Just across the street from Park Place Ave is the Fairmount Historic District, a neighborhood known for its eclectic charm and old craftsman-style homes. The neighborhood has many Easter eggs, including the Fairmount Community Library.
When I moved to Fairmount in 2018, I had visions of myself finally becoming part of a neighborhood community. After going full-time as a freelance graphic designer, I’d become a member of Ensemble just a year prior and was slowly making friends and networking. Overall, I relished the experience of becoming more and more familiar with the Near Southside as a whole. I knew I wanted to plant roots here.
When I turned down Allen Ave for the first time, I admired the beautiful, colorful homes and enormous trees. Nestled unassumingly, between 6th and 5th avenues stood a small building. Just around the corner from 5th Avenue Greenhouses and sharing a wall with Arts 5th Avenue was a library. Except it was closed. Every time I walked by, “Closed.” I was so curious to know what it looked like inside. Who did it belong to? Why was it closed? When would it be “Open”?
The Importance of a Neighborhood Library
Before I tell you the rest of the story, let me explain the importance of a neighborhood library in a city with many libraries.
Nonprofit neighborhood libraries are pivotal to community development, serving as essential hubs that facilitate access to information and foster interpersonal connections. These institutions offer a safe and supportive environment for children, providing programs such as after-school homework assistance, book clubs, and recreational activities. Local libraries, such as the Fairmount Library, harness community resources to offer a wide range of services, including educational programs, ensuring these are accessible to all.
In addition, libraries provide meeting rooms and event spaces, enabling groups to gather and exchange ideas and enriching community dialogue and interaction. They also serve as focal points for community engagement, where neighbors can unite, share resources, and foster a sense of belonging. As nonprofit organizations committed to promoting literacy, neighborhood libraries play a crucial role in encouraging reading within the community. Additionally, they are instrumental in creating more equitable and prosperous communities. For instance, when a nonprofit organization fundraises to acquire books and equipment for a local library, it directly benefits taxpayers and enhances community resources.
The Rest of the Story…
Fast forward a few years, sometime around the “unprecedented times” of 2020-2021, when I connected with a library board member. I asked her what happened - why was the library closed? Who ran it? How could my husband and I get involved? Jeb and I often wondered aloud on our walks why the library had been closed the whole time we’d lived here. It seemed like a missed opportunity for the neighborhood to have this resource sitting with its doors closed. I tell her we want to help get the doors back open.
For the better part of 2022 -2023, we eagerly joined a “Movers and Shakers” group to clean out, update, and re-open the library. It happens from working with the landlord, local handymen, artists, and neighbors.
We rip out the carpet and replace it with stained concrete.
We create a cataloging system.
We totally renovated the children's reading room, which now has a beautiful mural, pint-sized shelves of books for the littlest readers, new fans, and new paint.
We clean out a space for a future commercial tenant.
We cleaned up the green space around the library and updated the sign.
In June 2023, we—the Fairmount Community Library Movers and Shakers—prepare to reopen. Jeb and I have been on the board since then, helping with facilities/maintenance and marketing, respectively.
The Fairmount Library
The library has always been 100% volunteer-operated and funded by donations. It is a 501c(3) non-profit, and the library is not affiliated with the Fort Worth Public Library system—a question that we get a lot! (And yes, we ALWAYS need volunteers!)
Since 2022, an outpouring of support from dedicated volunteers and neighbors has made it possible to fund structural improvements, develop a new board of directors, and re-envision the library space. In June 2023, new and excited volunteers hosted a soft re-opening for neighbors to see the completed and in-progress renovations.
Since reopening, we’ve refreshed the classroom with uniforms, spacious cabinetry, and a TV, cultivated a Texas native plant garden, and incorporated a seed library into our lending program. Over the winter, we collected hundreds of donations for the unhoused, including coats and Christmas stocking stuffers.
Experience the Library
Inside the library, you’ll find free Wi-Fi, a reading lounge, free programming, and book rentals. There is also a dedicated children’s space, a classroom that can be rented out, an open patio to read and relax, and a place for neighbors to come and learn together.
Some of the library’s hallmark programming includes monthly “Sew What! Sewcial,” monthly storytime and crafts, numerous book clubs, toddler time, art clubs, summer camps, PRIDE celebrations, and so much more. Community members have also used the library to host poetry readings, meetings, birthday parties, and other events.
Supporting Near Southside Businesses
Fairmount Community Library is passionate about supporting Near Southside businesses and offers a “Business Membership” to those seeking space to work and gather. Business memberships include space rentals, discounts on classes, and more.
We are also excited to welcome Fairmount Community Cycles, who will move into our back room this summer. They are a public-benefit corporation promoting the social, environmental, and health benefits of bicycling!
Jeb and I love sharing the library with our friends, family, and neighbors, and we hope to see you sometime soon!
Connect with the Library
Location: 1310 W Allen Ave, Fort Worth
Hours
Monday - Friday: 12 - 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm
Sunday: CLOSED
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Fairmount Library in the News
Guest Blogger
Becky Escher, Becky Escher Design
Hey, I’m Becky! I’m a Fort Worth-based graphic designer dedicated to helping small businesses, non-profits, and event planners create meaningful, visual connections with their audiences. In short, my job is to make you look good. My mission is to help companies and organizations grow through design and marketing.
I'd love to connect!
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