind people also the workers are kind. read more

Central Library - Book Shelves at the Library 2nd Floor - Libraries Near Me - Tulsa, Oklahoma

This isn't your average library. I haven't been here not once since I've moved back. My cousin found out they had a studio so I've been going on the regular now. This library is super nice. There are 3 floors, of course all levels are filled with books, each floor has its own thing going on as well. For instance, the first floor has a Starbucks, children's section & a recording studio. Yes, recording studio. Fully equipped, even had 4 sets of guitars. The other levels have real nice touches to them. I really like the separate study rooms that are like personal cubicles to where you can have a nice view of what's going on downtown. It took 3 years to get done, I guess it was worth the wait. As for me, I'm not big on libraries, this one won me over. read more

Central Library - Libraries Near Me - Tulsa, Oklahoma

This is a world class faculty. It's resources are extensive. The facilities are spacious and modern. Perhaps most importantly the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. If you toss in the 2 free hours of garage parking in the middle of downtown, this is a great choice to spend an afternoon. read more

I found my happy place in Tulsa and it is here at Central Library. If you need me, I'll be somewhere in the stacks. Really though, the renovation of this place is phenomenal and so well done. I love the Starbucks in the front entrance (only public library in the country with a Starbucks!) and the hold lockers that you can pick up your stash of books without even really having to go into the library itself. Then there's the actual library with the works of art by Oklahoma artists (go see the mural on the second floor), beautiful glass-enclosed study rooms that look out onto downtown, and a children's area that my son is a huge fan of (those learning towers keep him occupied for hours). Be sure to come back for events in the garden and story time for the kiddos. It's just a wonderful space for learning and discovery. Happy reading! read more

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This is one of the nicest public libraries I've been in and I travel a lot but this is a very modern clean updated of all other libraries. The people should really treat it with respect but I know the up keep is hard because this is a country town and most people don't keep there own shit clean. Eugene read more

All the reviews already posted are totally correct this is not your average library. As a Mom I love this place! #1 has a Starbucks (need I say more) #2 they always have something fun going on for the children. Storytime, movies, garden play, music, bubbles, you name it! #3 the indoor activity area is amazing! There is plenty of stuff to interact with at all ages. It's an open area and it's a great place for you to be able to read & let your kiddo explore #4 Free Parking if you don't go over 3hrs #5 always clean #6 Family rooms (changing diapers, nursing moms,etc) #7 staff is always friendly #8 just a fun place for everyone Why are you still reading this review? Go check it out! read more

I waked in and immediately felt like I must be in some fancy city! Oh, I am Tulsa just got fancy! This place is beautiful! You must go see it even if for some strange reason you don't like books. The kids section is filled with new beautiful books, toys, and activities. The Starbucks inside is an added bonus. I can't say enough how great this place is! read more

Really well done renovation with a modern look and feel. A full Starbucks located on the second floor is also a great addition. They don't serve from a press pot but the actual full machine. Awesome! You can get your parking validated for up to two hours. Great outdoor viewing area where they show films like Dori for the kids and you can have a picnic while you watch. Fun. read more

Central Library - Outdoor films! Here, they've got Dori for the kids playing. - Libraries Near Me - Tulsa, Oklahoma

The security guard was aggressive and loud when I brought my dog into Starbucks. She yelled, claimed she had spoken to me before, and would not move out of the way to allow me to order. I have brought my dog many times without issues but this time I could not even explain myself before being forced to leave. I understand some people don't like dogs. I get it. There are easy, comfortable ways to approach someone with an issue. Screaming, yelling and being aggressive is not he correct approach. I am upset about how the situation was handled and hope her supervisors hold her accountable. read more

The new, renovated Central Library is really outstanding - if you haven't been here yet, you need to check it out. I'm a big supporter of libraries and feel like it's a great investment (as homeowners pay for TCCL through our property taxes) - that being said, this renovated facility goes above and beyond my expectations. It's a library that's up to date. The WiFi is great. There are ample computers as soon as you walk in. It has an open, airy concept. There's a Starbucks. There are places to quietly study and places to work with a group. This is what libraries should be - places to learn and explore new things. And, it's free to use (albeit, as previously mentioned, it is supported by property tax dollars). I walk to this library on my lunch break all the time and it's time well spent. Check out Central Library! read more

BF has been wanting to check the Central Library sonce its remodel for awhile now. We were a little disappointed to see the library paired up with Starbucks. Nothing against Starbucks, just would be nice to see a local cafe or chain rather than an international one. One thing we did notice was, where are all of the books?! For being a library, it was pretty vacant of books. While the design has a minimalist look to it, it is a library and should be filled with books. Despite the grand awe of the modern minimalist design, I am very disappointed in their lack of books and book cases. The library has some interesting technology to kinda of not really make up for their lack of books with the negative slide readers, newspaper readers, and study room reservation system. There is plenty of sitting areas with plug-ins, privacy borders, and computers to spare. read more

Despite the City of Tulsa being swindled by the Harold Hill like (a The Music Man reference, for those who are uncultured) Gary Shaffer, Mr. Shaffer was able to pull off a nice renovation of the Central Library. Winderful child's area with lots of activities and books. There are even two flight simulators. I'm sure there are other books are resources available as well. THe one shame point is the addition of a Starbucks. Would've been nice to have a locally owned and operated coffee shop. Heck the city could've owned and operated it and not have to pay what I am assuming are extravagant franchise fees for burnt flavored coffee (one can probably assume that Shaffer managed to get some sort of corporate kick back). read more