COMMUNITY MEETING

SUMMARY & COMPILATION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS

Meeting Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008

6:30-8:30 PM

Location: Saint John’s Episcopal Church

Georgetown Parish
3240 O Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Meeting Purpose: To provide the community with an update of the design

process for the library renovation.

Attendees: Twenty-one community members added their names to the

sign-in sheet.

SUMMARY OF COMMENTS

At the beginning of the meeting, Library officials clarified that the lawsuit with the
contractor is proceeding and the attorney general’s office is handling the case.
Renovation work will begin by the end of 2008.

• The proposed blue stone on the reading deck is attractive.

• Please consider providing a way to enter the library from the south side.

• An entrance to the children’s area underneath the terrace would be great

so that families would have easy access with children, strollers, etc.

Library Response: The plan is to allow the first floor vestibule to have enough
space to serve as a storage area for strollers.

• How big will the new collection be?

Library Response: The collection will contain 80,000 books, DVDs, CDs and
other materials.
 • The Friends of the Library would like office space and a place to store
books.

Library Response: The library will have a space for the Friends, approximately
150 square feet. It is unlikely that there will be space to store books.

• Will the library be substantially larger after renovation?

Library Response: The site and the budget permit increasing the footprint of the
library in the lower level. In addition, the reading terrace is being added on the
south side of the building. The Peabody Room will be located on the new 3rd
floor, which is a significant increase in square footage.

• The next round of plans should more clearly illustrate how people, cars,
and delivery trucks will enter the site and building including the location of
the loading dock.

• The community would like to see a comparison of the plans to the Library
Building Program. In particular, the community is concerned about the
impact of fewer parking spaces on the site.

Library Response: The Library is working with the architects to ensure the design
accommodates the Library Building Program. The new library will have
expanded space and many more resources including a minimum of 32
computers. The addition of the 3rd floor opens space on the second floor for a
separate young adult reading room.

• Please be sure to use native plant species in the garden areas and try to
blend landscaping with existing flora in Book Hill Park.

• There was an inquiry about incorporating the steps to the reservoir into the
plan.

Library Response: The grade of the stairs is too steep to make this option
practical.

• Please be sure to get meeting notices out well in advance of the next
meeting.

There will be one more community meeting – date, time and location to be
determined.

The library is scheduled to reopen in 2010. For more information, please visit
dclibrary.org or contact Archie Williams, DC Public Library, at
archie.williams@dc.gov or (202) 727-1437.