From Punk to Preservation: The Oklahoma Underground Music Archive
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...
Hispanic/LatinX Heritages Month
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 ...
Info Magazine - October 2025
Inside the October issue of Info Magazine, you'll find:
• Eighth Annual Paranormal Fest: Waning Moon
• Geneaolgy
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Archives Month
• Banned Books & "The Outsiders"
• OKC Philharmonic
• Featured Reviews
• October Events
Dolly Delivers Magic: One Book at a Time
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: Special Collections and Research is excited to release the first inventory of materials in the John Dunning III Collection that are ready for public use. John Dunning is a longtime Oklahoma City resident and proprietor of the local record store and music venue, Trolley Stop Records. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Oklahoma City County Historical Society and is a local expert on historical memorabilia. The Dunning Collection at the library includes items from everyday life that tell the history of regular working people in Ok...
Inside the special June and July double issue of Info Magazine, you'll find: April showers bring May flowers! Stop by Special Collections and Research's Oklahoma Room on the 2nd floor of the Downtown Library to view our monthly exhibit on one of the newest collections at the archive, The Oklahoma City Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. The exhibit spotlights the oldest garden club formed in the state of Oklahoma (oklahomagardenclub.com). Since its official founding in 1921, the Oklahoma City Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. remains active in the Oklahoma City area today, promoting environmental stewardship, conserving natural resources, educating the public abou...
Inside the May edition of Info Magazine, you'll find: The Martin Park Nature Center Collection was added to the archives last fall, just in time for the 50 year anniversary of the park's dedication. Materials collected from the nature center include maps, brochures, park newsletters and photographs and newspaper articles about park events kept in the files of Neil Garrison, park Naturalist. On the northwest side of Oklahoma City between MacArthur Blvd and Meridian Avenue there is a pocket of wilderness, a unique park that has been protected from bulldozers and paving machines. Unlike other city parks, Marti...
“We need mental and spiritual food along the way as much as we need food, clothing, and shelter - that is where poetry comes in. Poetry always appears at times of transition, transformation, and shift, and for times of grieving, for getting work done, and for joy." - Joy Harjo, 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States serving three terms from 2019 to 2022 Celebrate National Poetry Month by diving into Special Collection and Research's trove of poetical works! The Oklahoma Room currently features materials from our curated library, as well as historical ite...
Inside the April edition of Info Magazine, you'll find: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 EventsOklahoma City history told through Everyday Things
Info Magazine - June and July 2025
• Summer Reading
• Summer Fun at the Library
• Color Our World
• Southern Oaks 50th Anniversary
• The Roots of Real History
• Featured Book Reviews
• June and July EventsStop and Smell the Roses: The Oklahoma City Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. Collection
Info Magazine - May 2025
• GeekCon '25: Celebrate All Things Geek
• Oklahoma City Council Garden Clubs
• Featured Book Reviews
• Summer Reading
• Library Resources
• May EventsEvery day is Earth Day at Martin Park Nature Center
April is National Poetry Month 📖
Info Magazine - April 2025
• Celebrate National Library with Metro Library
• Featured Book Reviews
• Exploring Holocaust History
• National Poetry Month with Shakespeare, Taylor Swift and the Okie Poet
• April Events
