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Emancipation Day Hours

A neighborhood library will be open in each ward on Tuesday, Apr. 16 in observance of Emancipation Day. Neighborhood libraries will be open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will be open from 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

  • Ward 1 – Mt. Pleasant Library
  • Ward 2 – Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library* 
  • Ward 3 – Tenley-Friendship Library
  • Ward 4 – Petworth Library
  • Ward 5 – Woodridge Library
  • Ward 6 – Southwest Library
  • Ward 7 – Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library
  • Ward 8 – Anacostia Library

The DC Public Library is open online for customers 365 days a year! Access digital resources and watch live and pre-recorded virtual programs on Youtube

Learn More About Library Hours

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Three young girls sit at a table with a pile of books in the middle

Many of our libraries host in-person and/or virtual book clubs on a wide variety of topics - from new releases, to romance, the classics, books that have been turned into films, and even food and cookbooks.

Make sure to check our full calendar for any new book clubs that might pop up!

See all book clubs this month

 

Current Book Clubs

Black Studies Book Club

Explore, engage, and discuss books from and relating to the Black radical tradition. We'll be reading classics from authors such as Martin Luther King JR., Malcolm X, WEB Dubois, James Baldwin, Audrey Lorde, as well as lesser known and contemporary works. 

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 

See upcoming meetings

BookTok Book Club

Have you found yourself on BookTok? Join this book club to read and discuss books popular on TikTok!

Location: Southeast Library
Contact: Janna Tanner

See upcoming meetings

Calendars and Clocks Book Club

The Calendars and Clocks Book Club is a group that meets each month to read a book relevant to the time of year, focusing specifically on unique voices and books that speak to the sensibility of participants. 

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 

See upcoming meetings

Capitol View Book Club

A neighborhood book club for readers of all kinds! 

Location: Capitol View Library 

See upcoming meetings

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Book Club

Are you learning English and looking for a fun way to practice your reading, speaking and listening skills? Join the ESOL Book Club! 

Location: Mt. Pleasant Library 

See upcoming meetings

Feeder's Advisory Book Club

A book club for those who love food. Do you love browsing through cookbooks and trying new recipes? Join us on this culinary adventure!

Location: Northeast Library 
Contact: Shawn McDermott

See upcoming meetings

I Never Wanna Grow Up Book Club

If Young Adult Literature is your preferred genre, drop in for an energetic conversation on award-winning titles written for teens.

Location: Tenley-Friendship Library 

See upcoming meetings

Inklings: New Fantasy Book Club

The Takoma Park Neighborhood Branch Library will host the “Inklings” New Fantasy Book Club, named in honor of the originator of the genre - J.R.R. Tolkien’s own fantasy book club. This club will meet in-person to discuss the works of current fantasy authors, with a focus on authors who use the freedom of the fantasy genre to subvert institutional and cultural norms.

Location: Takoma Park Library 

See upcoming meetings

International Booker Prize Book Club

Read and discuss novels that have won the Booker International Prize! 

Please note: This is the second series. The group has already completed reading and discussing winners from 2016-2018.

Location: West End Library

See upcoming meetings

Junior Book Talkers Book Club

So many books for kids to talk about! In this monthly book club for kids in grades 3-7, we'll chat likes and displikes about our selected book for each month. 

Location: Chevy Chase Library 

See upcoming meetings

La Comunidad Reads with Lupita Aquino

The aim of this author-inclusive book club series is to challenge statistics by building a space in which Latine-authored books are magnified for all readers while stimulating Latine readership. La Comunidad Reads, and there are so many readers eager to learn more about Latine literature and the unique experiences of being Latine through our stories. La Comunidad Reads will provide an inclusive space where readers can form connections with each other and have discussions we are aching to have.

Learn More and Sign Up for the Next La Comunidad Reads Book Club Meeting

Long Story Short Book Club

When you're too busy to commit to a whole book, join this short story book club.

Long story short, we know you love a good story but you just don't have time to read a whole book. Join this bi-monthly book club as we read-a-loud and discuss short stories. We are reading American Classic short stories, all are available to read online.

Location: Southwest Library

See upcoming meetings

Love in Color Book Club

It's the third year of the Love in Color Book Club and we're back again with more amazing books to delve into from some of the romance genre's best authors of color.

Do you love romance novels but never see yourself represented in them? If so, this book club is for you! The Love in Color book club is for people who love the romance genre and want to read books from a diverse set of authors. All of the books selected are written by an author of color with backgrounds from different parts of the world.

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 
Contact: Adult Services

See upcoming meetings

Middle Grade Book Club

Calling all middle schoolers! Let's get lost in a book together. 

Location: Southwest Library 

See upcoming meetings

MLK Library Literary Book Club

Join the longest-running book club hosted by DCPL! We meet on the second Tuesday of every month at MLK Library to discuss a work of literary fiction. Recent titles include The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, and Foster by Claire Keegan.

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Contact: Adult Services (email to be put on the group mailing list) 

See upcoming meetings

Mt. Pleasant Reads Book Club

A neighborhood book club for readers of all kinds! 

Location: Mt. Pleasant

See upcoming meetings

Mt. Pleasant Tween Reads Book Club

A book club for tweens ages 10 and up! 

Location: Mt. Pleasant Library

See upcoming meetings

Mystery Book Club

Interested in a good mystery? Follow the clues with others just as interested!

Please note: This book club currently meets online

Location: Virtual Program
Contact: Tracy Myers

See upcoming meetings

Page to Stage Book Club

Read and discuss the books that inspired Broadway musicals, enriching understanding and enjoyment of both!

Location: Northeast Library
Contact: Jeff Gluckman

See upcoming meetings

Proust Discussion Group

This group will serve as moral support for individuals hoping to finish the entirety of In Search of Lost Time.

Either we know someone who's only read the first couple of volumes of In Search of Lost Time and just gave up, or we're one of them. No shame in that at all. Now is a chance to get to the finish line with other like-minded folks determined to say, "Why yes indeed, I've read the entirety of In Search of Lost Time!"

Location: West End Library 
Contact: My Nguyen

See upcoming meetings

Queer Book Club

Queer Book Club is a small but enthusiastic community that meets monthly to discuss queer-themed books spanning numerous genres. Join us on the 3rd Tuesday each month at 7pm. Meetings alternate every other month between in-person at the MLK Library and virtual.

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library 
Contact: Jo Percell

See upcoming meetings

Teen Graphic Novel Club

Join your fellow teens once a month to discuss your favorite manga or graphic novels!

Location: Shaw/Watha T. Daniel Library 

See upcoming meetings

The Intimidating Book Club

Intended for those who have always wanted to read that one classic novel of gargantuan proportions but never did (or simply didn't finish). This group will read a notoriously lengthy book widely considered a classic, section by section, and meet monthly for a minimum one-hour discussion.

Location: West End Library 

See upcoming meetings

The Page Turners Book Club

Join us to read and discuss your next big page turner at Parklands-Turner! 

Location: Parklands-Turner Library 

See upcoming meetings

Toni Morrison Book Club

Work your way through Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison's works. 

Location: Petworth Library 

See upcoming meetings

Travel Fiction Book Club

Travel around the world right from your living room. Each month we will read and discuss a novel set in a different country.

Location: Southeast Library 

See upcoming meetings

Well-Read Black Girl Book Club

DC Public Library is excited to partner with Well-Read Black Girl to bring Glory Edim's legendary book club to D.C. readers! Well-Read Black Girl's goal is to introduce a cohort of diverse writers to future generations - contemporary authors who are non-binary, queer, trans, and disabled and to address inequalities and improve communities through reading and reflecting on the works of Black women. You are invited to be a part of this inclusive community as you build connections through culture! 

Learn More and See Upcoming Events