Press Release: Library to Transition Interim Locations, Shift Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Reopening

By Press Release On Mar 11, 2020 Last updated Mar 12, 2020

News Release — DC Public Library

March 11, 2020

Media Contact:

George Williams, Media Relations Manager

(Washington, D.C.) – In preparation for the reopening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the fall, today the D.C. Public Library announced the schedule to begin moving services back to the District’s central library.

The following interim services will transition using the following schedule:

Washingtoniana, located at 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW, will close on Tuesday, April 7
Library Express, Adult Literacy and the Center for Accessibility, all located at 1990 K St NW, will close on Monday, June 1.
The Fab Test Lab, located at the Reeves Center, will close on Tuesday, June 2.
Memory Lab at Northeast Library and the Studio Lab Express at Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Library will close on Sunday, June 7, 2020

The Passport office at the Reeves Center will remain open through mid-August before transitioning back to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will soon complete its three-year $211 million modernization. These services, which were offered in the building before the renovation began, are returning to the main library. The Washingtoniana Collection will move into a completely renovated Special Collections space designed for the preservation of items that tell the unique history of the District. The Fab Lab and Studio Lab will move into a larger space specifically designed for producing and creating on the library’s lower level. The Adult Literacy Center and the Center for Accessibility will be housed in new spaces on the second level. When it reopens this fall, these familiar services and new offerings will make the main library a uniquely local downtown destination.

In addition to the locations preparing to move, the Library will be reverting to its pre-construction hours. When the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library closed in 2017, Thursday mornings were added to the Library’s schedule. With the Library returning to its regular schedule, neighborhood libraries will undergo routine building maintenance and the Library staff will receive professional development opportunities to improve customer experience. Thursday morning service will end on July 30. Following that day, the Library will be open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.