Summer for the Muldrow Public Library brings daily programs, activities and educational classes for people of all ages—from preschool to retirement—to provide a way to escape the heat while giving the community a way to engage in active learning and discovery.

All events, such as S.A.I.L, a fitness program for adults 65 and older, animal shows, Cherokee storytellers, dominoes, trivia nights, arts and crafts, clubs, and health and life skills classes, are free to the public. However, these events are only possible through community interest and attendance.

Walter “Allen” Rau, who is an active member in the Friends of the Library group at the Muldrow Public Library, as well as being on the board of Eastern Library System to represent Sequoyah County, is trying to promote the library.

Through his involvement through the Muldrow Library and Eastern Library System, he understands and emphasizes the importance of public libraries, especially in small communities like those in Sequoyah. For the past three years, Rau has supported the library in whatever capacity that he can—including organizing fundraisers to help raise the money so that Muldrow Librarian Bethia Owens is able to put on these summer festivities.

Despite being important community hubs of learning and excess, small public libraries are at risk, especially due to budgetary constraints and in emergencies such as flooding and mold outbreaks.

“Like in Warner, their building flooded and they have mold issues, so their library has been shut down for almost a year. Now they’re operating out of a church,” Rau explains. “Libraries have to depend on the cities and if our cities don’t have much income, they can’t do a lot for the libraries. But they try.”

“There is always a constant need to raise funds or increase taxes, but nobody wants to vote for that,” Rau continues. “People don’t realize what our libraries contribute to our counties. I’m trying to let the public know what’s available at the library, so that when we do ask for donations or tax increases, they’ll see that the money raised is being spent here in the community, and it helps all of our small communities.”

Thanks to past donations, the Muldrow Public Library has been able to eliminate late fees, as long as items are eventually returned.

“We have a way for people to read books regardless of their skill level,” one staff member explained.

In addition to physical and digital books, the library offers audiobooks, children’s books that read aloud to them while allowing kids to see, hear, and feel the pages as it reads, and playaway MP3 cassettes that children can listen to.

Currently, the library is a part of a program where card holders are encouraged to check out and read the children’s book Juniper’s Butterfly Garden to receive four free tickets to the Oklahoma City Zoo.

“There is always something for everyone here,” the staff member affirmed.

But the library offers more than just books. They have DVDs, music, rentable ukuleles allowing anyone the opportunity to learn on instrument, and libraries in Tahlequah have fishing poles that can be rented with any Eastern Library System card. The library provides public-access internet that extends to the parking lot, computers, black-and-white and color printers, and fax machines.

“I know a guy that owns a construction business, and he comes in all the time to use the fax machine to make bids on contracts,”Rau said.

Apart from being an avid reader himself, Rau uses the library computers to access his banking account, look up travel information, order items online, and to check his retirement information.

Furthermore, the library has many tutoring programs for students, as well as reading programs where high school students read to and mentor younger students. There are also several book clubs to choose from, for both adults and children.

“There is so much that we provide that you can’t get anywhere else,” Rau said.

“We need people to come in and check out the books, borrow the movies, and attend the programs. Even if you can’t stay the whole time, attendance helps us the most, we need the numbers as well as the funding,” the library staff member added.

The Friends of the Library have an annual spring plant sale fundraiser in early spring, between March and April, with occasional fall fundraisers during Old Settlers Day in Muldrow. All donations must go through the Friends of the Library group, which is open to everyone.

The group meets on the first Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. and their next upcoming meeting is scheduled for August 4.

Due to a successful year of fundraising, the Friends of the Library were able to fund security cameras to better protect the library patronage and keep it a safe place for those both young and old. To further improve the library, Rau would like to raise the funds for a pavilion, which would give the library a place for outdoor activities, and be something that the entire community could use.

To learn more about the Muldrow Public Library, call 918-427-6703.