Downtown Express Library is open for business. Here’s what it offers
March 7,2024
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Residents visiting Fort Worth City Hall can now do more than attend public meetings — they can also check out a new book.
Library officials first announced plans in January to open the Downtown Express Library in early spring. Now, the express location is open to patrons and offers free Wi-Fi along with book reservations and checkouts. Patrons can browse more than 800 items and utilize a self-checkout station. The space does not include public computers or a lounge area. An outdoor book drop is expected to be installed later this month.
The location is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with an hourlong closure each day from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch. Its opening comes as city staff from other departments transition to working in the former Pier 1 Imports building, the site of the new city hall.
“The Downtown Express Library lets us provide convenient access to library services,” Library Director Midori Clark said in a news release. “We hope people who live, work and visit downtown during the day will find this space useful while we continue to search for a larger, full-service location.”
Location and hours
The Downtown Express Library is located at 200 Texas St., Fort Worth.
It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with an hourlong closure each day from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch.
The city has been on the hunt for a new downtown library location since it closed the Central Library in June. Multiple residents voiced concerns about the closure, and pushed city leaders to ensure library services would continue in one form or fashion downtown.
Officials initially approved a lease agreement in September with Pescador Partners LTD for use of 100 Main St., only to reverse course in November and continue searching for a different location.
“We’ve heard our residents and their overwhelming desire to see library services return to Downtown Fort Worth,” District 9 councilwoman Elizabeth Beck said in the release. “Our goal in this temporary location is to provide library access to our downtown residents while we seek a permanent location.”
Residents are also invited to attend a public celebration of the Downtown Express Library at 9 a.m. March 29. More details about the celebration were not immediately available.
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. Emily Wolf is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at emily.wolf@fortworthreport.org or @_wolfemily
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.