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Fort Worth Public Library is the public library system that serves the city of Fort Worth,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. The Fort Worth Public Libraries consist of 16 branches including the central library and two regional libraries.


History

In April 1892, 20 women formed the idea for the city's first library while meeting at the home of
Jennie Scott Scheuber Jennie Scott Scheuber (1860–1944) was an American librarian who pioneered the public library movement in Texas. A prominent Fort Worth, Texas, civic leader, she was instrumental in the formation of the Fort Worth public library system and the fi ...
. Under the Fort Worth Public Library Association, this association received its state charter and with the financial support from
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...
they brought the Fort Worth Public Library into existence. Carnegie donated building funds for the construction of more than 2,000 libraries in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
and from 1886 to 1919 he donated $56 million. Carnegie suggested to the founding women that they ask the local gentlemen for "the price of a good cigar" to help raise the necessary local supporting funds. Sarah Gray Jennings donated the land at 915 Throckmorton Street on stipulation that it always be used for a library. When the City Council approved spending $4,000 per year to run the library, Carnegie contributed $50,000 for the building. The Carnegie Public Library of Fort Worth opened on October 17, 1901, at Ninth and Throckmorton streets.


The PWA Library

As early as 1926 it was becoming clear that the Carnegie funded building was no longer large enough to handle Fort Worth’s swelling population. The situation became worse during the onset of the Great Depression, when reading rooms became so full that the facility lacked enough chairs or lights at most hours of the day and night. The library board appealed to the
Public Works Administration The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Reco ...
( PWA) in 1933 for funds with $400,000 in subsidies finally arrived in Fort Worth in 1937. A three story, triangular
PWA Moderne The Art Deco style, which originated in France just before World War I, had an important impact on architecture and design in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The most famous examples are the skyscrapers of New York City including the Em ...
structure designed by
Joseph R. Pelich Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
was built over the spot of the old neoclassical Carnegie library and opened in 1938. Mrs. Scheuber was retired from her role as head librarian and replaced with the professionally trained Harry Peterson, who converted the collection to the
Dewey Decimal System The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), colloquially known as the Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject. Section 4.1 ...
and removed the library’s collection of relics to the local children’s museum. In 1967 the building received a Texas Historical Marker in 1967. In 1978 a new central library building was built at 300 Taylor Street. The old Art Deco building was returned to the ownership of the Sarah Gray Jennings estate in 1980, and although attempts were made to preserve the building as a performing arts center, the old library was razed in 1990 for a parking lot.


Central Library Expansion

Fort Worth's Central Library expansion officially opened October 22, 1999. On March 28, 2000 the
Fort Worth Tornado During the evening hours of March 28, 2000, a powerful F3 tornado struck Downtown Fort Worth, Texas, causing significant damage to numerous buildings and skyscrapers as well as two deaths. The tornado was part of a larger severe weather ou ...
caused over a million dollars in damage to the new Central Library. Central Library has a spacious Learning Commons for patrons to enjoy a book, magazine, or use a computer. The Central Library also offers its users free Internet access at the computer lab or with WiFi. Computer classes are available to promote
information literacy The Association of College & Research Libraries defines information literacy as a "set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued and the use of infor ...
. The Genealogy, Local History and Archives unit is housed within the Central Library; the Archives are also the official municipal archives of the City of Fort Worth.


Regional Libraries

* East Regional – opened () * Southwest Regional – opened ()


Branches

* Diamond Hill/Jarvis – opened () * East Berry – opened () * Meadowbrook – opened () * Northside – opened () * Ridglea – opened () * Riverside – opened () * Seminary South – opened () * Ella Mae Shamblee – opened () * Summerglen – opened () * Wedgwood – opened () * Northwest – opened () * Golden Triangle – opened () * Reby Cary Youth – opened () * La Gran Biblioteca - opened ()


Partner library systems


References


External links


Fort Worth Public Library
{{Authority control Culture of Fort Worth, Texas
Library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
Education in Tarrant County, Texas Public libraries in Texas
Library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
David M. Schwarz buildings Libraries participating in TexShare