February 20, 2025
(918) 682-6657
Leslie Young-Holland
Genealogy and History Librarian
Muskogee Public Library
lyoung-holland@eols.org

For Immediate Release 

 MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma–Muskogee Public Library (MPL) is pleased to announce it has received an Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant from the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) to begin a newspaper digitization project. 

Thanks to permission from CNHI, Inc., owner of the Muskogee Phoenix newspaper, and assistance from Phoenix Publisher Ed Choate, MPL and OHS will scan the library’s collection of Phoenix microfilm from 1964-2004—years never before published online. 

“This digitization project will convert our microfilm records into digital formats, protecting the fragile film from further degradation and making the digital collection available online for broader accessibility,” said MPL Genealogy and History Librarian Leslie Young-Holland, who will oversee the project. “We’re excited about this first step in preserving Muskogee’s rich history and sharing it with our community and future generations.”

The project’s initial phase, which will begin with January 1964 and include 183 rolls, is projected to be completed in 12 months. The digital files will be published on the Gateway to Oklahoma History’s Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program website, gateway.okhistory.org.

For more information, contact Young-Holland at 918-682-6657 or lyoung-holland@eols.org.

CUTLINE: Genealogy and History Librarian Leslie Young-Holland, left, and Muskogee Public Library Branch Manager Julie Poor will oversee a project to digitize rolls of microfilm from the Muskogee Phoenix (1964-2004) thanks to a grant from the Oklahoma Historical Society.

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Muskogee Public Library is a branch of the Eastern Oklahoma Library System (EOLS)—a multi-county organization providing public library service through fifteen libraries in northeastern Oklahoma whose mission is to empower people by creating opportunities that enrich their lives with information, activities, and services.