The Southern Prairie Library System and the Great Plains Literacy Council (GPLC) are partners in providing basic literacy training, ESL tutoring, and citizenship assistance in Southwestern Oklahoma. Since 2010 the literacy council has assisted immigrants seeking U.S. Citizenship. Since 2014 funds from the ODL Immigration and Citizenship Grant Program has provided funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences for two part-time bilingual literacy staff to concentrate on this effort. Approximately 95% of the Council’s adult learners are ESL students and 35% are studying to obtain citizenship.

The pathway to citizenship is time consuming and expensive. GPLC strives to make this journey as easy as possible by providing access to both print and online materials that appeal to the different learning styles of adults—visual, audio, and kinesthetic—along with computers and printers dedicated to the USCIS website for tutorials, testing, and forms. Citizenship Corners are located at the Altus and Hollis public libraries and contain all of the resources necessary for this process, including bilingual materials provided to prepare immigrants for the Naturalization Test.

They offer bilingual community programs to provide immigrant information and encourage citizenship students to start the process. They also produce social media promotions as well as print and broadcast publicity for support, recruitment, celebrating the success of our new citizens, and encouraging them to “Tell Their Own Stories.”

Once they achieve their goals, they produce local citizenship recognition events to celebrate their achievements. The citizenship project has assisted 45 adult learners from 14 different countries to become citizens of the United States.

Bartlesville Public Library Literacy Services (BPLLS) collaborated with the library staff and applied for a grant as a pilot site when ODL initiated the Immigration and Citizenship project in 2014. In an effort to welcome immigrants, a display window was created, designated equipment was set aside, and an instructor was hired.

BPLLS has been helping immigrants become United States citizens since 2012. Since inception of the Immigration and Citizenship project in 2014, the service has helped numerous immigrants from 50 countries become U.S. citizens. They have also had hundreds of adult learners come through the program to learn to speak, read, and write English so they can be prepared to begin the Citizenship Classes.

The library’s Citizenship Corner brings many visitors upstairs to see what the Citizenship Program is all about. They enjoy looking at the Citizenship Wall of Honor, which features photos of learners who have become U.S. citizens. Learners are so excited to have their photographs displayed. In fact, a learner who was standing at the wall looking at the photos recently exclaimed, “Soon my picture will be on the Wall of Honor! I’m so excited! I can’t wait!”

Families, friends, community supporters, library and literacy staff, co-workers, government representatives, and newspaper and television crew were on hand to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Citizenship Corner at Duncan Public Library. According to Mary Brancich, director of the Duncan Area Literacy Council, “The Citizenship Corner will provide resources and help for immigrants in our community who want to pursue citizenship.”

The highlight of the celebration was welcoming new citizens Mila, Lupe, Patricia, Lola and Maria. The women have attended English language classes taught by instructor, Nancy Litsch who is a volunteer for the Duncan Area Literacy Council. Litsch recognized the desire of the women to become citizens and expanded the class to include citizenship instruction.

The new citizens are long-time residents of Duncan and have contributed to the community as employees at the hospital, Legal Shield, eldercare and as business owners and community volunteers. They are looking forward to being able to fully participate in community affairs and anticipate being able to cast their first vote in the November elections.

Representative Marcus McEntire commended the library and literacy council for seeing the needs of immigrants in Duncan. He presented proclamations to each of the new citizens.

In 2019, the Lawton Public Library secured a Citizenship Corner grant to better meet the needs of area immigrants seeking American citizenship. The grant has allowed the library to offer materials and instruction to help community members prepare for the citizenship test and learn about American culture and the naturalization process. The Library hopes that the program will eventually have graduates who are sworn in at the Lawton International Festival citizenship ceremony.

In 2016, the Metropolitan Library System developed Citizenship Corners in two branches. The branches promote the services they provide to non-native speakers and have hosted citizenship classes since that time. The welcoming atmosphere and friendliness of the library staff has encouraged attendance and growth of the program. Instructors for the class are from Community Literacy Centers, Inc.

The Rogers County Literacy Program with partners Will Rogers Library, St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Catoosa Public Library, Northeast Technology Center, City of Claremore (Claremore Community Center) and Claremore First Methodist Church have provided citizenship services to immigrants seeking to become citizens of the US since 2017.

Reports ending in 2019 showed twenty-three (23) learners gave evidence of improvement via United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) practice tests. Learners improved in speaking and understanding English by oral questioning and answering, especially using USCIS flashcards. Learners took turns reading aloud from texts and in participating in mock interviews. Learners showed great improvement in confidence. Mock interviews were particularly effective in helping learners improve their confidence.

Ardmore Public Library has helped 36 students successfully become U.S. citizens.  Currently, there are five additional students awaiting biometrics or citizenship interviews.  The Ardmore Public Library Literacy & Outreach Services helps guide students through the entire process from providing classroom instruction and study materials, to helping fill out N-400 applications and one-to-one interview preparation including a mock interview.  All this is done to ensure students that complete the APL citizenship program will successfully pass and become U.S. Citizens. The APL Citizenship Program is proud of our 89% pass rate for student’s first attempts as well as our 100% pass rate for all students becoming U.S. Citizens. For more information on APL Literacy & Outreach Services, visit their website.

The Ada Public Library has partnered with the Pontotoc County Literacy Coalition to make citizenship resources available. These include prep materials available for checkout, access to a computer, and weekly conversational English classes. The library's role in promoting citizenship is multi-faceted and includes working with a local translator to design a marketing flyer while working with local businesses, churches, and media to make the community at large aware of the programs and services available. Materials will be available through the library and for personal use through the conversational English classes. Library and Pontotoc County Literacy Coalition team members will be trained to assist.  The Library's Citizenship Corner is in a very visible location in the periodical area of the library not far from the circulation desk. The resources available in this area target people who are interested in preparing for and taking their citizenship exam.

The Citizenship Corner is located just inside the door in a bright and clean area with materials available to check out. Classes will be held twice weekly with educators and speakers from the community. Immigrants will learn such topics as how to protect personal information, how to set up a bank account, and how to access insurance with the focus on English language learning.

Hollis Public Library is the only public library serving Harmon County in southwest Oklahoma. A fully resourced Citizenship Corner will enable the Great Plains Literacy Council to prepare adult learners to pursue and achieve citizenship. Bilingual materials along with computers dedicated to the USCIS website, testing and forms will enable trained librarians to assist immigrants on their journey.

The library's Citizenship Corner provides assistance to the population of southern Oklahoma desiring citizenship by creating and maintaining a nonthreatening area to learn English and the basics for completing the citizenship application. The Citizenship Corner is located in an area behind the library office and offers materials, computers, and printing. Materials for study such as flash cards and practice tests are available. An instructor conducts hour-long classes twice a week. Partnering with area business and education groups is an important part of the program.