Public library systems in Oklahoma
The 117 profiled public library systems in Oklahoma served 3.3 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 2.63 visits and 5.25 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 33rd and 21st among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $45.72 per resident (30th nationally). Local government supplied 91% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 1%.
The largest system is Metropolitan Library System, serving 808,866 residents; 5 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 22% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (103 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Oklahoma system, grouped by the size of the population it serves; darker dots have their own profile page. The gold tick marks the national median for that size class.
The 20 largest systems
| System | City | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Library System | Oklahoma City | 808,866 | 2.31 | 6.45 | $59.93 |
| Tulsa City-County Library System | Tulsa | 682,868 | 2.72 | 8.14 | $48.73 |
| Pioneer Library System | Norman | 422,056 | 2.37 | 3.77 | $54.96 |
| Eastern Oklahoma Library System | Muskogee | 236,086 | 2.14 | 1.99 | $25.27 |
| Southeast Oklahoma Library System | McAlester | 164,633 | 2.64 | 2.15 | $44.41 |
| Southern Oklahoma Library System | Ardmore | 97,387 | 3.06 | 11.72 | $17.00 |
| Lawton Public Library | Lawton | 90,245 | 1.41 | 1.81 | $16.03 |
| Enid-Public Library of Enid and Garfield Co | Enid | 50,577 | 2.18 | 1.88 | $19.25 |
| Stillwater Public Library | Stillwater | 49,525 | 3.28 | 5.42 | $32.25 |
| Western Plains Library System | Clinton | 46,583 | 3.57 | 1.79 | $61.76 |
| Bartlesville Public Library | Bartlesville | 38,114 | 4.27 | 6.35 | $49.37 |
| Southern Prairie Library System | Altus | 27,061 | 4.05 | 1.35 | $26.82 |
| Yukon Mabel C Fry Public Library | Yukon | 26,388 | 3.19 | 6.19 | $27.55 |
| Ardmore Public Library | Ardmore | 24,847 | 2.51 | 7.53 | $53.14 |
| Ponca City Library | Ponca City | 24,306 | 3.32 | 2.92 | $47.47 |
| Mustang Public Library | Mustang | 23,270 | 4.57 | 7.77 | $22.72 |
| Duncan Public Library | Duncan | 23,170 | 4.17 | 3.85 | $50.53 |
| Sapulpa Bartlett Carnegie Public Library | Sapulpa | 22,981 | 2.33 | 1.41 | $20.77 |
| Claremore Will Rogers Library | Claremore | 20,385 | 4.24 | 4.48 | $26.25 |
| Durant-Donald Reynolds Community Ct Library | Durant | 20,296 | 2.46 | 2.66 | $38.13 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 47 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Kingfisher Memorial Library · 15.56
- Pauls Valley-Nora Sparks Warren Memorial Library · 5.81
- Pryor Thomas J Harrison Public Library · 5.31
- Ada Public Library · 5.07
- Seminole Public Library · 4.81
Checkouts per resident
- Kingfisher Memorial Library · 12.75
- Southern Oklahoma Library System · 11.72
- Tulsa City-County Library System · 8.14
- Mustang Public Library · 7.77
- Ardmore Public Library · 7.53
Spending per resident
- Kingfisher Memorial Library · $74.04
- Western Plains Library System · $61.76
- Metropolitan Library System · $59.93
- Pryor Thomas J Harrison Public Library · $56.71
- Pioneer Library System · $54.96
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $175 million across the 117 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other