Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

This article is about the main public library of Washington, D.C. For other uses, see Martin Luther King Jr. Library (disambiguation).

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (MLKML) is the central facility of the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL), it was constructed and named in honor of the American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is located in the 901 G St. NW in Downtown Washington, D.C., with its main entrance between 9th and 10th St. in the opposite corner of Gallery Place station, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The library is located in and around the Chinatown, Mount Vernon Square, and Penn Quarter neighborhoods.^[1]

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
38°53′55″N 77°1′29″W / 38.89861°N 77.02472°W / 38.89861; -77.02472
Location	901 G St. NW Washington, D.C., United States
Type	Public library
Established	1972
Architect(s)	Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Mecanoo
Branch of	District of Columbia Public Library
Collection
Size	1,334,479 volume
Other information
Website	dclibrary.org/mlk

History

See also: Carnegie Library of Washington D.C.

The city's previous central library, in Mount Vernon Square, was donated by industrialist Andrew Carnegie and dedicated in 1903.

City leaders started to identify the need for a new central library by at least 1961. A Booz Allen Hamilton report sponsored by the city government and issued that year found that the library was inadequate in size and technology, located in the city's "worst slum" and that "At any hour of the day or night, a collection of derelicts loaf around the Library and sleep on the curved bench in front." It called for a new library downtown at an estimated cost of $12 million.^[2]

Construction

Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the 400,000 square foot (37,000 m²) steel, brick, and glass structure, and it is an example of modern architecture in Washington, D.C. This library was Mies's only public library, and his only building constructed in Washington, D.C.^{[citation needed]}

The building was completed in 1972 at a cost of $18 million. By the early 2000s, years of deferred facility maintenance were widely apparent.^[3]

On June 28, 2007, the District of Columbia’s Historic Preservation Review Board designated this building a historic landmark. The designation, which applies to the exterior as well as interior spaces, seeks to preserve Mies' original design while allowing the library necessary flexibility to operate as a contemporary library facility. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.^[4]

 

Performers in front of the library's entrance as part of the 2009 Music Al Fresco Series

The building's lobby includes a large mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. created by artist Don Miller.

Renovation

Mecanoo architecture firm was selected to renovate the library, the renovation process started on March 4, 2017. The renovation cost $211 million, and the library reopened in 2020 after 3.5 years.^[5][6] The entire interior was completely redone and included a new auditorium, dance studio, recording studios, tool library, offices, and a rooftop garden.^[7][8][9]

Covid-19

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.

After the renovation, the library reopened its doors with limited services, and closed its doors again following a phased management of the pandemic, it has been a center for COVID-19 testings and distributions of masks as a contribution in the city's efforts against COVID-19 propagation,^{[10][11][12][circular reference]} while at the same time served the patrons needs.

Accessibility

The library follows Accessibility regulations in accordance with Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA):

• Doors and elevators Wheelchair accessible in every floor.
• One Topaz HD magnifier that allow users with impaired vision to read documents with small fonts in the font size most convenient from them, it includes a brightness dial, a magnification dial, a color dial, its ergonomic design allows choose the screen's height and orientation, while the tray allows the smooth movement of the texts, the lock button can be used to read, hold or write documents.^[13][14]
• ADA computers for persons with visual impairment or physical disabilities.
• Four wide elevators for patrons and more elevators for staff use.
• One restroom for each gender in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th floors and two family restrooms with baby changing stations located in the 5th floor.
• Air conditioning to cool the library in summer and heat pumps to warm it in winter, and ventilation on every floor.
• Proper lightning for reading.^[15]
• 2 set of stairs are located in the front of the building and 2 more set of stairs are located in the back of the building that can also be used in case of fire or outages.

Collections

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library houses several of the library system's special collections.

First floor: New books, DVDs and Audiobooks

On the first floor there are sections for new books, movies, television series and audio books.

Second floor: Children collection, teen collection and Center for Accessibility

The second floor contains three main sections and also study rooms:

• Children collection: Contains books for early readers, also DVD movies, audio book and other materials that can be used at the place or borrowed by the patrons. it includes an exit to the wooden slide for children that allows them to slide down to the first floor and entrance.
• Alma Thomas Teen Space: Is a space for study and work, it counts with armchairs, chairs and tables, books, graphic novels and four computers where teenagers can do their works. It was named after African-American artist Alma Thomas,
• The Center for Accessibility: It is located in the west section, room 215 has Braille magazines and specialists in adaptive technologies to assist disabled people.^[16]

Third floor: Reading rooms

There are two main reading rooms on the third floor, the East and Grand (West) rooms, and study rooms and collaborative spaces between the main reading rooms.

• The East reading room with magazines and other materials.

• The Grand reading room (west reading room) holds a collection of books for adults, along with tables and chairs for independent or collaborative reading or work.

Fourth floor: History collection and Special collections and exhibitions

The Washingtoniana collection includes books, newspaper archives, maps, census records, and oral histories related to the city's history with 1.3 million photographs from the Washington Star newspaper and the theatrical video collections of the Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive.^[17]

The Black Studies Center was established along with the MLK Library in 1972 to collect documents related to the African diaspora focusing on African American culture.^[17]

Special exhibits

In the summer of 2023, the library showed 12 original drawings from Leonardo da Vinci in a free exhibit entitled Imagining the future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the mind of an Italian genius. The drawings were originally made in the 1400s and 1500s. The exhibit ended on August 20, 2023.

Services

Computers

The library has 31 computers with internet access and office applications. The computers can be used in 70 minute increments, which may be renewed repeatedly if no other patron is on wait list for the same terminal. There are 8 guest terminals that can be used temporarily for up to 15 minutes.

Meeting and study rooms

Meeting and study rooms can be reserved at any information desk on the day of use, and also can be reserved in advance online. Patrons can reserve a study room for 3 hours, two times a day. Some of the study rooms include projector and a screen, so patrons can use a bigger screen for their study or conference sessions.^[18]

1st floor: meeting rooms 105-B to 105-E.

2nd floor: meeting rooms 201-I to 201-L and accessibility program rooms 205-A and 205-B.

3rd floor: meeting and study rooms 302-A to 302-L.

4th floor: conference rooms 401-A to 401 G, and 405 (Tables 1 to 12) at the Local History Center (The People's Archive).

Center for Accessibility

 

Room 215 has Center for Accessibility

The Center for Accessibility provides customers with disabilities equal access to library resources and services:

 

Braille magazines in room 215

• Library staff provides disability-related cultural programming,
• Book clubs,
• Accessible game nights throughout the year.^[19]
• Classes in American Sign Language and Assistive Technology.
• DC Talking Book & Braille Program - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)
• Library by Mail (Formerly LSTAR).
• Classes on Assistive Technology: AWS (screen reader for Windows), VoiceOver (Screen reader for apple products) and TalkBack (Accessible tool and screen reader for Android devices).
• Beginning braille classes, among others.^[20]

Hotspot

The library offers free Wi-Fi accessible by personal computers and cellphones that support Wi-Fi connectivity.

Printers and scanners

The library includes 2 printers and offers library patrons 20 free color or black and white pages. Scanning services are also available.

Online services and mobile applications

The library offers an online catalog of its materials.^[21]

Mobile phone charging stations

The library includes 6 charging stations for mobile phones and other equipment on both the second and third floors. Wall and floor power connectors are also available to charge laptops and other personal equipment in reading rooms and working tables.

Self-checkout Kiosks

Four self-checkout Kiosks that allow patrons to borrow materials are located on the first floor.

Income tax help

The Library hosts income tax return preparation for qualified residents.^[22]

Passport acceptance center

The library staff can assist patrons with applying for a new passport or renewing a current one.^[23]

The Auditorium

The Auditorium is located on the fifth floor. It is a 291-person state-of-the art theater used for hosting live performances, lectures, and film screenings, including performances by the National Museum of the United States Navy's band,^[24] and Wolf Trap Opera's world premiere of BORN FREE by Edward W. Hardy.^{[25][26][27][28]}

The DC Public Library Foundation (DCPLF) received a $2.7 million donation from Jeff Bezos to support Beyond the Book, the extension of Books From Birth; one of the DC Public Library's most important and beloved literacy programs for young children. Bezos’ donation is the largest ever received by the foundation in its 35-year history.^[29] To recognize Bezos's $2.7 million donation, DCPL Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan recommended naming the auditorium after him.^[30] This received criticism from council members such as Charles Allen, and D.C.’s shadow representative to Congress Oye Owolewa.^[31]

Marianne's Cafe

Marianne's Cafe is located on the first floor, it offers coffee, as well as breakfast and lunch. The cafe occasionally offers catering in collaboration with Chef José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup. It is run by DC Central Kitchen and is named after American chef Marianne Ali.^[32][33]

Drinking fountains

There are drinking fountains are located on every floor of the library.

Restrooms

Library public restrooms are located all floors except the first floor, they include gendered restrooms and family restrooms.

Terrace and garden

The terrace and gardens are located on the fifth floor, surrounding the Auditorium. It includes a garden with a view of a section of Chinatown and G, H and 9th streets. There are also seating areas under roof cover, for patrons to enjoy in inclement weather.^[34][35][36]

The Labs (Level A)

The Labs are a creative space available to library patrons. The Labs are currently located in the basement, on the level A of the library, accessible via 2 elevators and the building stairs.

In July 2013 the DC Public Library opened the Digital Commons area on the second floor, it included a 3-D printer, an Espresso Book Machine, computers, and a "Dream Lab" composed of meeting spaces and cubicles with devices for collaborative work, it was created to attract startup companies and community organizations without permanent offices to use wireless Internet, DVD players, projectors, and Smart Boards.^[37] During the renovation the Digital Commons was renamed to The Labs and moved to the Level A of the library. The Labs offer the following services:

• Twelve computers for design and audiovisual production applications, including adobe creative suite and Cura, among others.
• A studio lab for video editing, podcasting, and blogging.^[38]
• A editing room, where patrons can design 3D objects with Tinkercad, SketchUp, OpenSCAD, and Blender.

Studio Lab

The Studio Lab requires patrons to take a 30-minute safety orientation, after which they may reserve lab space. Lab spaces with more additional equipment may also require equipment certification courses. The studio lab offers the following services (with session limits):

• Audio recording studio (3 hour sessions)
• Band, green screen, photography or voice practice studio (2 hour Sessions)
• Dance studio (3 hour sessions, with up to 2 per month).^[39]
• Universal Laser Systems
• Sewing machines

DIY Memory Lab

• A DIY Memory Lab Transfer Session, it is received In-person. This memory lab that teach patrons how to digitalize or preserve their recorded memories.^[40][41]

Fab Labs

 

Ultramaker 3

The Fab Labs allow patrons to fabricate physical works. Use of the Fab Labs requires a free membership for patrons 13 years or older. Machines can be reserved in advance online, as sessions on the machines are limited.

3D printing: The Labs have four Ultramaker 3 3D printers that allow patrons to print their own 3D objects. Patrons are required to take a 3D printing class and a safety course before using the printers. User-provided USB drives are needed to transfer CAD files to the printers.^[42][43] The software used is Cura, the file type used is stereolithography (.slt). The cost of printing is 5 cents per gram.

Clubs

MLKML holds many official club meetings that are announced in tis website as part of patron services, some of them are the following:

• MLK Chess Club: A club for chess players of all ages and skill levels that have meetings the second Saturday of every month between 2:00 P.M. and 3:30 P.M. on room 401E^[44][45]
• Board Game Club: An after school board game club for children's.^[46]
• Anime Manga Club: A club for anime fans for discussions, activities and trailer screenings that meets the second and fourth Saturday of each month between 2:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. on room 401.^[47]

Landmark designations

In June 2007, the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), designated the building exterior, enclosure, and the interior public spaces on the ground floor as historic landmark, it is in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. In the same year, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.^[48]

See also

• District of Columbia Public Library
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Library of Congress
• List of memorials to Martin Luther King Jr.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

References

1. Let's Go Washington, D.C. 13th Edition, page 73
2. Clopton, Willard (August 30, 1961). "$12 Million Main Public Library is Proposed for Heart of Downtown". The Washington Post.
3. Weiss, Eric M. (March 16, 2006). "Outdated Eyesore or Modern Masterpiece?". The Washington Post. p. DZ01.
4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
5. "D.C.'s ambitious, stunning new MLK Library". Washington Post. 5 October 2020.
6. "Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Modernization". 2 March 2020.
7. "MLK Library will reopen in September, giving D.C. a renewed central hub". Washington Post. 17 July 2020.
8. "MLK Library Architect Selection Process". 7 July 2016.
9. "Grand Reopening of the MLK Library | Family Festival". 16 September 2021.
10. "MLK Library's grand reopening draws festive crowd". 25 September 2021.
11. "Test Yourself | coronavirus".
12. "Covid-19".
13. "List of Adaptive Technologies". 15 February 2019.
14. "Freedom Scientific Topaz vs. Humanware Prodigi | Low Vision Video Magnifiers". YouTube.
15. Kennicott, Philip (2020-07-15). "America's libraries are essential now — and this beautifully renovated one in Washington gives us hope". The Washington Post. from the original on 2023-03-30.
16. Center for Accessibility at official library site
17. "Special Collections". D.C. Public Library. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
18. "Meeting and Study Rooms". 4 January 2016.
19. "Accessible Board and Card Game Night".
20. "Braille Class".
21. "DCPL".
22. "Income Tax Assistance".
23. "DC Public Library Passport Acceptance Office". 27 October 2015.
24. "Veterans Day Concert with the U.S. Navy Band". DC Public Library Event.
25. Cristi, A. A. (May 20, 2022). "Wolf Trap Opera Announces World Premiere Of Edward W. Hardy's BORN FREE". BroadwayWorld.com.
26. "Lineage: Poems of Margaret Walker | Wolf Trap". www.wolftrap.org.
27. "Edward W. Hardy". Austin Chamber Music Center.
28. "Lineage: Poems of Margaret Walker | Live Music Project". www.livemusicproject.org.
29. Austermuhle, Martin (January 28, 2022). "D.C. Public Library Trustees Vote To Name Auditorium After Jeff Bezos". DCist.
30. Austermuhle, Martin (January 31, 2022). "D.C. Public Library trustees vote to name auditorium in MLK Library after Jeff Bezos". NPR.org.
31. Public Library, D.C. (20 December 2021). "DC Public Library Foundation Receives Donation From Jeff Bezos". District of Columbia Public Library.
32. "DC Central Kitchen to run modernized Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library's cafe and catering operations". 9 November 2020.
33. "Marianne's by DC Central Kitchen".
34. "5 Reasons to Visit the Newly Renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C." 10 January 2022.
35. "Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library | Washington DC".
36. "PHOTOS: Look Inside the MLK Library's $211 Million Renovation - Washingtonian". Washingtonian - the Website That Washington Lives by. 4 August 2020.
37. . Archived from the original on 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2014-01-26. DCist Article, retrieved July 17, 2013
38. "Studio Lab". 24 October 2018.
39. "Fabrication Lab". 2 August 2019.
40. "The Memory Lab". 7 January 2016.
41. "The Labs at DC Public Library -- Studio Lab". YouTube.
42. "Fabrication Lab". 2 August 2019.
43. "The Labs at DC Public Library". 24 October 2018.
44. "MLK Chess Club".
45. "Chess Club".
46. "Board Game Club".
47. "Anime Manga Club".
48. https://www.ncpc.gov/docs/7610_Concept_Alternatives_Book_Oct2014.pdf^{[bare URL PDF]}

External links

 

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