Rudisill Regional Library

Services:

WiFi

Checkout laptops for in-library use

Meeting Room(s)

Book Club

AWE Early Literacy Computer

Bike Locks

Recycling

Two auditoriums seat 200 & 300. There are 3 meeting rooms with capacities of 20 to 55 - depending on the room. Kitchen facilities are available for meeting room users. There is a group study room and quiet study rooms. Wifi is available throughout the building. Online Request for Meeting Room

For the computer user, Rudisill offers 36 computers, 10 laptops, wifi service, and special software for the Family Learning Center, Children's area and African-American Resource Center.

Classes are offered in a 12-station computer lab which can be booked by community organizations.

Book Club:

The Grapevine Literary Society is an informal membership organization, open to all men and women who are interested in discussing and expanding their knowledge of literature written primarily by African-American authors. Friends of the Rudisill Regional Library Book Discussion Group is open to all adults. The group usually meets for a Brown Bag Lunch, 11:30-1 p.m., on various dates. Titles, primarily African-American themed, are chosen from upcoming author visits, new books or classic works, decided upon at the quarterly meeting of the Friends group.

History:

Library service in north Tulsa dates back to 1924 and the Greenwood Branch. In 1932 the North Boston Branch opened. It was replaced by the Apache Circle Branch in 1963. Both Apache Circle and Greenwood closed when Seminole Hills opened in 1967. Mrs. Freddie Rudisill was the librarian there.
In 1976 the staff and the collection from Seminole Hills opened the North Regional Library. Upon the death of Mrs. Rudisill in 1979, the library’s name was changed to honor her. Keith Jemison became the Rudisill Library Manager.
Charles Ward designed the building for the City of Tulsa, as a Model Cities Project. The Project housed the library at one end and several social service agencies at the other. In August of 1985 the City deeded the property to the Library System. Several of the social service agencies had moved, giving the library services more space. Later, the Library’s Outreach Services was moved into the north end. It became the home of the recording Volunteers group, who made tapes for the blind.
The genealogy service was moved from Central to Rudisill in July, 1990, at the completion of a renovation project. It occupied about 1,000 sq. ft. and provided ample free parking. It drew people from all over Oklahoma and surrounding states. Due to its popularity and outgrowing the space available, the services moved to the new Schusterman-Benson Library in 1997. In its place, an African-American Resource Center was developed, which serves the entire County.
As part of the 1998 Bond Issue program, a 2,900 sq. ft. addition was made to the main library area in 2003, providing more space for the African-American Resource Center and the children’s area. Also the former area used by Outreach Services was completely redone to accommodate a 300-seat auditorium and 3 smaller meeting rooms. The original auditorium was renovated to create small story hour room just off the hallway. Special funding provided the story hour room with an aquarium atmosphere. Local artists Debbie Battinger did the wall mural and Cynthia Harris provided a tile mural with an ocean theme in the lobby. The room was then named for Jeanne B. Goodwin, in honor of her service to the community and her 100th birthday. Her portrait, done by Detroit, Michigan artist, Felix Cole, hangs outside the room.
Branch Managers
Freddie Rudisill 1976-1979
Keith Jemison 1979-present