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). Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the 400,000 square foot (37,000 m2) steel, brick, and glass structure, and it is a rare example of modern architecture in Washington, D.C. It reopened in 2020 after 3.5 years of renovations.[1]

Construction

This library was Mies's last building, his 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.[2]

Starting on March 4, 2017, the building underwent a $211 million renovation, with a reopening scheduled for June 2021. The entire interior was completely redone and included a new auditorium, dance studio, recording studios, tool library, offices, and a rooftop garden.[3]

Landmark status

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

Named in honor of the American civil rights leader, the building's lobby includes a large mural of Martin Luther King Jr. by artist Don Miller.

Prior to 1972, Washington's central library was a 1903 Andrew Carnegie-funded building located in Mount Vernon Square. That building was used by the University of the District of Columbia, and is currently occupied by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Services

Special collections

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library houses several of the library system's special collections. 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.[5]

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.[5]

Digital Commons

In July 2013 the DC Public Library opened an 11,000-square-foot Digital Commons in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The new facility includes a 3-D printer, an Espresso Book Machine, and rows of computers. The Digital Commons also includes a "Dream Lab" composed of meeting spaces and cubicles with devices for collaborative work. The library system hopes to attract startup companies and community organizations without permanent offices to use wireless Internet, DVD players, projectors, and Smart Boards.[6]

Room 215 has Center for Accessibility
Room 215 has Center for Accessibility
Braille magazines at DC public library.jpeg
Braille magazines in room 215

Center for Accessibility

The Center for Accessibility in room 215 has Braille magazines and specialists in adaptive technologies to assist disabled people.[7]

The Auditorium

The 291-person state-of-the art theater in the city's flagship library has hosted live performances, lectures, and film screenings, including performances by the National Museum of the United States Navy's band[8] and Wolf Trap Opera's world premiere of BORN FREE by Edward W. Hardy.[9][10][11][12]

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.[13] As a means to recognize Bezos's $2.7 million donation, DCPL Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan recommended naming the auditorium after him.[14] This received criticism from council members such as Charles Allen, and D.C.’s shadow representative to Congress Oye Owolewa.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "D.C.'s ambitious, stunning new MLK Library". Washington Post. 5 October 2020.
  2. ^ Weiss, Eric M. (March 16, 2006). "Outdated Eyesore or Modern Masterpiece?". The Washington Post. p. DZ01.
  3. ^ "MLK Library will reopen in September, giving D.C. a renewed central hub". Washington Post. 17 July 2020.
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Special Collections". D.C. Public Library. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  6. ^ "D.C. Library Digital Commons Opens with 3-D Printing, Book Pressing, and Lots of Computers: DCist". Archived from the original on 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2014-01-26. DCist Article, retrieved July 17, 2013
  7. ^ Center for Accessibility at official library site
  8. ^ "Veterans Day Concert with the U.S. Navy Band". DC Public Library Event.
  9. ^ Cristi, A. A. (May 20, 2022). "Wolf Trap Opera Announces World Premiere Of Edward W. Hardy's BORN FREE". BroadwayWorld.com.
  10. ^ "Lineage: Poems of Margaret Walker | Wolf Trap". www.wolftrap.org.
  11. ^ "Edward W. Hardy". Austin Chamber Music Center.
  12. ^ "Lineage: Poems of Margaret Walker | Live Music Project". www.livemusicproject.org.
  13. ^ Austermuhle, Martin (January 28, 2022). "D.C. Public Library Trustees Vote To Name Auditorium After Jeff Bezos". DCist.
  14. ^ Austermuhle, Martin (January 31, 2022). "D.C. Public Library trustees vote to name auditorium in MLK Library after Jeff Bezos". NPR.org.
  15. ^ Public Library, D.C. (20 December 2021). "DC Public Library Foundation Receives Donation From Jeff Bezos". District of Columbia Public Library.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
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