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District of Columbia Public Library
The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system for Washington, D.C. The system includes 26 libraries including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, DCPL's central library.
In October 1895, in preparation for the library's establishment, founders rented two rooms in the McLean Building at 1517 H Street NW to begin acquiring and processing materials to be used in what would then be called the Washington City Free 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 after congressional authorization was located in a home at 1326 New York Avenue NW, with a collection of 15,000 donated books and an appropriation of $6,720 for its maintenance. It would in 1903 be replaced by a far grander structure.
Around 1900, local banker and developer Brainard Warner was serving as vice president of library board of trustees when he "seized on a chance meeting with Andrew Carnegie" to ask him to fund public libraries in the city. Carnegie ultimately funded four, starting with the central library at Mount Vernon Square. Opened in 1903, the library was the city's first desegregated public building. President Theodore Roosevelt attended its dedication. Today the building houses the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and an Apple Store. Three branch libraries, all 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 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 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.
The Chief Librarian is often invited to attend the Mayor's Cabinet meetings and works closely with the District 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.
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District of Columbia Public Library
The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system for Washington, D.C. The system includes 26 libraries including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, DCPL's central library.
In October 1895, in preparation for the library's establishment, founders rented two rooms in the McLean Building at 1517 H Street NW to begin acquiring and processing materials to be used in what would then be called the Washington City Free 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 after congressional authorization was located in a home at 1326 New York Avenue NW, with a collection of 15,000 donated books and an appropriation of $6,720 for its maintenance. It would in 1903 be replaced by a far grander structure.
Around 1900, local banker and developer Brainard Warner was serving as vice president of library board of trustees when he "seized on a chance meeting with Andrew Carnegie" to ask him to fund public libraries in the city. Carnegie ultimately funded four, starting with the central library at Mount Vernon Square. Opened in 1903, the library was the city's first desegregated public building. President Theodore Roosevelt attended its dedication. Today the building houses the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and an Apple Store. Three branch libraries, all 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 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 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.
The Chief Librarian is often invited to attend the Mayor's Cabinet meetings and works closely with the District 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.