Annual Impact Report 25/26
A Message from the Executive Director
Traditionally, libraries are well-known for data and information gathering, organization, and retrieval, but it’s the people who breathe life into these numbers. This year, Pioneer Library System’s numbers tell a strong story; but it’s the data and stories that work together to show the full impact of the library.
When we talk about influencing progress in Oklahoma, it’s easy to think about big projects: renovations, legislation, technology, or community-wide programs. But progress can also begin with something much smaller: A person walking through our doors. A child discovering that they love to read. Someone finding a resource they didn’t know existed. A parent finding support. A person realizing, maybe for the first time, “There’s a place in my community where I belong.”
This year’s impact report reflects those stories behind the data.
Each of these featured PLS customers is an influencer in the truest sense. Their library experiences changed lives, and they were touched so deeply that they agreed to share their stories with you. They carry the library’s impact with them, creating influence with their families, neighbors, and communities. Every child who starts kindergarten ready to learn, every small business that grows, and every neighbor who feels less alone moves our state forward. We are proud to play a part in that progress.
Thank you to our staff, who make these moments possible, and to our Board of Trustees, partners, community, and you, dear customer, for believing in the power of your library. I hope these stories inspire you as they inspire us.
-Lisa Wells, Executive Director
A Message from the Board of Trustees Chair
As I reflect on Pioneer Library System’s influence on Oklahoma this year, I think of Leland Melvin, the featured author of PLS’s Spark a Change community-wide reading initiative, who toured all three counties to deliver his keynote. The former astronaut and NFL player spoke with more than 400 people from all walks of life about pivoting careers and achieving their dreams. He influenced so many individuals, and when he finished his library tour, he shared on his social media account that “Pioneer Library System should be the model for the country. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of your vibrant library community.”
Leland’s visit reminded us that progress begins with people who believe in learning and curiosity, and the library gives them a place to start. You will meet some of those people in the pages that follow. They are customers who became friends, creators, leaders, job seekers, and neighbors, and they are the faces behind the library’s data.
As Trustees, we not only get to hear about the library’s numbers and statistics, but also customer stories that show what those numbers truly mean. When a toddler learns to love Story Time, when a small business owner finds tools she could not afford on her own, and when someone leaving prison finds a community waiting for him, the public library is working as it should. In a state that faces real challenges in literacy, health, and opportunity, PLS is helping lead the way toward a stronger Oklahoma.
On behalf of the Board, thank you to the PLS staff for their care and creativity, and to the communities we serve for trusting us with your stories. We invite you to experience what Leland did, become part of our library community, and share your library story with us.
-Deborah Humphrey, Board of Trustees Chair
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