Reby Cary Youth Library

Monthly Events Calendar(PDF, 420KB)

Parking is located behind the building. Please be mindful of children playing in the area.

This active location is currently Fort Worth's first and only Youth Library:

• Collection is exclusively youth materials
• Curbside service (for items placed on hold)
• Garden space
• Play space/stage area
• Lounge seating
• In-house laptop use for youth
• 3D printing
• Meeting and event space

Please see the Room Rentals tab for information on reserving meeting spaces.

Public Art Installation

“Only Connect” by Joe O'Connell Creative Machines, Inc.

2021 | Glass, Stainless Steel and LEDs

Joe O'Connell, founder of Creative Machines, was inspired by connections: Matisse's famous painting La Danse, the way neurons connect as a mind learns, the connections made between community members, the trails of shooting stars overhead, and the artist's personal memories of visiting libraries throughout his life. Only Connect includes colored glass spheres and laser-cut stainless steel lacework with incorporated LED lighting using optical sensors and interactive buttons. Additionally, two exterior neuron components along East Lancaster Avenue.

We are pleased to offer a meeting room for the community. 

Make a Reservation  Meeting Room Policy(PDF, 267KB)

Please note: Reservations at this location may only be made for events to be held during regular business hours.

Reservations can be paid for by credit card and electronic check payments online.

If you are a non-profit organization and have never made an online reservation, please contact the location directly for information about documentation required to receive the non-profit rate. Once non-profit status has been verified, staff will create the non-profit organization’s user account.

Rental Rates:

$35 per hour
$15 per hour for non-profit organizations (501(c)(3) required)

Additional fees and charges may apply for housekeeping and other services.

Maximum occupancy: 12

 Reby Cary (1920-2018)

Mr. Reby Cary was born Sept. 9, 1920, in Fort Worth. He graduated from I.M. Terrell High School in 1937, and earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Prairie View A&M University. He completed postgraduate work at Prairie View, North Texas State University and TCU.

He was drafted into military service in 1942, and became one of the first African Americans to graduate from the U.S. Coast Guard’s radioman school. During World War II, he served on the USS Cambria in the Pacific.

Upon his return to Fort Worth, Cary established the McDonald College of Industrial Arts to offer job training for African Americans. He began teaching history at Dunbar High School, later becoming the first black instructor at Tarrant County Junior College in 1967 and then becoming the first black professor at UT Arlington in 1969.

Cary was the first black member of the Fort Worth ISD School Board, later serving in three terms in the Texas House of Representatives.

He wrote more than 20 books on the history of African Americans in Fort Worth and in the military before his death on Dec. 7, 2018, in Fort Worth, at age 98.

The Reby Cary Youth Library will enhance Cary’s legacy as a pioneering educator who served his country and community in a multitude of powerful ways. It all started with a mother to whom Cary credited for his success:

"When my friends were out playing marbles, my mother would say, ‘Get back in the house and study.’ If she saw me with my head outside of a book, my behind would soon be on fire. It never changed.”