D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 1111
1111.1 Map 11.1 shows the location of DCPL facilities as of 2017. As noted earlier, the current system includes the central library and 25 branches.
1111.1a Text box: DC Public Library System
As of 2018, DCPL is one of a few large urban library systems in the country that is open seven days per week in all locations. Nineteen of its 26 facilities are new or fully renovated, with many in some stage of design or construction. The system boasts four million annual visits from individuals who use the library's technology, meeting rooms, books, and digital resources in record numbers. The library looks to build on this progress in the years to come.
1111.2 In 2017, the District began a $208 million modernization of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. This three-year project will preserve and restore Mies Van Der Rohe's notable glass and steel library building exterior but significantly alter much of the interior to accommodate new programs and functions that could not have been imagined when the building was designed in the late 1960s. The renovation will add creative spaces, a café, new space for special collections and exhibitions, a double-height reading room, and a rooftop event space and terrace. As of 2019, four of the six remaining modernizations are in some stage of design or construction: Southeast, Southwest, Lamond-Riggs, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. Funding has not yet been allocated for the remaining two modernizations: Chevy Chase and Shepherd Park libraries.
1111.2a Text box: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
Washington, DC's modernized flagship library will include a spectacular new, vibrant, and transparent entryway; sculptured, monumental stairs; a large auditorium and conference center; creative spaces for fabrication, music production, and art creation; a ground-level café with patio; a double-height reading room; a newly designed special collections space for researchers and research enthusiasts; and a rooftop events space with a terrace.
1111.3 In addition to ongoing modernization work, DCPL continues to focus on improving access to library materials for all users, including students, educators, persons with disabilities, adult learners, and English language learners.
1111.4 Map 11.1: DCPL Sites
(Source: District of Columbia Public Libraries, 2017)
Ensure that the District has a state-of-the-art Central Library and branch libraries that meet the information and lifelong learning needs of District residents.
Recognize libraries as valuable public infrastructure that support residents of all ages through intellectual development, workforce development, and cultural activation, programming, and exchange.
See also the Arts and Culture Element for related policies.
Encourage library facilities to incorporate multidisciplinary arts, heritage, and cultural programming by providing flexible spaces for meetings, displays, and presentations and, where feasible, dedicated spaces for learning and producing cultural work.
See also the Arts and Culture Element for related policies.
Encourage library functions, services, and spaces to be tailored in accordance with each neighborhood’s needs.
Support libraries as community and cultural anchors that can preserve local history.
Continue to support immigrants to Washington, DC by providing welcoming spaces and materials, resources, and programs in multiple languages as part of DCPL offerings.
Complete the modernization of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (Central) Library, which serves as a vital center of Washington, DC’s education and civic life. The modernization will accommodate state-of-the-art library services and technology and enhance public space both within and outside the building. The Central Library should continue to be an architectural civic landmark — a destination and gathering place for residents from across the District.
Complete the remaining modernization of Washington, DC’s branch libraries. Each neighborhood library should provide a safe and inviting space with services
and programs tailored to meet the needs of local residents. Each branch library should be designed to be flexible to provide a variety of offerings and have a clearly visible entrance and an open, inviting, and attractive facade.
Continue to explore new, dedicated funding sources for the O&M of each library. This includes annual funding for collections development and programming; programs and services, including literacy, cultural, and computer training programs; and building repair and maintenance.
Implement initiatives such as oral histories, historic archives and collections, and Know Your Neighborhood programs throughout the library system. Such initiatives should foster a deeper understanding of local history and culture, enabling residents to explore and understand their community and District.
See also the Arts and Culture Element for related policies.
Provide appropriate access to archival and historical materials of Washington, DC.
Develop a Facilities Master Plan to inform future decisions on the libraries’ physical campuses and so that libraries are planned and designed to maximize their value to the community.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21,
2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).