# Event Details - **Event Name**: Tour of DC Public Libraries - **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 18 May, 2026 at 12:00 pm – Mon, 18 May, 2026 at 05:00 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: Join us on a tour of 4 beautiful Washington, DC libraries prior to the Design Institute!About this EventDC Public Library – Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library• Address: 901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001• Architect: Mecanoo, 2611 HD Delft, The Netherlands OTJ Architects, 580 Water St SW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20024• Library type: Public• Project type: Renovated historic Mies van der Rohe design• Opening date: Original building: August 21, 1972; renovation: September 24, 2020• Total square footage: 426,000 square feet• Awards: Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award (2021) AIA Interior Architecture Award (2023) AIA/ALA Library Building Award (2022) IIDA MAC Pinnacle Award (2022) ENR MidAtlantic Excellence in Sustainability (2021) Award of Merit for Renovation/Restoration (2021) AL Light Architecture Design Award (2023)• Description: The 400,000-square-foot Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library was designed by pioneering Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1972. The library is his only building in Washington, D.C. and his only realized library in the world. It is also one of the country’s first memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Despite calls for the library’s closure in the early 2000s after decades of disrepair, the city moved forward with rehabilitating and adapting the building for modern use. In 2020, DC Public Library completed the full transformation of the historic building. The six-year $211 million project, led by Mecanoo Architects and OTJ Architects, was fully funded by local tax dollars, and caps the near-culmination of the $500 million investment in the revitalization of more than twenty neighborhood libraries across the District. The results of the city-owned landmark’s stunning modernization includes 100,000 square feet of additional public space, and a careful balance between the preservation of iconic Miesian elements and the desire to provide exciting new spaces, programming, and services that redefine the library experience for District residents in the 21st century.DC Public Library – Southwest Neighborhood Library• Address: 900 Wesley Place SW, Washington, DC 20024• Architect: Perkins&Will, 1222 22nd Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20037• Library type: Public• Project type: New construction• Opening date: May 15, 2021• Total square footage: 21,600 square feet• Awards: Excellence in Institutional Architecture, ULI Washington Project Awards, 2023 Winner, Interior Architecture, AIA Interior Architecture Awards, 2023 Chapter Design Awards, Architecture, AIA DC, 2022 Climate Champion Award, USGBC National Capitol Region, 2022 Mid-Atlantic Chapter Premiere Design Awards, Education Category, IIDA MAC, 2022 Wood in Architecture, Gold Award, WAN Awards, 2021 Best of the Best: Building, Awards of Excellence, NAIOP DC|MD Chapter, 2021 Award of Excellence, Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), 2021 Excellence in Sustainability, Best Project, Engineering News Record, 2021• Description: The Southwest Library prioritizes flexibility, visibility, and user engagement. The design concept for the Southwest Library is a “pavilion on the park,” emphasizing the connection to the surrounding community and highlighting a new park adjacent to the project. Inside, expansive windows offer sweeping views of nature and the beauty of the surrounding park while flooding the interior with natural light. More than 90% of occupied spaces in the building have access to exterior views, reinforcing a biophilic approach that supports wellness and extended use. The library is the first public building in Washington built using dowel laminated timber (DLT), with a design that complements both the mid-century modern architectural character and bold geometric forms of its neighborhood. Working with structural engineering firm StructureCraft, the Perkins&Will architects maximized the aesthetic beauty, sustainability, and efficiencies of DLT in design, detailing, and construction. A large wall welcomes visitors at the entrance, featuring a magnified photo of the Southwest waterfront in 1885. The library has three conference rooms for 12 to 20 people, and a large meeting room that fits more than 100 people with its own separate entrance on the first floor. The first floor children’s area features a mural by local artist Carlos Carmonamedina.DC Public Library – Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Library• Address: 3160 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20010• Architect: CORE architecture + design, 1800 N Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209• Library type: Public• Project type: Renovated and expanded historic Carnegie library• Opening date: Original building: May 15, 1925; renovation: September 12, 2012• Total square footage: 22,500 square feet• Awards: Honor Award, Washington Unbuilt Awards, AIA DC, 2012 AIA DC Award of Merit, 2012• Description: Established in 1925 and renovated in 2012, this public library was one of three in D.C. funded by the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and is the third oldest public library still in use in the city. The library, designed by accomplished library architect Edward L. Tilton, features an Italian Renaissance design that was intended to harmonize with the monumental architecture of the churches and embassies that line 16th Street. Today, over 50,000 books and printed materials are housed on its three floors which include one of DC’s largest collections of graphic novels and Spanish-language literature. In the children’s section on the second floor, there are two alcoves bearing Depression-era murals of cartoon animals painted by D.C. native and then neighborhood resident Aurelius Battaglia, who went on to illustrate Disney classics like Dumbo, Fantasia, and Pinocchio. In 2012, a series of improvements were made to increase usable space, enhance the children’s area, and update infrastructure and code compliance. The new design brings light into the center of the library by creating a glass connector between the historic structure and the new addition, which houses conference and gathering spaces, staff offices, and mechanical spaces. The new section utilizes a terracotta skin that is appropriately distinctive and harmonious with the existing building limestone facade. Just last year, the library received new HVAC, carpeting, and other minor capital updates.DC Public Library – West End Neighborhood Library• Address: 2301 L St NW, Washington, DC 20037• Architect TEN Arquitectos/Enrique Norten, 227 West 29th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001.• Library type: Public• Project type: New construction, public-private partnership• Opening date: December 9, 2017• Total square footage: 20,700 square feet• Awards: AIA DC Design Awards; Architecture Merit Award, 2018 III Bienal de Arquitectura de la Ciudad de México; Medalla de Oro, 2017• Description: Working with building design architect TEN Arquitectos, CORE architecture + design created an interior environment that seamlessly integrates with the building design while celebrating DCPL’s forward-thinking approach to its facilities’ design. The library interior is an airy, bright, and inspiring modern space with soaring angled columns. Vivid accents throughout the library create an inspiring spatial and visual journey for visitors. The community’s diversity and history are highlighted by custom artwork from local artists Adrienne Gaither and Nekisha Durrett for the murals above the main reading room and within the children’s area. CORE’s LEED Gold design incorporates clearly defined areas for adults, children, and teens. The new books and browsing area features warm color tones (reds, oranges, and yellows). The distinctive pavilion in the children’s area, accentuated by cooler blue, green, and magenta color tones, defines the space while creating a sense of warmth and scale with the wood structure that wraps around it. The teen area is separated by lower book stacks and incorporates a technology bar and study tables. Other programmatic elements include a public meeting room to serve the community, a conference room, individual study rooms, and an opening to an adjacent café. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/washington/tour-of-dc-public-libraries/100001986998687563 - **Event Categories**: Art, Meetups, health-wellness, literary-art - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Washington - **state**: DC - **country**: United States - **location**: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - **lat**: 38.8986823 - **long**: -77.02487099999999 - **full address**: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street Northwest, Washington, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Tour of DC Public Libraries - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/fc6f989116b5faeee7d7f9f004480ddfb25e6b094d2f3ce29054bcde61491494-rimg-w1200-h600-dcba2126-gmir.jpg?v=1776162916 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Tour of DC Public Libraries being held? - **A:** Tour of DC Public Libraries takes place on Mon, 18 May, 2026 at 12:00 pm to Mon, 18 May, 2026 at 05:00 pm at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street Northwest, Washington, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Tour of DC Public Libraries? - **A:** Tour of DC Public Libraries is organized by Library Journal. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Tour of DC Public Libraries", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/fc6f989116b5faeee7d7f9f004480ddfb25e6b094d2f3ce29054bcde61491494-rimg-w1200-h600-dcba2126-gmir.jpg?v=1776162916", "startDate": "2026-05-18T12:00:00-04:00", "endDate": "2026-05-18T17:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/tour-of-dc-public-libraries/100001986998687563", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "901 G Street Northwest", "postalCode": "20001", "addressLocality": "Washington", "addressRegion": "DC", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "38.8986823", "longitude": "-77.02487099999999" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Join us on a tour of 4 beautiful Washington, DC libraries prior to the Design Institute!", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-14", "availabilityEnds": "2026-05-18T17:00:00-04:00", "validFrom": "2026-04-14", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/tour-of-dc-public-libraries/100001986998687563" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-14", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-14", "url": "https://allevents.in/washington/tour-of-dc-public-libraries/100001986998687563", "price": 0, "name": "General Admission" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Library Journal", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/library-journal/22872953" } ] } ] ```