| On November 15, 1997 Tulsa Genealogical Society opened
the doors to our library so our members and the general public could access
our genealogical research books and material.
This collection had been ten years in the "growing" and benefited from
the years of service and generosity of John Denny and his late wife, Amanda
who housed the collection in their home. Many other TGS members worked
tirelessly on the development of this collection.
It had long been a dream of the Society to purchase a building to house
the collection and a building fund was established in 1985. Although the
building fund continuously grew, it did not keep pace with the steadily
increasing cost of real estate. In answer to the membership?s desire that
the collection be accessible to the members and to the public, the Board
of Director?s voted to lease space for the library.
The two room suite in the Briar Village Shopping Center provides library
space for genealogical research as well as room for society business and
for fellowship. Opening our library has also brought in a large number
of donations in the form of books, microfilm, and manuscripts.
Arrangements can be made with the Librarian for special openings of
the Library for research groups, reunion visitors, or out-of-state visitors.
The Collection
The original collection of books for Tulsa Genealogical Society comprise
what is now known as the "Amanda Ledbetter Denny Research Collection."
Provision is also made that any significant donations be labeled as the
collection of that donor. Our first such donation is now
known as the "Marie Sittler Collection." Marie was a long-time member of
TGS and after her death, her collection of books and research papers were
donated to the Library by her husband. Since that time we have received other
significant donations which are the "Donald A. Wise Collection," the
"Rusty Lang Research Collection," the "Mary Louise Hannah
Palmer Collection," and the "Betty Welsh Collection." In July of 2003 we were given a significant
collection of over 1,600 books, maps, CDs, microfilm and microfiche by Dr. James W. Shaw and this collection
has been processed.
The TGS Acquisitions Committee also purchases books, microfilm, and
compact disks with budgeted and donated monies. An early project of the TGS Library
was the purchase of the 1900 Arkansas Soundex. The 1900 Arkansas Census
is available at the Sapulpa Public Library; however, the Soundex had not
been available in the area.
The TGS Library has the microfiche index of Tulsa County Marriages 1907-1994.
Also available are extracted Tulsa County marriages, Funeral Home records, cemeteries,
voter registration books and other Tulsa materials. Unpublished databases
are available on in-house library computers including additional information
from funeral home records, Rose Hill Cemetery interment list and old Mobrary
Funeral Home records.
Microfilmed copies of The Tulsa Daily World are available through
1914. Additionally there are numerous original Tulsa County Court Record Books
at the Library. These books are being indexed to make the information readily
available.
The bulk of the TGS Library?s materials are books, many on locality
subjects, which are shelved by the state. The Oklahoma section is the largest
and the sections for Oklahoma?s neighboring states of Missouri and Arkansas
are significant. There are sections on Surnames, Regional Materials, Native
American, Military, Emigration, Biographical and Reference books. Many
compact disks are available on various topics. |
