South Broken Arrow Library expansion: What will be inside?

The South Broken Arrow Library is getting a major expansion, tripling the size of the current location. It’s part of the Tulsa City-County Library’s campaign to expand four of its busiest locations.

The Tulsa City-County Library system says the 6,000-square-foot building near New Orleans and Aspen is the fifth busiest of its 28 locations.

Why the move is happening

The City of Broken Arrow says the library, built in 1993, has seen more visitors every year since 2021, and it expects that number to increase by 67% through 2026. It currently houses nearly 150,000 items, with 79,653 for children.

At present, the library hosts more than 21 homeschooling groups that use the library’s sole meeting room for various activities.

What will it include?

The plan for the new library triples the size of the current location and increases the size of the library’s collection. It will be located directly east of the current location, in what is currently an empty lot.

The new 18,000-square-foot facility is expected to offer:

1. More community meeting rooms
2. Expanded space for children’s programming
3. Dedicated homeschool instruction space
4. Outdoor reading area
5. Play space for children
6. Maker Space
7. Updated technology & tech hub
8. Outdoor Children’s Amphitheater

How is it funded?

TCCL raised $6,655,000 for the project through planned capital savings and private fundraising. It still has a funding gap of around $5.35 million.

The City of Broken Arrow says because of the impact the library has on the city, it would like to help the library make up that funding gap as part of the 2026 General Obligation Bond initiative. It is asking residents how much money they believe it should contribute. You can find the survey here. It will be available through August 19.

The city says any contribution on behalf of the city would not result in a tax rate increase.

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