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Area public libraries could face major upgrades in facilities and technology through city, state and federal grants, the Eastern Oklahoma District Library System board learned.

System Executive Director Mary Moroney announced three grants at the board’s regular meeting.

The grants include:

• A grant through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, to upgrade broadband and computing capabilities.

• A planning grant from the City of Muskogee Foundation to help Muskogee Public Library hire an architect to help plan for a new building.

• A $70,875 building renovation grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries to help remodel Tahlequah Public Library. The city of Tahlequah must match $25,000.

Moroney said she does not know yet how much of the broadband grant will go to libraries in the Eastern Oklahoma District Library System. An Oklahoma Department of Libraries media release said the NTIA awarded Oklahoma $2.3 million through the Broadband Technology Opportunities program, part of the federal economic stimulus package passed in 2009. A $1 million matching grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation boosts the grant to $3.3 million, the release said.

The media release said Muskogee is among 12 libraries to receive fiber-based ethernet connections with broadband speeds in excess of 100 megabits per second. Eufaula, Sallisaw and Tahlequah are among 25 libraries due network connections with broadband speeds between 10 to 45 megabits per second. Wagoner, which is not part of the Eastern Oklahoma District Library System, also will receive the network connection.

Even with the grant announcement, Moroney said she doesn’t expect to receive any equipment until 2011.

The City of Muskogee Foundation grant would help the Muskogee Public Library hire an architect or planner to help them plan for a new building. The foundation awarded the library $145,000 per year for two years, a total of $290,000 to develop the plans.

The Tahlequah Public Library could become a more user-friendly place under the state’s renovation grant.

The city of Tahlequah, which owns the library, must match $25,000. Eileen Crouch, administrative assistant for the Tahlequah mayor, said the city council is to vote on whether to accept the grant at its Aug. 2 meeting.

Library Manager Robyn Mooney said the library has not been renovated since it was built in 1977-78.