The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (MLKML) is the central facility of the

District of Columbia Public Library The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system for the District of Columbia, in the United States. The system includes 26 individual libraries including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (the DCPL's central libr ...

(DCPL).

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloy ...

designed the 400,000 square foot (37,000 m²) steel, brick, and glass structure, and it is a rare example of

modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

in Washington, D.C. It reopened in 2020 after 3.5 years of renovations.

Construction

This library was Mies's last building, his only public library, and his only building constructed in Washington, D.C. The building was completed in 1972 at a cost of $18 million. By the early 2000s, years of deferred facility maintenance were widely apparent. 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.

Landmark status

On June 28, 2007, the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...

’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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2007. Named in honor of the American

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...

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 Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...

-funded building located in

Mount Vernon Square Mount Vernon Square is a city square and neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The square is located where the following streets would otherwise intersect: Massachusetts Avenue NW, New York Avenue NW, K Street NW, and 8th ...

. That building was used by the University of the District of Columbia, and is currently occupied by the

Historical Society of Washington, D.C. The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., also called the DC History Center, is an educational foundation dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of Washington, D.C. The society provides lectures, exhibits, classes, and community ev ...

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 ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the Washington ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday Star ...

'' newspaper and the theatrical video collections of the

Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive The Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive (WAPAVA), located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is one of only four public archives of theater and other performing arts in the United States. The archive was established in 1991 with the ...

. The Black Studies Center was established along with the MLK Library in 1972 to collect documents related to the

African diaspora The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were ...

focusing on

African American culture African-American culture refers to the contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential on Ameri ...

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 The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) is a print on demand (POD) machine created by On Demand Books. It prints, collates, covers, and binds a single book in a few minutes. Introduced in 2007, EBM is small enough to fit in a retail bookstore or small ...

, 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. DC library Center for Accessibility

Braille magazines at DC public library 2

Center for Accessibility

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

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 and

Wolf Trap Opera The Wolf Trap Opera Company (sometimes abbreviated WTOC) was founded in 1971 as part of the program of the Wolf Trap Foundation located near the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Fairfax County, Virginia. The company is a residen ...

's world premiere of BORN FREE by Edward W. Hardy. The DC Public Library Foundation (DCPLF) received a $2.7 million donation from

Jeff Bezos Jeffrey Preston Bezos ( ;; and Robinson (2010), p. 7. ''né'' Jorgensen; born January 12, 1964) is an American entrepreneur, media proprietor, investor, and commercial astronaut. He is the founder, executive chairman, and former presi ...

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. As a means to recognize Bezos's $2.7 million donation, DCPL Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan recommended naming the auditorium after him. This received criticism from council members such as

Charles Allen Charles Allen may refer to: Politicians *Charles Allen (Massachusetts politician) (1797–1869), American politician and congressman in Massachusetts * Charles Allen (Australian politician) (1833–1913), Australian politician and member of the ...

, and D.C.’s shadow representative to Congress

Oye Owolewa Adeoye "Oye" Owolewa (born 1989) is a Nigerian American politician, pharmacist, and a member of the Democratic Party. In November 2020, he was elected as the shadow representative of the United States House of Representatives from the District ...

References

External links

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
{{Authority control Library buildings completed in 1972 Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Public libraries in Washington, D.C. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe buildings Penn Quarter 1972 establishments in Washington, D.C.