Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Coordinates: 38°53′55″N 77°1′29″W / 38.89861°N 77.02472°W / 38.89861; -77.02472
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This article is about the main public library of Washington, D.C. For other uses, see Martin Luther King Jr. Library (disambiguation).
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Map
38°53′55″N 77°1′29″W / 38.89861°N 77.02472°W / 38.89861; -77.02472
Location901 G St. NW
Washington, D.C., United States
TypePublic library
Established1972
Architect(s)Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Mecanoo Edit this on Wikidata
Branch ofDistrict of Columbia Public Library
Collection
Size1,334,479 volume Edit this on Wikidata
Other information
Websitedclibrary.org/mlk

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (MLKML) is the central facility of the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL), constructed and named in honor of the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Its address is 901 G St. NW in Downtown Washington, D.C., with its main entrance between 9th and 10th St. on the opposite corner to 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]

History[edit]

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.

A 1961 Booz Allen Hamilton report sponsored by the city government found that the library had become inadequate in size and technology, was located in what was now 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[edit]

Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the 400,000 square foot (37,000 m2) steel, brick, and glass structure, 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 had become widely apparent.[3]

On June 28, 2007, the District of Columbia's Historic Preservation Review Board designated the 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 the necessary flexibility to operate. 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 Martin Luther King Jr. created by artist Don Miller.

Renovation[edit]

Mecanoo architecture firm was selected to renovate the library, starting on March 4, 2017. The renovation cost $211 million, and the library reopened in 2020 after 3½ 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[edit]

When the library reopened, with limited services, after the renovation the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the United States. The library closed again following a phased management of the pandemic. It was a center for COVID-19 testing and distribution of masks as a contribution in the city's management of COVID-19,[10][11] while providing some library services.

Accessibility[edit]

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

  • Doors and elevators wheelchair accessible on every floor.
  • One Topaz HD magnifier that allow users with impaired vision to read documents with fonts in the size most convenient from them. It includes a brightness dial, a magnification dial, a color dial, and its ergonomic design allows the screen's height and orientation. A tray allows smooth movement of the texts, and the lock button can be used to read, hold or write documents.[12][13]
  • ADA computers for persons with visual impairment or physical disabilities.
  • Four wide elevators for patrons, and elevators for staff use.
  • One public toilet for each gender on the 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, heat pumps to warm it in winter, and ventilation on every floor.
  • Lighting designed for reading.[14]
  • Two sets of stairs at the front of the building, and two at the back, for routine use and as fire exits.

Special collections and exhibitions[edit]

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.[15]

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.[15]

Special exhibits[edit]

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

Auditorium[edit]

A 291-person state-of-the art auditorium on the fifth floor is used for hosting live performances, lectures, and film screenings, including performances by the National Museum of the United States Navy's band,[16] and Wolf Trap Opera's world premiere of BORN FREE by Edward W. Hardy.[17][18][19][20]

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 was the largest ever received by the foundation.[21] It was suggested that the auditorium be named after Bezos,[22] but this was criticised by council members including Charles Allen and D.C.'s shadow representative to Congress Oye Owolewa.[23]

Terrace and garden[edit]

The terrace and gardens are on the fifth floor, surrounding the Auditorium. There is a garden with a view of a section of Chinatown and G, H and 9th streets. There are covered seating areas for use even in inclement weather.[24][25][26]

Landmark designations[edit]

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 a 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.[27]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  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. ^ "List of Adaptive Technologies". 15 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Freedom Scientific Topaz vs. Humanware Prodigi | Low Vision Video Magnifiers". YouTube.
  14. ^ Kennicott, Philip (2020-07-15). "America's libraries are essential now — and this beautifully renovated one in Washington gives us hope". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30.
  15. ^ a b "Special Collections". D.C. Public Library. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  16. ^ "Veterans Day Concert with the U.S. Navy Band". DC Public Library Event.
  17. ^ Cristi, A. A. (May 20, 2022). "Wolf Trap Opera Announces World Premiere Of Edward W. Hardy's BORN FREE". BroadwayWorld.com.
  18. ^ "Lineage: Poems of Margaret Walker | Wolf Trap". www.wolftrap.org.
  19. ^ "Edward W. Hardy". Austin Chamber Music Center.
  20. ^ "Lineage: Poems of Margaret Walker | Live Music Project". www.livemusicproject.org.
  21. ^ Austermuhle, Martin (January 28, 2022). "D.C. Public Library Trustees Vote To Name Auditorium After Jeff Bezos". DCist. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022.
  22. ^ Austermuhle, Martin (January 31, 2022). "D.C. Public Library trustees vote to name auditorium in MLK Library after Jeff Bezos". NPR.org.
  23. ^ Public Library, D.C. (20 December 2021). "DC Public Library Foundation Receives Donation From Jeff Bezos". District of Columbia Public Library.
  24. ^ "5 Reasons to Visit the Newly Renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C." 10 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library | Washington DC".
  26. ^ "PHOTOS: Look Inside the MLK Library's $211 Million Renovation - Washingtonian". Washingtonian - the Website That Washington Lives by. 4 August 2020.
  27. ^ MARTINEZ+JOHNSON ARCHITECTURE and mecanoo architecten (9 October 2014). Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Renovation Project - Environmental Assessment and Cultural Resources (Section 106) Consultation (PDF) (Report). MLK Library.

External links[edit]

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