Tulsa Public Library​ 1

Rebecca Myers

Tulsa Public Library Adult Literacy Program

Colorado State University

Tulsa Public Library​ 2

Abstract

The Tulsa City-County Library began as the Public Library Service in the basement of the Tulsa

County Courthouse in the early 1900s. Today, the Tulsa City-County Library is a multi level

200,000 square foot building that offers a variety of resources. The Tulsa City-County Library

and its affiliate, Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service forged their partnership in 1977. Since

that time the two programs have worked to provide education and services to the citizens of

Tulsa County.
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Tulsa Public Library Adult Literacy Program

The Tulsa City-County Public Library offers a variety of learning opportunities for

adults. One of those opportunities is through the Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service

(Tulsa). The Public Library Service, later known as the Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) was

founded in the basement of the Tulsa County Courthouse in the early 1900s, while Ruth G.

Hardman affiliate of the TCCL was founded in 1977(Wikipedia). In the 1960s through grant

funding and progress the library was labeled as we know it today, the Tulsa City-County Library.

At its inception in 1977, the Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service was the only affiliate with

Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) to come west of the Mississippi River. Without the

TCCL, the Ruth G. Hardman affiliate would not have had a base of operations. As it was, the

only staff member was a volunteer librarian that dedicated ten hours a week to the literacy

service (Jennifer). Then in the 1980s, “A Chance to Learn” literacy campaign put the spotlight

on the alarming illiteracy statistics in America (Corry, 2018). That campaign led to the need for a

full-time literacy coordinator in the 1990s (Jennifer).

The TCCL and its affiliates strive to provide the necessary learning opportunities to the

individuals in our community that need them. The mission of the Ruth G. Harman Adult Literacy

Service is to promote literacy in Tulsa County through adult basic education and English

language instruction(Jennifer). The Tulsa City-County Library’s mission is libraries change lives

(Tulsa). However, their vision is to envision a Tulsa County that works together, where all are

knowledgeable, and where everyone is reaching for his or her full potential (Tulsa).

The programs offered through Ruth G. Hardman and TCCL are developed based off

public needs, requests from students and/or tutors, surveys, demographic studies, developments
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in the literacy field, and from information obtained from the state Literacy Resource Office

(Jennifer). Both agencies work together to provide a multitude of necessary services to the

public. The services offered are adult learning, skill building, career services, citizenship courses,

GED test prep, life-long learning, and the courses provided through Ruth G. Harman. Those

courses, known as conversation circles, are considered informal literacy services (Tulsa).

The funding of the TCCL comes from the Oklahoma State Department of Libraries.

However, Ruth G. Hardman affiliates receive funding from multiple sources. Some staff

members are funded by the library and are considered contract employees. While the remaining

staff members are funded by organizations such as the Betty Kaiser Library Literacy Fund,

grants monies from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries(ODL), and by the Kravis Foundation.

All programming is sourced via Library Trust or grants. Their main grant sources are ODL,

Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Kravis Foundation. Other grant options can

include George Kaiser Family Foundation, Dollar General, Spirit Aerosystems, and Institute of

Museum and Library Services (IMLS) (Jennifer).

The Conversation Circle I was invited to observe through the Ruth G. Hardman Adult

Literacy Service meets one day a week for ninety minutes. The purpose of the class is to practice

English speaking and listening skills in a fun and friendly class environment. The class has five

students on the roster and five students were in attendance. The students in this particular class

were all female, all fifty years of age or older, and all ESL learners. The students were from

China, Japan, Mexico, and two were from Portugal. Their skill level ranged from beginner to

advanced. All the students were there simply to continue their learning and understanding of the

English language. The facilitator, Danielle Merril, is one of the five employees at the affiliate.
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Her degree is in library science with an ESL certification. She has been facilitating this

conversation circles for the last two years. Danielle’s overall goal is for her learners to increase

their understanding and conversational skills. She challenges them to learn something each time

they come to class, and asks them to set personal goals as well. They discuss those goals before

and after class (Danielle).

The facilitation style included brainstorming, discussion, and partner work. Danielle

relies on informal assessments throughout her lesson to evaluate the progress of her learners. The

more formal classes offered through TCCL will pretest and posttest their learners. They also

establish formal goals such as obtaining a driver’s license by a certain time, or going to the Dr.

without an interpreter. With the conversation circles, the learners are not trying to obtain jobs, or

earn a GED. Therefore, those goals are not as urgent. Learners are encouraged to set those goals

for themselves as an overall progress. There is no set end date to this class. They have session

times, and students can attend for as long as they believe it to be necessary (Danielle).

The overall atmosphere of the class was relaxed, and there was a strong feeling of

community and respect. The discussion was healthy and lively with lots of opinions and patience

with pronunciation. This amazing group of ladies have worked hard to build a community for

themselves in which to learn. Overall, the learners were met with patience and repetition as

needed. The lesson was well organized and prepared. When an enriched vocabulary word would

enter into conversation, Danielle would immediately check for understanding. I was mostly

impressed with how she started the class with a relaxed conversation about hot topics, current

events, recent holidays, and weather.

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Having no experience with teaching this type of class or learner, I was unsure what to

expect. Fortunately, this was a positive experience where the observation provided a learning

experience beneficial to future career plans. The organization is operated well, but the offices are

disorganized and cluttered creating a chaotic environment. The facilitators that I met were

professional, and have the support of the director. The employees of the affiliate were friendly

and accomodating. This was a great experience for me to ease into an adult education learning

experience.
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Resources

Corry, John. “U.S. Literacy Campaign.” NYTimes,

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/17/arts/us-literacy-campaign.html. Accessed

14 April 2018.

Danielle Merril (Facilitator) in discussion with the author, April 2018.

Jennifer Wells (Director) in discussion with the author, April 2018.

Tulsa Library.​ Tulsa City-County Library, https://www.tulsalibrary.org/about. April 14,

2018.

​ ulsa City-County Library,

Wikipedia. T

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_City-County_Library. April 14, 2018.