The new Forest Green library opened this weekend with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a dedication of the auditorium and children’s section to life-long Dallas local, Karen Blumenthal. Blumenthal was a journalist, author, and staunch supporter of the importance of public libraries within our communities.
Once, when the City Council was proposing a reduction in library funding, Blumenthal enlisted another Dallas Public Library board member to help her oppose the cuts. She came to a Council meeting dressed as a Dr. Suess character and proceeded to voice her opposition in a poem that would have made the good Doctor proud.
A native-born Texan, Blumenthal attended Duke University before returning to Dallas and taking up a career with The Dallas Morning News, where her husband, Scott McCartney, still writes. She also wrote for the Wall Street Journal, covering topics related to Dallas, and published 12 books. Her last book “Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights,” was published in February 2020, just months before her unexpected passing.
Blumenthal and her lobbying played a significant role in getting the City to approve 10 million dollars to break ground on the new library in 2017. At the time, Forest Branch was one of the oldest and smallest facilities in our public library system. After her unexpected passing, Blumenthal’s friends and family raised over $108,000 to go towards the project that she felt so strongly about. The new building is located just around the corner from the old one, at 9619 Greenville Ave, and is over 10,000 square feet larger.