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 libra ...
(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 Lloyd ...
designed the 400,000 square foot (37,000 m
2) 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 form ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
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
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
’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 v ...
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 of ...
leader, the building's lobby includes a large mural of
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
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 i ...
-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
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is a public historically black land-grant university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1851 and is the only public university in the city. UDC is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall ...
, 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 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 e ...
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.
Center for Accessibility
The Center for Accessibility in room 215 has
Braille magazines
A Braille magazine is a paper magazine embossed in the braille format.
Many regular periodicals issue braille editions, printed in a format sometimes called "Press Braille".
Publications
In the United States, a free national service circu ...
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
The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Y ...
'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 residenc ...
's world premiere of BORN FREE by
Edward W. Hardy
Edward W. Hardy (born January 12, 1992) is an American composer, music director, violinist and violist. He is known as the composer, co-conceiver, music director, and violinist of the Off-Broadway show '' The Woodsman'' and is the owner of '' ...
.
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 preside ...
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, 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 o ...
.
See also
*
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 libra ...
*
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
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.