District of Columbia Public Library
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| Established | 1896 |
|---|---|
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Branches | 25 |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 581,530 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $58 Million |
| Director | Richard Reyes-Gavilan |
| 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).
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.
The first library branch was 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. 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, 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. 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 capital.
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