HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 148 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-148
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 18, 2022
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*a SUBJECT: FORT WORTH HISTORY CENTER OPENING OCTOBER 22
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As the City plans to sell the Central Library, the Genealogy, Local History, and Archives division will move
into the old Seminary South Library location at 501 East Bolt Street (District 9) and reopen as the new
Fort Worth History Center. The Seminary South Library became vacant when La Gran Biblioteca
opened inside of La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth across the street.
Because the Fort Worth History Center serves a specific audience, it will have unique hours:
Tuesday-Thursday 11 am-7:00pm
Friday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Closed hours will be used to acquire, catalog, and organize additional archival material, as well as create
and deliver programs to schools and other institutions.
The Fort Worth History Center opens to the public on Saturday, October 22, at 10:00am. Please join
Councilmember Elizabeth Beck in cutting the ribbon.
Fort Worth Public Library's Genealogy, Local History, and Archives (GLHA) division was created in 1949
and has been operating out of the Central Library ever since. The division's charge is multi-dimensional
and includes:
• Providing genealogy resources for people interested in researching their family history
• Preserving Fort Worth historical material
• Preserving the City of Fort Worth Municipal Archives
Having a strong archives department is vital to preserving the history and soul of a city.
"A city's municipal archives create access to government actions, activities, and decisions that reverberate
into the future:
• A public transportation decision about where to place a highway
• Access to public parks and pools
• Zoning decisions that impact families
• Crisis communications in moments of social unrest
These examples and many more speak to the power of intended and unintended consequences of past
city actions."
(Fort Worth Municipal Archives: Findings & Opportunities. Kim Zablud, Consultant. 2022)
If you have any questions on this report, please contact Manya Shorr, Director, Fort Worth Public Library,
at 817-392-7707 or manya.shorr(a�fortworthtexasgov.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS