The need for a library in Northwest Oklahoma City has long been an aspiration of the Metropolitan Library System. Over the years the sprawl of Oklahoma City has gradually crept farther towards the northwest. The opening of the Northwest Library will create a neighborhood library for Northwest Oklahoma City. Its location will allow it to better serve customers by not only cutting down travel time to a library, but also becoming part of the northwest Oklahoma City community.

At the time of this update, the total construction cost for the Northwest Library stands at approximately 8.2 million dollars. The majority of the cost of the library is being paid for by funds from general obligation bonds, passed by the voters of Oklahoma City, in 2000 and 2007. Additional funds are being provided by the Metropolitan Library System. 

Groundbreaking occurred on March 30, 2010. At present, the library will be completed in the May 2012 and after a short move-in period, necessary for the system to move books and other materials, the library will open to customers.

Libraries play a vital role in the lives of the customer they serve. While library customers in Northwest Oklahoma City are presently served by library locations such as Warr Acres and The Village, many of these customers live a great distance from these locations. It makes sense that the closer a library is to its customers, the easier it will be to serve them. The Northwest Library will provide a convenient alternative for the customers that have been commuting to these farther libraries. The library will serve as a hub of the community of northwest Oklahoma City. Its accessible location will allow it to host community group meetings, clubs, study groups, programming for adults and children, as well as providing a collection of over 156,000 items and access to public computers and WiFi.

The US Green Building Council defines LEED certification as a certification that provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. LEED-certified buildings are designed to: lower operating costs, reduce waste sent to landfills, conserve energy and water, be healthier and safer for occupants, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility!

At the present time, some job openings have already been posted for the library. Follow jobs.metrolibrary.org closely to keep up with future job openings at the Northwest Library.