Southwest Library Construction Updates
Construction on the new Southwest Library, at 900 Wesley Pl. SW, will begin in June. The project is fully funded at $18 million.
The DC Public Library is working with Perkins+Will and Turner Construction as the design/build team for the new Southwest Library.
Interim Services
The Southwest Interim Library, 425 M Street SW, will open later this summer.
Starting June 20:
- Mondays 10:30 a.m. - Story Time at Politics & Prose at The Wharf.
- Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. - Story Time at the blue pavilion adjacent to the Waterfront Metro Station.
- Monthly Adult Book Club - The meetings will resume in July. Check website in June for details.
After the interim library opens:
- Mondays 10:30 a.m. - Story Time at Politics and Prose at The Wharf.
- Mondays - Arty Afternoons at 425 M St. SW.
- Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. - Story Time location TBD.
- Wednesday evenings - Pajama Story Time at 425 M St. SW.
- Thursday Afternoons - Sit & Knit at 425 M St. SW.
- Monthly Coffee & Conversation at 425 M St. SW.
- Periodically - Tech and Job Seekers Help at 425 M St. SW.
Holds and Check Outs
The last day to place holds on items to pick up at Southwest Library will be Wednesday, May 22.
If you are still waiting for an outstanding hold after June 1, the pickup location for that item will be changed to Northeast Library. If you prefer to pick up the item at another location, you may login to your Library account and select a new location. To login, visit dclibrary.org and click on the orange “my account” button in the upper right hand corner of the Library’s website.
As a courtesy, items checked out from Southwest Library that are due between May 25 and June 8, will have their due date extended to July 12. Items may be returned to any DC Public Library location. The book drop at Southwest Library will remain open until Saturday, June 8.
New Library Will Feature:
- Environmentally sustainable design with solar panels and a green roof
- More public space
- Lots of natural light
- A variety of seating options and spaces for reading
- Meeting room for 100+ people
- 3 conference rooms for 12 - 20 people
- 4 study rooms for 1- 4 people
- Separate areas for children, teens, and adults
- Innovation Lab with 3-D printers
- Outdoor porch
Community Engagement
Community engagement is a vital aspect of the design process for a new library. The library hosted the following series of community meetings throughout the design process.
The Library hosted the final community meeting on Sept. 27, 2018 to share the designs, including exterior renderings and preliminary interior images.
View the meeting presentation.
View the community comments.
The Library hosted a community meeting on Feb. 27, 2018 to share the design as it was progressing.
View the presentation from the meeting on February 27, 2018
View the community comments from the meeting on February 27, 2018
The Library hosted a community meeting on Dec 14, 2017
View the presentation from the meeting on December 14, 2017
View the community comments from the meeting on December 14, 2017
The Library hosted a community meeting on Sept. 26, 2017.
The design team shared initial ideas and gathered community feedback.
View the presentation from the meeting on September 26, 2017
View the community comments from the meeting on September 26, 2017
The Library hosted the first community meeting on July 1, 2017.
Residents had the opportunity to meet the design team, learn about the project schedule and share ideas.
View the presentation from the meeting on July 11, 2017
Visioning Exercises
The design team conducted visioning exercises with the community and staff to gather ideas and inspiration for what they would like to see in their new library. See a compilation of the ideas.
Community Visioning Exercise
Staff Visioning Exercise
Focus Groups
The library hosted a series of focus groups.
Adult Focus Groups
Parent Focus Groups
Senior Focus Group
Choosing the Design Team
The Library has selected Perkins+Will and Turner Construction as the design/build team for the new Southwest library. Read more about the selection process here. The building will be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification for environmental design, integrating energy and water conservation strategies and environmentally responsive materials, sourced regionally.
Contact Us
Sign up to get periodic email updates on the project.
If you have questions about the project, you may contact either of the individuals below.
Martha Saccocio, martha.saccocio@dc.gov or 202-727-1188
Archie Williams, archie.williams@dc.gov or 202-727-1437
