Stillwater library seeks book nominations for 2126 time capsule
Nominations close July 31, with online voting in August to narrow the field to 25 books
Stillwater Public Library is accepting nominations through July 31 for American books to be sealed in a time capsule and buried until 2126, part of the city's celebration of America's 250th anniversary. A burial date has not yet been set.
To nominate a book, a person must be a Stillwater resident and submit each title on its own form, up to three nominations per person. Books must be written by an American author and can include novels, plays, short story collections, essays, poems, narrative nonfiction, biographies or memoirs. General how-to manuals and textbooks are not eligible, and nominations submitted without the nominator's name will not be accepted.
The nomination form asks for the book's title and author, along with a written explanation of why the book will matter to Stillwater residents in 2126 and how it supports American democracy. Nominators must also provide their name and phone number; an email address is optional.
At left, handwritten nomination narratives cover a window near the Stillwater Public Library's southwest entrance. At right, Ariel Ross and her daughter Jane read nominations beside the library's time capsule, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. – Photo by Chris Peters
Written nominations will be posted at the library to spur discussion, though only the submitter's initials will appear publicly. If a nominated book is voted into the final 25, the nominator's full submission will be included with the book in the capsule.
Public voting on all eligible nominations will run Aug. 1-31 to narrow the list to 25 titles.
The library is hosting a series of America 250 programs through the summer, including an Aug. 13 presentation on colonial-era daily life with the Cimarron Chapter of the Oklahoma Daughters of the American Revolution and an Aug. 24 trivia night at Stonecloud Brewery focused on the Revolutionary War.
Nominations can be submitted online through the library's nomination form or in person at the library, 1107 S. Duck St. Residents with questions can contact the library's Help Desk at (405) 372-3633 x8106 or askalibrarian@stillwaterok.gov.
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The library board voted 5-1 in May to approve the project, which asks residents to identify books that best support American democracy, with member Robin Cornwell casting the lone dissenting vote, The Stillwegian previously reported. The 25 top vote-getters will go into the capsule, alongside the written nomination explaining why the book matters.
Cornwell said she supported the community conversation the nominations would spark but questioned whether physical books would hold up underground for a century.
"I'm just not up on the idea of burying expensive books in a big hole," Cornwell said.
DeLano has said the project will cost roughly $2,000. It is funded through a $2,500 America 250 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, awarded through the federal Library Services and Technology Act, pending review by the City Attorney's Office. The same grant funds additional America 250 programming planned with the Daughters of the American Revolution.
"In thinking how we would celebrate America's 250th, we asked ourselves what would happen if we no longer had access to America's most important books," Library Director Stacy DeLano said in a statement released by the library. "That is when we decided to find out which American books our community believes will best support democracy in Stillwater 100 years from now."
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