The Library Takes Literature to the Stop Six Neighborhood – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A new library in the Stop Six neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth celebrates black history by connecting residents to free books.

The outdoor library, located at 2800 Yeager Street, is the work of non-profit Community Frontline and Believe In Yourself Do It Yourself Records.

It has an old-fashioned newsstand feel, can hold over 250 books, and will be available for free to readers who need a good book, 24/7.

And by design, the community library highlights authors of color.

“We do this to provide literature. So we can provide knowledge, empower people in the community. We want to make sure people have somewhere they can come and they can get black books , black authors. They can find about Latino authors. They can find out about their history, their past and their future,” said Matthew Nelson, one of the organizers.

Community Frontline leaders wrote the names of notable black authors on the front of the bookcase to celebrate the legacy these authors left behind. To enhance the community legacy and show that this library belongs to the community, the launch of the outdoor facility was celebrated with community members signing their names alongside these internationally recognized names.

And like many community libraries, the goal is for community members to bring a book, take a book; CF hopes the community will invest in this space – becoming stewards while creating a truly representative book offering.

Accepted books include:

• Lightly used / good condition / like new
• black authors
• Latin authors
• Story
• fiction
• nonfiction
• Biography
• Art
• Finance
• science fiction
• Children’s books
• Education
• How? ‘Or’ What

For the organizers, the reason for the new library is simple, “because education and beautiful literature are tools that our community deserves”.