Fort Worth Public Library marks 125 years with a birthday party at City Hall

The Fort Worth City Council chamber sounded more like a reunion than a meeting on Oct. 15, when about 175 people came to City Hall to celebrate the Fort Worth Public Library's 125th birthday.

Guests looked through a special exhibit on the library's history, ate cupcakes, posed in a photo booth and listened to accordion music by Ginny Mac. Some of them were old friends. Rosalinda Martinez and Gaye Reed, who once served together on the library advisory board, greeted each other with a hug. "Of course, the foundation (of the library) is books and reading. But for me it was more like a community space," Martinez told the Fort Worth Report.

The party began with a presentation from library director Midori Clark on where the library came from, how it's doing now and where it's headed. "Never doubt that Fort Worth is the city of readers," Clark said. She said the library has been "opening more doors over the past six years to respond to the demands of our customers." One of those new doors will belong to a new flagship library.

The library's story goes back to 1892, when, according to the City of Fort Worth, a group of women set out to open the city's first library. The Carnegie Public Library opened its doors in October 1901. The Fort Worth Report noted that the library supported soldiers at Camp Bowie during World War I and served as an information center through World War II. The city's anniversary plans also included 125 limited-edition library cards and a commemorative book.

This story is based on original reporting by the Fort Worth Report, with additional details from the City of Fort Worth.