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DCPL explores creative solutions to library usage gaps

B&D helps analyze the need for a new public library as part of continuing work on DCPL’s Facilities Master Plan

In Washington, DC, public libraries serve as essential community anchors, providing access to education, technology, and gathering spaces for residents. However, some neighborhoods—like Adams Morgan, U Street, and Dupont Circle—have long been identified as underserved in terms of public library access. In response, the DC Public Library (DCPL) commissioned a Library Usage Study to reassess whether a new library is needed in this area.

The analysis, conducted in partnership with Brick & Story as the lead consultant and Brailsford & Dunlavey as a subcontractor, builds on the foundation of Next Libris: DCPL’s Library Facilities Master Plan, which B&D produced in 2020. This master plan provided a long-term vision for library investments across the city, and the 2025 update focused on evolving the needs in Adams Morgan, U Street and Dupont Circle.

Understanding the community’s needs

Throughout 2024, the project team led a comprehensive public engagement effort involving surveys, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and community pop-ups. They explored how residents currently use libraries, what obstacles they face, and whether a new library location would address their needs. Some key findings include:

• Library usage has declined at the nearby Mt. Pleasant and Shaw/Watha T. Daniel libraries, likely due to pandemic-related behavior changes and the reopening of the MLK Library.
• Many residents access digital library services at a higher rate than the citywide average.
• Barriers to in-person library use included lack of awareness, inconvenient hours, language barriers, and transportation challenges.
• While some community members expressed interest in a closer library, others suggested alternative solutions, such as increased outreach, better marketing of existing services, and expanded digital offerings.

Final recommendations: a new library or something else?

While the analysis confirmed a desire for improved library access, it did not find conclusive evidence that a full-service new library is the best solution. Instead, it recommends lower-cost strategies to address barriers, such as:

• Increasing marketing efforts to improve awareness of existing library services.
• Expanding resources for Spanish-speaking residents and other underrepresented groups.
• Exploring smaller-scale options like book pickup/drop-off locations or storefront-style library spaces.

What’s next?

For now, no new library has been planned for the U Street area. However, DCPL continues to evaluate ways to enhance access to library services across the city. As community needs evolve, so too will the conversation about how to best support residents with equitable access to learning, technology, and gathering spaces.

To read the full findings, visit DC Public Library’s website, click on “Next Libris: Library Facilities Master Plan (2020),” then click, “View the Adams Morgan – U Street – Dupont Circle Study.”