Community Listening Session Meeting Summary and Compilation of Public Comments

Location: Benning Interim Library, 4101 Benning Rd. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20019

Meeting Purpose: Community listening meeting and discussion of hopes and dreams for the new Benning Neighborhood Library.

Meeting Format: Presentation and interactive workshop format.

• Using adhesive dots participants were asked to identify their residence on an aerial map of the neighborhood surrounding the interim library site.
• Display boards were used to showcase notable design and programming ideas from other libraries across the country.
• Another set of boards displayed 18 library service response categories.
• Using color-coded adhesive dots, meeting participants were able to identify their service priorities. Participants also provided written comments, which are presented in this summary.
• The presentation included an overview of project implementation and a discussion of service priorities.
• A facilitated discussion allowed participants to provide comments and ask questions of District library staff.

Attendees: Fifty-three community members added their names to the sign-in sheets. DCPL staff participants included Ginnie Cooper, Archie Williams, Elissa Miller and Jeff Bonvenchio.  Representatives of the DC Library Board of Trustees included Guitele Nicoleau and Brenda Richardson. The following members of the CirclePoint consulting team attended the meeting: W. Steve Lee and Tosin Durotoye.

Following introductions, Ginnie Cooper, Chief Librarian for the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL), introduced the project, purpose of the meeting, discussed the constraints and opportunities facing the project, and provided context for the 18 library service responses and how they were developed. The public was then given the opportunity to discuss and identify their top service priorities using the 18 existing service responses as a guide. The following were identified as the top three priorities (1 is the most important):

Succeed in School: Homework Help (1)
Create Young Readers: Early Literacy (2)
Be an Informed Citizen: Local, National and World Affairs (2)
Know Your Community: Community Resources and Services (2)
Visit a Comfortable Place: Physical and Virtual Places (3)
Discover Your Roots: Genealogy and Local History (3)

The remaining service responses are listed in order of importance as were indicated by the participants:
Connect to the Online World: Public Internet Access (4)
Express Creativity: Cultural Awareness (4)
Satisfy Curiosity: Lifelong Learning (4)
Stimulate Imagination: Reading, Viewing and Listening for Pleasure (4)
Understand How to Find, Evaluate and Use Information: Information Fluency (4)
Get Facts Fast: Ready Reference (5)
Make Career Choices: Job and Career Development (5)
Make Informed Decisions: Health, Wealth and Other Life Choices (5)
Build Successful Enterprise: Business and Nonprofit Support (6)
Celebrate Diversity: Cultural Awareness (6)
Learn to Read and Write: Adult, Teen and Family Literacy (7)
Welcome to the United States: Services for New Immigrants (8)

Participants were also given the opportunity to share and express other service and program priorities that were not represented in the list of 18 services. The following lists some of the additional priorities:

• Library space with conference and multipurpose rooms
• Game, music and dance area for children and young adults
• Designated quiet room
• Introduce family movie nights as part of library programming
• Handicap accessible library building
• Programs for senior citizens
• Workshop area for local artists
• More parking spaces for patrons
• Green and environmentally friendly library building
• Assistance and designated room for persons with hearing or sight impaired needs
• Space to practice family support
• Employment of local residents
• Library with natural light
• Longer and more frequent library hours

Compilation of Additional Comments&Questions

The meeting schedule and organization did not allow time for responses by the DCPL staff and board to each question or comment.

• Where will the new Benning Library be located?
• When is the new Benning Library scheduled to open?
• What is the available budget for the Benning Library design?
• How much space will the new Benning Library have?
• How feasible is the proposed Benning Library design?
• Why can’t the old Benning Library building be kept standing?
• Will the old Benning Library building be renovated, demolished or will a new one be built?
• How will a two-story library be built atop a hill (old library site)?
• Why can’t the new Benning Library be located on a site other than the old library site (i.e. Minnesota Avenue shopping center)?
• Why is the question of the new Benning Library location so difficult to answer?
• How soon will the blueprint of the proposed Benning Library design be available?
• Will the consulting team present the Benning Library plans and design to the local ANCs?
• The proposed site for the new Benning Library is dangerous as nearby crosswalks and walkways are unsafe for pedestrians.
• Are there funds set up for the upkeep of the new Benning Library to ensure that it does not fall apart like the old library?
• DCPL should explore building a partnership with the Minnesota Avenue shopping area to provide more parking for patrons.
• Would like to see a portrait or memorial to Ms. Howard, first African-American librarian in the Benning neighborhood.
• What is the name of the architectural firm in charge of designing the new Benning Library?
• Are there any D.C. residents on the project consulting team?
• Walkways leading to the Benning Library need to be improved.
• What will keep the DCPL board from drawing back on the plan this time around?
• Would like to suggest the new Oxon Hill Library (Oxon Hill, MD) as a model for the new Benning Library.
• The new Benning Library should include modern upgrades.
• Keep the Benning Library as a voting precinct.
• DCPL needs to rebuild trust with community members.
• Residents are distrustful of DCPL.
• Will coordination occur between DCPL and local schools so that books are made available according to the yearly school curriculum?
• Does the Benning Interim Library have Wi-Fi access?
• Can the DCPL network be tied to the library network of local colleges?
• Glad that the community has become as vocal as it has.
• How is the local community to be involved with the planning process if they do not know about the project and are not properly notified?
• Just because a plan is new, doesn’t necessarily make it better for the community.
• DCPL should work to improve the marketing and advertising of services and events as many residents are not aware of these things.