The old Shepherd Park Library circa 2013 (Google Street View)

by Cesse Ip

In November 2020, DC Public Libraries released Next Libris, a new facilities master plan to 2030, with plans refresh the existing Petworth Library, and it also identified Brightwood Park and Manor Park as a possible location for a future library. Petworth News reported on it back then, but there has been little to no headway since the initial report.

Last fall during the Mayor’s breakfast with the DC Council, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George asked the Mayor if it eminent domain could be used to bring a library at 5th and Kennedy. It came in a larger ask to bring more city services to the Kennedy Street corridor, like a jobs center, a brick and mortar office for a ONE office or Pathways program. She stated that the Kennedy Street corridor is an opportunity zone, and that it’s upon the government to see what they can do to support the community the most.

Petworth News reached out to DC Public Libraries, and they reiterated that the plan is meant to be adapted and will not move forward without broad support from community members and elected officials. Also, readers should note that their entire plan is not fully funded. This means that constituents can provide their opinions on why the plan should be moved, grow, where DC Libraries should look at potential sites, and any other ideas that affect our public libraries. In the meantime, they are asking residents to take a survey on the future of Shepherd Park Public Library.

There has been over a year of no engagement from the DC Public Libraries about the need, possible locations, what it could mean to residents of Brightwood Park and Manor Park, so this hearing is where residents voices can be heard.

Councilmember Lewis George told Petworth News that residents should tell them, “What would a library in your neighborhood mean to you? How could it support you? How would internet access, support to printing, programing, tutoring, mentoring support you?”

Community members have the opportunity to voice their opinion next week to the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees the DC Public Library, at its performance oversight hearing on Wednesday, February 1st at 2pm. This hearing will be virtual, meaning participation can be done from home. There are several ways to provide testimonies to be considered at the hearings.

Written testimony can be emailed to rya@dccouncil.us, no later than 27 February
Voicemail testimony can be recorded by calling 202-417-7996, no later than 27 February
Testify live remotely by signing up online or call (202) 417-7996 and provide your name, phone number or email, organizational affiliation, and title (if any) by two business days prior the hearings at the close of the business day.

If you are interested in watching the hearing live, you can watch on Councilmember Trayon White’s YouTube page. CM Trayon White is the chair for the Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs.

Brightwood Park/Manor Park was originally chosen as a service gap area because its lack of nearby libraries, its high family density, its high concentration with low educational attainment, children ages birth to 9, and single parent households. The library’s plan also identified a lot of individuals in the area that were not current library users that had the potential to become customers.

CM Lewis George echoes these findings but believes that neighborhoods do not need to be pitted against each other, and that libraries do not need to be a zero sum game. She hopes that the library at Shepherd Park is able to stay, and that DCPL also delivers on their promise to more thoroughly look into potential library sites in Brightwood Park and Manor Park.

While there is $25 million budget planned to build a new library in Brightwood Park, it is not budgeted for five years from now in FY27, according to DC Public Libraries. There is no site selected for the new location, and site-level studies and community engagement hasn’t yet begun. If you have ideas of where the new library should go, or sites that you think should be considered, provide locations and reasons in your testimony. DC Public Libraries currently has locations that are owned by the District but are also leased from private entities.

The best way to have your voice heard on the future of DC Public Libraries is to provide testimony in one of the three ways outlined above.