Cooking Up Some History
As we begin to gear up for holiday dinners and do our best to make sure our neighbors have food to eat, it's easy enough to get caught up in the here-and-now demands and anxieties.
(Related content: "Ditch the Potluck Stress" from the November 2025 issue of UMAmi)
But in all of the hustle and bustle, take a moment to breathe, relax your neck and shoulders, unclench your jaw. If you need something on the practice of cooking as therapy or spiritual practice, there's some pretty nifty reads for that.
Now, let's take just a moment to consider the ways that our history co...
Now Introducing… Metropolitan Library System’s First-Ever Poet Laureate
The Metropolitan Library System is proud to announce its inaugural Metro Library Poet Laureate: Hallie Waugh.
This new, paid opportunity recognizes and supports a local poet who will serve as the library’s ambassador for poetry. As Poet Laureate, Waugh will promote the art form across the metro area through public programming, community outreach, and literary events. In partnership with library staff, she will lead poetry-focused initiatives designed to inspire readers and writers of all ages.
Waugh’s writing explores the intersection of embodiment, spirituality, and connection ...
Chef Loretta Barrett Oden Comes to Belle Isle Library
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Metropolitan Library System is proud to host Emmy Award-winning Chef Loretta Barrett Oden of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the Belle Isle Library Nov. 22, 2-3:30 p.m.
Chef Oden, Chef and Consultant at Restaurant 39 at the First Americans Museum and author of the acclaimed cookbook “Corn Dance,” will share insights from her lifelong exploration of Indigenous food and the traditions that shape them.
“Foo...
Info Magazine - November 2025
Inside the November issue of Info Magazine, you'll find:
• Cook Up Some Fun at a Library Event
• Chef Loretta Barrett Oden
• The Story of Jim Thorpe
• Native American Heritage Month
• Metro's First Poet Laureate
• 100 Years of Service
• Thanksgiving Reading List
• Featured Reviews
• November Events
Behind the Stacks: All About Library Aides
Behind the Stacks: All About Library Aides
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at your library? While librarians manage big-picture projects, library aides also keep everything running smoothly at your local library!
What Do Library Aides Do?
Library aides typically assist guests, shelve books, process materials and maintain an organized library. Their duties include:
The Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library is set to host its eighth annual Paranormal Fest on Saturday, October 18, transforming the building into a hub of supernatural exploration and eerie fun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s event, themed “Waning Moon,” promises a full day of activities for all ages, including panels, hands-on crafts, a spooky escape room and a family-friendly film marathon. “It’s a full day of spine-tingling fun for all ages,” said Kim Ventrella...
Proceeds from the Literary Voices® series benefit the Library Endowment Trust and the Friends of the Library's initiative to establish funds for the expansion and sustainability of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) in Oklahoma County. This transformative program offers free monthly books to children aged 0-5, promoting diversity, nurturing self-esteem, and igniting a lifelong passion for reading. Your contribution will have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of young readers in our community.
From Punk to Preservation: The Oklahoma Underground Music Archive By Meg Nance Coker, Special Collections Librarian It’s likely that the images that pop into your mind when you think of the words “punk” and “archive” don’t exactly mesh well together. But even raucous concepts like punk, metal, goth, experimental, indie, hip hop, or various other flavors of alternative music belong in a library and archive as part of our local history and culture. Everyone’s sto...
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with Special Collections & Research! From September 15th to October 15th, we are spotlighting the rich history and contribution of Hispanic and Latino Americans with a new mini exhibit showcased in the Oklahoma Room. The mini exhibit highlights notable Oklahomans such as Manuel Perez Jr., Rufino Rodrigues, Tony Casillas, Shannon Calderon Primeau, Cecil Gomez, Anita Martinez, Rosa Quiroga King, and Juanita Zamora, among others. On display are a variety of materials such as photographs and booklets documenting the ongoing history ...
Inside the October issue of Info Magazine, you'll find: By Zoe Elrod, Internal Communications Coordinator In Oklahoma County, more than 18,000 children receive free books each month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library thanks to The Friends of the Library, the Library Endowment Trust, and the support of our community. This beloved program sends high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, helping build early literacy skills, nurture self-esteem and ignite a lifelong love of reading.
Inside the September issue of Info Magazine, you'll find: By Judie Matthews, Special Collections Librarian "Let’s Go Again!" We’ve been called to return to the lights, food, rides, and shows. The Fair feels like a homecoming—a chance for us to celebrate who we are as Oklahomans while the harvest comes in and the days are still long. This sense of nostalgia also touched Oklahomans a century ago. In 1923, the State Fair faced significant challenges during a time of political turmoil. Gov. Jack Walton and the Ku Klux Klan were locked in a power struggle...
The Myriad Convention Center opened its doors on November 5, 1972, in the booming City of Tomorrow. The newest mini exhibit, centered around the history of the Myriad, is now on display in the Oklahoma Room on the second floor of the Downtown Library. Hosted by Special Collections & Research, the display showcases photographs, pamphlets, building layouts, and original ticket stubs from the over five decades that the Myriad hosted countless events in the heart of the city. From holding major shows for superstars like Elvis and Cher to serving as a tem...
Inside the August issue of Info Magazine, you'll find:Eighth Annual Paranormal Fest: "Waning Moon" on Oct. 18
Literary Voices® and the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
From Punk to Preservation: The Oklahoma Underground Music Archive
Hispanic/LatinX Heritages Month
Info Magazine - October 2025
• Eighth Annual Paranormal Fest: Waning Moon
• Geneaolgy
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Archives Month
• Banned Books & "The Outsiders"
• OKC Philharmonic
• Featured Reviews
• October EventsDolly Delivers Magic: One Book at a Time
Info Magazine - September 2025
• Wright Library Celebrates a Century of Stories
• Library Card Sign Up Month
• AltFest
• State Fair
• Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month
• Be a Part of History
• Featured Reviews
• September EventsWhat does it mean to GO BACK to the State Fair?
Marvelous, monumental, memorable: The Myriad Convention Center
Info Magazine - August 2025
• Back to School Success with the Library
• Dolly Delivers Magic
• The Myriad Convention Center
• Featured Book Reviews
• Tiny Dancers, Art and the State Fair Programs
• LitFest at the Downtown OKC Library
• August Events
