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Worthy Convos: Celebrating the Fort Worth Public Library’s Past and Future
We started Worthy Convos to highlight people and organizations doing good and interesting things in our community. We challenge you to find another organization that has done more good than the Fort Worth Public Library (FWPL). After all, the FWPL has been serving our community since 1901, and they show no signs of stopping! To celebrate the FWPL’s 125th anniversary (and the future downtown library), we reached out for a Worthy Convo.
Tanglewood Moms: Congratulations on the FWPL’s 125th anniversary! Can you take us on a quick trip through the FWPL’s history?
Fort Worth Public Library: It’s hard to boil down an answer that covers 125 years, but the origin story is a good place to start.
A group of women met in April 1892 with the goal of creating a public library for every resident in Fort Worth. It would take years of championing the idea and raising funds, including asking businessmen to contribute “the price of a good cigar.” In 1899, a letter was sent to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie posing the same question. He answered by pledging $50,000 to the effort, as long as a suitable site was found and the City of Fort Worth would pay at least $4,000 per year for a library’s maintenance and operations. Opening on Oct. 17, 1901, much has happened throughout the years, reflecting the City’s growth and also the times we’ve lived in as a nation, but the basic philosophy is the same. The Fort Worth Public Library strives to be a welcoming space for all the City’s residents where they can pursue their own goals through learning, dreaming, and doing.
The Carnegie Public Library of Fort Worth, circa 1905.
Courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: Do you have a favorite story from FWPL’s history?
FWPL: As you might have guessed, there are many quirky stories from FWPL’s past! My favorite stories reveal things about how people lived in the past, for instance, how they functioned without air conditioning in the Texas heat! Part of our recorded history includes a random fact that the Library was approved in 1910 to buy electric fans to help cool the building during the summer, after years of asking for said fans. Another fun fact: in June of 1940, it’s recorded that Library officials suggested the rear doors of the Library should have locks. Can you imagine? Life has changed a lot in the last 125 years!
Art was a part of the Fort Worth Public Library from the beginning – the official charter adopted in 1892 was designated as the Fort Worth Public Library and Art Association. Shown is the art gallery at the Carnegie Library in the 1920s.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: Has the FWPL’s mission changed in its 125 years?
FWPL: The core mission is the same: provide as much free access to information and free services as possible to every resident of Fort Worth. In her 1925 annual report, Director Jennie Scott Scheuber talked about the Library’s history so far like this: “It has been a living force in the life of the community, its methods have been based on the most approved practices of library science, it’s helped blaze the way of throwing as few restrictions about the use of books in public libraries as possible.”
Our methods of delivery may have changed, with the early days being nearly 100 percent driven by books. But programs and activities have been an important part of the fabric all along. We strive to maintain the Library’s position in Fort Worth as a literary and cultural hub through the resources, services, and programming we offer.
During World War II, the Fort Worth Public Library served as an information center for soldiers and their families, providing updates about the effort but also background about the overseas locations where battles were fought. As the city’s industrial base grew, the Library housed technical manuals for new employees.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: What role has the FWPL played in the history of Fort Worth?
FWPL: In 2001, in the Library’s 100th year, it billed itself as “the original search engine,” and that’s a fitting description. Especially in their early days, public libraries were the only place anyone with a question could look to find trusted answers. As Fort Worth became more industrial, the Library was the place that workers could find technical manuals about their new jobs. During times of war, the Library was a focal point for finding out all kinds of information about what was going on in the world.
During times of war, especially during World War II, the Library was the place to find information on what was happening and details about the places loved ones were sent to. The Library provided necessary training manuals for Fort Worth’s growing technical industries, including for the aircraft workers building planes to defend the country.
The Library has been at the forefront of offering free access to technology, from computers to the internet, at a time when people were still figuring out what they could do.
We are deeply rooted in Fort Worth’s history, but always growing to meet today’s new challenges and the needs of Fort Worth residents.
Patrons gathered in the reading room at the Carnegie Library, circa 1924.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: The former Central Library branch closed in 2023, but the Downtown Express satellite opened in 2024. Why is it important for our city to have a downtown FWPL location?
FWPL: Having a downtown library says a lot about what’s important to your city, from emphasizing a focus on literacy and lifelong learning to providing a free, welcoming space for anyone who visits. A downtown library creates a tangible, iconic focal point for the system and a special destination to draw people from across Fort Worth and beyond.
It’s never too early to launch a child’s reading journey, and today’s Library serves growing families at all ages and stages. Story times designed specifically for babies and their families often draw a crowd.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: A site for the new downtown location has been found and is in the approval process with the city. If the purchase of the site is approved (fingers crossed!), how long will it be before Fort Worth has a downtown library branch again?
FWPL: Creating a special facility that will accommodate the needs of Fort Worth now and into the future is going to take time. We can’t say how long it will take, but taking the time we need to seize this great opportunity to build something special will likely take more than two years.
The Library offers programs for older adults, too. One of the key benefits of regular programming is the community it helps form among participants, including weekly chair yoga classes.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: How will the new downtown branch influence the future of the FWPL and how the FWPL serves our community?
FWPL: The Fort Worth Public Library currently operates 20 locations, all reflecting the communities they serve. That will continue to be the case, but building a downtown library from the ground up gives us the chance to showcase what the Library can really offer the city as a whole. Like previous downtown libraries, it could accommodate special events in a dedicated auditorium. Besides what we need to serve the public now, we can create spaces that will meet the needs for many years into the future. I don’t know if the new Library will necessarily change how we deliver library services, but it will definitely enhance them.
Library Director Midori Clark celebrated the opening of the Clifford Crossing Branch Library in 2024. The Sendera Springs Library is slated to open soon – sometime in early 2027 – and plans for a new downtown library are just getting off the ground.
Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth Archives – Fort Worth History Center
TWM: In this increasingly digital age, why do libraries matter?
FWPL: It is true that our patrons checked out a record number of digital resources during the past year. But it’s also true we had the highest program attendance ever at the same time.
In the digital age, libraries do a few things that are more important than ever. We offer a free place for people to build a genuine sense of community. We offer activities for all ages that not only entertain or teach a new skill, but can build relationships. Some of these activities involve technology, but others are a fantastic reason to unplug and live in the moment.
We are inundated with digital messaging every hour of every day, and sometimes we just need a human to talk to. Our professional team members are here to help, whether it’s advice on cutting the digital clutter, finding another source of information, or learning how to use a new piece of technology in a positive way.
For some, the Library is a gateway into the digital world. Use of our public computers remains high because some cannot afford to buy a computer or pay for internet service. Rather than leaving them behind, the Library helps them participate in an increasingly digital world.
For others, the Library provides genuine, in-person experiences and activities that offer an escape from the ones and zeroes into a tactile world that is real, fun, and informative.
TWM: And finally, how can Fort Worthians become involved in the process of building their new downtown library?
FWPL: Community input will be a big part of the planning process. We will add to the feedback we collected through public input when we were considering how to turn the historic building at 412 W. 3rd St. into a library. There will be additional meetings and ways to provide ideas as the project progresses. Just like the downtown library itself, this webpage is a work in progress but will provide updates on the project: https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/library/branches/lib-loc-dow.
