{"id":468485,"date":"2026-10-17T04:18:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T04:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/468485\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T04:18:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T04:18:30","slug":"fort-worth-public-library-celebrates-125th-birthday-at-city-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/468485\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Worth Public Library celebrates 125th birthday at city hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Mica Magday, Fort Worth Report
October 16, 2026<\/p>\n

Fort Worth residents laughed and embraced in the city council chamber of Fort Worth City Hall, filling the room with the chatter of old friends. All were connected by one thing \u2014 the Fort Worth Public Library.<\/p>\n

\"\"During the 125th birthday of the Fort Worth Public Library on Oct. 15, Gaye Reed greets and embraces an old friend, Rosalinda Martinez, who both previously served on the library advisory board together. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, the foundation (of the library) is books and reading. But for me it was more like a community space,\u201d said Rosalinda Martinez, who previously served on the library\u2019s advisory board.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The gathering at city hall on Oct. 15 was a birthday party \u2014 for the library\u2019s 125th<\/a>. About 175 people showed up to view a special exhibit of the library\u2019s history, eat cupcakes, take their pictures in a photo booth and enjoy accordion music by Ginny Mac.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before the informal festivities, the group heard a presentation by library director Midori Clark about the library\u2019s history, future and its present success.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever doubt that Fort Worth is the city of readers,\u201d Clark told them. \u201cWe\u2019ve been opening more doors over the past six years to respond to the demands of our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Library director Midori Clark gives a presentation about the Fort Worth Public Library\u2019s history and success on its 125th birthday on Oct. 15, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Among the new doors will be those of a new flagship library in the 900 block of Summit Avenue. The new main library is meant to be more than just a replacement of the downtown location, Clark said, but rather an \u201curban oasis.\u201d Clark said she hopes that visits to the new library will be written into the daily plans of locals and even tourists. The old main library, Fort Worth Central Library, closed its doors<\/a> in 2023 since the location no longer fit into the future of the library system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to create something amazing for the city of Fort Worth,\u201d Clark said. \u201cWe want this one to be completely unique and something we\u2019ve never seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The library board is looking for an architect and is close to releasing a strategic plan for this flagship library, Clark said. The site is about 1.3 acres and will provide parking, a concern that was often raised in public listening sessions, she added.<\/p>\n

Northwest Fort Worth can also look forward to the Sendera Springs branch library<\/a>, expected to open in early 2027 at 1301 Avondale Haslet Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Residents checked out more than 4.3 million physical and digital items last year, according to library records. This beat the previous record year by 6% in 2024. The library also welcomed 1.2 million visitors in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first free library started as an idea in 1892, acted upon by a group of local Fort Worth women, Clark told the crowd. After securing a $50,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie, the city\u2019s Carnegie Public Library opened in 1901. The library helped support soldiers at Camp Bowie during World War I and served as an information center through World War II. Clark said she hopes that Fort Worth will continue to see the importance of the library, especially to help underserved communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Fort Worth residents explore the exhibition displayed at Fort Worth City Hall on the history of the Fort Worth Public Library as a part of its 125th birthday celebration on Oct. 15, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

\"\"Fort Worth musician Ginny Mac explains how her accordion works to a few young guests during the Fort Worth Library\u2019s 125th birthday celebration on Oct. 15, 2026. (Courtesy | Todd Overman, Fort Worth Public Library)<\/p>\n

Angie Vo, a 31-year-old Fort Worth resident in the audience, came to support the library. She said the library was a vital part of making education more equitable, as well as having social services to connect the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe library is such a huge pillar within our communities,\u201d said the 31-year-old Fort Worth resident. She also went on to credit her ability to gain her Ph.D. in arts, technology and emerging communication to her community, including the work of the Fort Worth libraries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would not be here if it weren\u2019t for me standing on the shoulders of giants in my community and people who have uplifted me,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so being here today is just a reminder of the work that people really put into moving this program forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vo said libraries were a critical part of her upbringing. When she was a child, her parents would often take her and her sibling to the Fort Worth Riverside Library. She recalled winning Oreo-eating contests and crafting Christmas ornaments. She still remembers one of her favorite librarians, who worked at the Riverside branch in the early 2000s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember those who invested their time in educating you and kind of shaping you,\u201d Vo said. \u201cEven now, I still remember Miss Sarah. I don\u2019t know where she is, but she was one that was a huge pillar (for me).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another guest who found a home and family through the library was Fort Worth resident Gaye Reed, who served on the library advisory board for two terms. She said books have always been an escape for her since she was young. She remembers when she had to borrow books from bookmobiles, which were mobile libraries inside vehicles used to expand the reach of the library.<\/p>\n

\"\"Patrons in line to borrow books from the bookmobile in 1955. (Courtesy | Fort Worth Public Library – Fort Worth History Center)<\/p>\n

\u201c(The library) is just near and dear to my heart,\u201d Reed said. \u201cI was a bookmobile kid, and then they built the Meadowbrook branch, and I would take the bus down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reed said that despite the move into a digital age, the library still provides that same welcoming and inclusive environment for all kinds of people. From alternative communication methods for nonverbal customers during storytimes to high school equivalency programs for working adults to senior social hours, the library has been there, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think people understand what\u2019s available for free,\u201d Reed said. \u201cFor elder care, for young children, for children that have challenges. I\u2019m in the library all the time, and half of those things I didn\u2019t know anything about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reed said she hopes the public understands how broad the library services are and encourages people to get involved, whether through donations or signing up for a library card.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI want the parents, the young people and the children to be a part of raising that money, even if it\u2019s a nickel or a dime,\u201d she said. \u201cOnce you\u2019re invested in something, you care about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the barrier to checking out books is not as great as it was 125 years ago, there are still plenty of households in Fort Worth that don\u2019t have a computer or internet access, Clark said. The library can be their tool to navigate and survive the digital world today, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Library director Midori Clark, right, speaking with Gaye Reed, left, at Fort Worth City Hall at the 125th birthday of the Fort Worth Public Library on Oct. 15, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

The library\u2019s goal has always been to support the community, Clark said. She told the crowd how she applied to several cities to be a library director and got many offers but knew that Fort Worth was the one she wanted to invest in, with the community often voting for its expansion and growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI picked Fort Worth intentionally,\u201d she said. \u201cThe community support was very strong and there were very tangible ways that support manifested in the community. I hope they\u2019re so proud of the legacy of the Fort Worth Public Library and I hope they know that we can\u2019t exist without their continued support for the next 125 years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mica Magday is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mica.magday@fortworthreport.org.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/2026\/10\/16\/fort-worth-public-library-celebrates-125th-birthday-at-city-hall\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/fortworthreport.org”>Fort Worth Report<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<img src=”https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><\/p>\n

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