DC Library Master Plan

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Information taken from DC Public Library website

Courtesy DCPL website.

Courtesy DCPL website.

DC Public Library is developing a Library Facilities Master Plan to help guide the next 10 years of planning for library services across the city. Make your voice heard by taking a 5-minute online survey and attending one of the four community meetings across the city to gather input.

The survey closes on Friday, Feb. 22 (11:59 pm); the community meeting closest to Burleith is at Tenley Library on Tuesday, Feb. 26 (7 pm).

What Is the Plan? The plan will:

  • ​Analyze how customers currently use libraries and what services might be needed or expanded.

  • Explore the impact of city growth on how we deliver library services.

  • Engage the community in conversations to ensure future planning aligns with community needs.

  • Evaluate the condition of library buildings and help us plan for future maintenance needs.

Once complete, the Library Facilities Master Plan will provide a framework to ensure future investments in DC Public Library services are responsive to community needs.  

Community Meetings. The Library is hosting four community meetings across the city to gather input. 
Share your thoughts on current and future Library needs in DC, learn about the Plan's objectives and goals, and review current Library usage and facility condition data.

Why Now? Over the past decade, DC Public Library has invested or allocated a half-billion dollars in renovating and rebuilding the city's libraries. To date, 19 projects are complete, with five more libraries in the design or construction phase. These new buildings have raised the bar for what DC residents expect in library service. Every measure of use has grown tremendously. Library circulation has increased 250 percent in the past decade. The Library now welcomes nearly 4 million visitors per year.

The way libraries are used can differ by neighborhood. In some locations, meeting rooms are more in demand while public computers or books are the most used service at other locations. As such, there is potential to increase use even more by customizing building programs based on community needs. In addition, as neighborhoods in DC have changed and grown over the past several decades, some residents are without easy access to a neighborhood library.

The Library Facilities Master Plan will help steer decision making. The Plan will help the Library work with elected leaders to determine funding priorities.

We Want to Hear from You. Community input is a vital part of the process. Please lend your voice about what you want from your library. This will help ensure that future planning around libraries is aligned with community needs. There will be several opportunities for community input.

  • Surveys—The Library is conducting a survey to gain more in-depth insight into what residents want from their public library. 

  • Community Meetings—The Library is hosting community meetings during the development of the Library Facilities Master Plan. This will include meetings to share the final report with the public. 

  • Focus Groups—The Library conducted focus groups with library customers, DC residents who do not currently use the library, customers who do not speak English as a first language, and others who may face barriers to accessing library services.