A Lawsuit, a Protest, and Some Progress at the DC Public Library

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 7/19/2007

The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) may have gained the confidence of some members of the public as it installs interim libraries. Also, it has just gotten crucial independent procurement authority, something Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper, in her first year on the job, has prioritized. Still, distrust in some precincts has grown. Residents of the community around the long-closed Benning branch have filed suit to block the demolition of their library, and a temporary injunction—which precedes a court hearing on Friday—has so far prevented that demolition.

The branch has been closed since the end of 2004, but rebuilding plans changed with a new library board, with a new branch promised by 2010. Residents want firm plans in place before the building is demolished and an engineering study to evaluate renovation of the existing building, as well as "a meaningful process of public consultation," according to the DC Library Renaissance Project, which was founded by Ralph Nader to support the library and has evolved into a watchdog group. The Washington City Paper reported that DCPL had been delayed in opening the temporary branch in Benning because electrical service hadn't been installed. Cooper told LJ that the library will open this week.

The LRP, which has been skeptical about plans by city leaders to aggressively market library properties for redevelopment, last week criticized 11th-hour "emergency" legislation by the City Council to sell three pieces of public property in the West End neighborhood, including the West End branch library, to developer Eastbanc, Inc. The council thus short-circuited part of a public hearing and planning process. The City Paper reported that the branch Friends group had scheduled a public meeting with Eastbanc for July 14 without having been told the project already would move ahead. The project still requires approval from the Zoning Commission and another Council vote.

Cooper told LJ that "the board has taken no position on the matter of whether this proposal should be bid" and noted that the board in May passed a mixed-use policy, which requires "evidence of strong community support." She added that, on July 23, DCPL will announce the architects for the four new libraries planned where there is now only interim service. Also, she noted, the library has gained a chief business officer and a head of information technology; both were interim positions.

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