Library digitization grant and Washington School work plan get council approval and support

Two heritage and preservation items were prominent at the Feb. 9 meeting: the Stillwater Public Library described a grant-funded digitization project for the Fire Department collection, and the Washington School advisory committee presented a work plan council approved with staff-recommended site-access authorizations.

Stacy Delano, director of the Stillwater Public Library, explained that a $14,000 Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) grant helped digitize roughly 40% of the Stillwater Fire Department archive, producing about 2,000 searchable photographs now available in the library’s archive catalog. Andrea Kang demonstrated how to search the collection online and explained the availability of higher-resolution files at the library on request. Delano said the library had since been awarded an additional $15,000 from OHS to preserve and describe the Stillwater News Press photograph collection (about 29,000 files), a project expected to move into preservation and description before digitization.

Separately, the Washington School Heritage Foundation and its advisory committee requested approval of a 2026–27 work plan to preserve the 1938 Washington School building and redevelop it as a multipurpose heritage and activity space. Jim Beckstrom (identified in the packet and speaking at the meeting) and other foundation leaders described the building’s structural assessment, the need to replace the gymnasium roof damaged in a windstorm, asbestos abatement already funded by the city, site cleanups, and an operating-plan scoping process. The foundation is seeking to raise roughly $150,000 to put a roof on the gymnasium and larger sums for architectural, masonry and long-term repair work.

Council accepted staff’s recommendation to authorize the foundation’s access agreements and approved the work plan; the motion to accept staff recommendations passed 5–0. Committee leaders also asked the city to sponsor volunteer workdays and to continue coordinating security and site fencing with staff.

What happens next: The library will continue preservation, make archive materials available online, and provide research assistance. The foundation will continue fundraising and, with city site-access agreements, proceed with asbestos abatement follow-up, site cleanup and design steps for a new roof and long-term rehabilitation.

Quoted in this story are participants who identified themselves during the Feb. 9 council meeting.