Through generous grant funding and community partnership, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) freely provides access to a number of digital collections to Oklahoma libraries, residents, and visitors. You can visit the Oklahoma Digital Prairie site to learn more about these databases, browse or keyword search the entirety of these databases, or to see Oklahoma state history resources.
- Ada Lois Spiuel Fisher: A leading activist, lawyer, administrator, and educator Ada Lois Sipuel came of age during Jim Crow era in Oklahoma. She challenged the legal fiction of “separate but equal”, opening higher education to African-American students in Oklahoma. Housed in the Oklahoma State Archives, this collection features 251 imaged documents from the Oklahoma State Supreme Court, Civil Case No. 32756 regarding the first African-American woman admitted to the University of Oklahoma law school in 1948. The collection includes defendant and plaintiff briefs as well as a trial transcript from the district court. The Sipuel case laid the foundation for the Brown v. Board of Education landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court.
- Archive-It: Oklahoma Department of Libraries utilizes Archive-It's web archiving service from the Internet Archive to harvest, build, and preserve collections of Oklahoma's online presence. You will find an archived history of state government websites here.
- Archives.ok.gov: Archives.OK.Gov is a collection of digitized publications and documents from the State Archives at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. This collection includes a selection of permanent records of state government, such as reports and newsletters of agency activities, that provide a glimpse into the work of state government from its beginnings. The Archives.OK.Gov collection complements Documents.OK.Gov by providing pre-1978 access to Oklahoma government materials.
- Confederate Pension Cards: In 1915, Oklahoma’s Fifth Legislature approved the Confederate Soldiers’ Pension Bill. This Act provided for pensions for disabled and indigent Confederate soldiers, sailors, and their widows. The Act also provided for the creation of the Board of Pension Commissioners, which was vested with the authority to hear and determine all applications for pensions under the provisions of the Act. The Board of Pension Commissioners received applications and allowed, or refused, pensions based on established criteria, including the applicant’s residence in Oklahoma for 12 months prior to the passage and approval of the Act. The application files and pension files maintained by the Board are available at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The index cards in this collection represent the finding aid to these files. The cards, which are organized by name, often include the name of the spouse, address, date of marriage, date of death, and information about the veteran’s military service. A companion online collection containing the entire pension and correspondence file for each Confederate pensioner is now available.
- Confederate Pension Records: In 1915, Oklahoma’s Fifth Legislature approved the Confederate Soldiers’ Pension Bill. This Act provided for pensions for disabled and indigent Confederate soldiers, sailors, and their widows. The Act also provided for the creation of the Board of Pension Commissioners, which was vested with the authority to hear and determine all applications for pensions under the provisions of the Act. The Board of Pension Commissioners received applications and allowed, or refused, pensions based on established criteria, including the applicant’s residence in Oklahoma for 12 months prior to the passage and approval of the Act. The application files and pension files are housed in the State Archives at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. In this online collection, the application file and the pension file have been combined into a single record. A separate collection, the Oklahoma Confederate Pension Index Cards includes the index cards which are the finding aid to the application files. The cards, which are organized by name, often include the name of the spouse, address, date of marriage, date of death, and information about the veteran’s military service. The Annual Reports of the Board of Pension Commissioners are also included in the collection.
- Documents.ok.gov: Access thousands of state government publications and documents that were available only through official Oklahoma state agency websites beginning in November 2006. Also included are digitized versions of other selected state print publications dating back to 1978. Since the collection may include older documents that have since been superseded, visitors are urged to always refer to the most recent version of a document or publication for current information.
- Forms.ok.gov: Oklahoma state agencies issue a variety of forms for use by Oklahoma citizens and businesses. State agencies are required to submit all forms in a searchable electronic version for inclusion in this collection. Since the collection may include older as well as new versions of forms, visitors are urged to pay special attention to the revision or issue date of a form to ensure the appropriate form is being used. Please remember that not all forms contain revision dates.
- Images of Oklahoma: This collection highlights the unique holdings of libraries, archives, and museums across the State of Oklahoma. Through funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Oklahoma Department of Libraries partners with institutions to provide online access to their unique and historical collections. The collection includes high school and college yearbooks, photographs, postcards, programs, pamphlets, directories, newsletters, and much more.
- Legal Information for Oklahoma: LIO contains information on how the Oklahoma legal system is structured, how laws are created, places to go for Oklahoma legal information, links to free online resources, and much more. Librarians are not lawyers and libraries do not practice law, but we are traditionally a place for information. Libraries are often the first point of access for information seekers and librarians are uniquely qualified to help with the information gathering process. With this in mind, we offer help to the citizens of Oklahoma when looking for legal and government information. Disclaimer: This website has been prepared for general information purposes only. The information on this website is not legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of each situation. Also, the law may vary from state-to-state or county-to-county, so that some information in this website may not be correct for your situation. Finally, the information contained on this website is not guaranteed to be up to date. Therefore, the information contained in this website cannot replace the advice of competent legal counsel licensed in your jurisdiction. For help locating an attorney, visit Oklahoma Find a Lawyer or contact Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma at 1-888-534-5243.
- Oklahoma Almanacs: Oklahoma’s official state government blue book has been titled the Oklahoma Almanac since 1993, but it has had a variety of names since its inception in 1909 as the Oklahoma State Manual. Other titles include Oklahoma Red Book (1912), Directory of the State of Oklahoma (1917 to 1959), Directory and Manual of the State of Oklahoma (1961 to 1971), and Directory of Oklahoma (1973 to 1991). Since 1917, the book has been published biennially during odd years. The one exception has been the 1982 Diamond Jubilee edition, celebrating Oklahoma’s 75th anniversary of statehood. The book has been published by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries since 1981. It is a major reference source on the State of Oklahoma, including state government information, election results, county statistics, education and commerce information, and a wildlife and nature section.
- Oklahoma Authors: The Oklahoma Author Database highlights the literary heritage of our state through a compilation of contemporary and historical author profiles. It is an ongoing collaborative effort of the Oklahoma Center for the Book and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The collection strives to connect readers and researchers with information on our many Oklahoma authors. It is an ongoing project updated regularly based on recommendations from the Oklahoma Center for the Book Author Database Committee.
- Oklahoma Collection: The Oklahoma Collection is an online resource of selected reference and primary source material, covering political, governmental, historical, geographical, social, cultural and biographical topics. These resources have been digitized from original materials housed in the Oklahoma Collection, a special collection housed on the first floor of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. Works range from books and radio programs from the Oklahoma Image Statewide Humanities Project, Newcomers to a New Land, to the F.B.I. report on the Osage Indian Murders. These resources create a portrait of the State of Oklahoma and its people. This portrait is often reflected through a social and cultural prism of diverse populations. Teachers, students, librarians, historians and other researchers are welcome to use these documents and images to enhance their instruction and research. Additionally, the Oklahoma Collection directs users to other important digital collections and online resource links about Oklahoma.
- Oklahoma Governors: Housed in the Oklahoma State Archives, the records of the Office of the Governor contain the official papers relating to the principal and appointive powers and responsibilities of the Governor of Oklahoma. These records include administrative files, legislative files, pardon and parole records, correspondence, appointment files, governors’ addresses, state finance reports, reports from state agencies and institutions, press releases, photographs, and newspaper clippings. This collection consists of biographies, finding aids, official photographs, and speeches of each Governor of Oklahoma beginning with Charles N. Haskell (1907-1911) and continuing through the present administration.
- Oklahoma Postcards: The Oklahoma Postcards collection features postcards from the George H. Shirk and Wayne Mackey postcard collections housed in the Oklahoma Collection at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The postcards were donated by the Oklahoma Heritage Association. The collection also includes some postcards donated from other institutions and individuals. Most of the items in the collection were commercially produced and document significant buildings and scenes in early Oklahoma. Some postcards are early photographs printed onto postcard paper. Any writing on the postcards is transcribed with the original spelling and punctuation; words that could not be clearly deciphered are shown in brackets.
- Oklahoma Register: The Oklahoma Register is an official publication of the State of Oklahoma. It is published semi-monthly on the first working day of the month and on the first working day following the 14th day of the month under the authority of 75 O.S., Sections 250 et seq. and OAC 655:10-15-1. The rules of the State of Oklahoma are codified and published in the Oklahoma Administrative Code. This collection is under development, starting with earlier issues of The Oklahoma Register.
- Red River Compact: In 1955, Congress authorized Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana to begin negotiating a compact to resolve and prevent disputes over waters of the Red River Basin that are shared between the four states, and to assure that each state received adequate water from the basin. In 1978, after 23 years of negotiations, the Compact was signed by the member states and was later approved by Congress. These materials document the negotiations leading to the signing of the Compact, as well as the history of the Red River Compact Commission, which oversees the Compact and enforces its terms.
- State Archives Finding Aids: The Oklahoma State Archives preserves the permanent records of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of Oklahoma’s state government. Records range from the 1890s until present, with the bulk being between 1907 and 1980. The collections primarily include minutes, correspondence, annual reports, and publications. Prominent collections include the Office of the Governor, Office of the Attorney General, Oklahoma State Legislature, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Oklahoma Department of Education, and Oklahoma Corporation Commission. This collection features select finding aids from the holdings of the Oklahoma State Archives.
- State Auditor & Inspector Audits: This collection includes audits issued beginning in July 2010. Audits issued before that date are available in print at the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse or by interlibrary loan. Included are regular and special audits prepared by the Office of State Auditor and Inspector. These include regular, turnover and special audits for counties and county officers, district attorneys, and emergency medical service districts. Financial, operational and performance audits of state agencies are included in this collection. Special audits for cities, school districts, and other units of local government will also be found here. Financial reports for the state of Oklahoma, gaming audits for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission and general publications of the Auditor are included in the Documents.Ok.Gov collection.
- Territorial Records: Territorial Records encompasses any records produced prior to Oklahoma’s statehood on November 16, 1907. The majority of these records are reports created by Oklahoma Territory agencies, such as the Territorial Attorney General, Territorial Board of Health, and Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction. The collection also includes biographies, photographs, and reports of the nine Oklahoma Territory governors.
- Timeline of Oklahoma History:
- Tulsa Race Massacre: The documents in this collection describe one of the darkest episodes in American history. The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 constituted two days of violence that left an unconfirmed number of dead citizens and destroyed 35 square blocks of the prosperous Greenwood neighborhood. The Tulsa Race Massacre has also been known as the “Tulsa Race Riot” and the “Greenwood Massacre.” This collection features documents and images from various Oklahoma state government agencies, such as the Governor’s office and the Attorney General’s office, regarding the investigation into the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The collection includes eye-witness testimony, letters, telegrams, police reports, and court cases. Additionally, some documents relate to prostitution, gambling, and illegal alcohol in Tulsa during the early 1920s.
- Women's Suffrage: This collection includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, and publications in support of, or against, women's suffrage in Oklahoma.
