| District of Columbia Public Library | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1896 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Branches | 25 |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 581,530 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Ginnie Cooper |
| Website | www.dclibrary.org |
The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system for residents of Washington, D.C. The system includes 25 individual libraries including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (the central library).[1]
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The library was founded in 1896 by an act of Congress after a lobbying effort by Theodore W. Noyes, editor of the Washington Evening Star newspaper. Noyes served on the library's board of trustees for 50 years.[2]
The first library was first located in a home at 1326 New York Avenue NW. This was replaced by a main library, donated by Andrew Carnegie, built at Mount Vernon Square, which now houses the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. President Theodore Roosevelt attended the dedication of this building in 1903.[2] Several of the branch libraries still in use were also built with funds donated by Carnegie. In 1972, the main library was replaced by a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed building dedicated as a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr.
DCPL is an independent agency of the District of Columbia municipal government,[3] managed by a Chief Librarian that is selected and reviewed by a Board of Library Trustees. The Board of Library Trustees are appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, subject to review and approval by the Council of the District of Columbia.[4] The budget is also determined by the Council of the District of Columbia based on a request submitted by the Mayor as part of the annual budget process for the entire municipal government. The United States Congress also has to approve of the District's budget as a part of their oversight of the District of Columbia as the nation's capitol.
The Chief Librarian is often invited to attend the Mayor's Cabinet meetings and works closely with the City Administrator on how to execute the DCPL budget. The District's Chief Financial Officer provides a fiscal officer from that office to ensure that financial practices within DCPL meet with District requirements. DCPL also has independent procurement authority, allowing them to execute contracts for books, electronic resources, furniture, equipment, and construction services.
In addition to the Board of Library Trustees, the Council of the District of Columbia provides oversight for DCPL via a Council Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation, and Planning. The DC Council routinely has Performance Oversight and Budget hearings for the D.C. libraries annually.
Located on the second floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Teen Space is designed to meet the academic and recreational needs of young adults age 12-19. Staff is available to assist teens, teachers, care providers and parents.
The collection in Teen Space is primarily composed of recreational reading material. Customers will find award winning fiction titles, popular non-fiction, graphic novels, magazines, audio books and music. The library also offers an online collection of downloadable audio books, movies, music and language learning software.
The Teen Space staff is readily available to assist with questions, book selection and library tours. Visit and enjoy a movie on our flat screen TV, use any of our 20, fully loaded iMac computers or have a study session in our meeting room. Teen Space is also equipped with a recording studio. The studio’s free to teens who have completed the mandatory orientation session.
Regularly scheduled programs are posted in Teen Space. Teens are invited to participate in video games, card games and board games. With permission from the library staff, teens are welcome to bring their own game consoles.
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