Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

I had an amazing experience at the Martin Luther King Library. The library is a historic landmark that has been beautifully restored and offers a wide range of services and opportunities. I especially enjoyed the display board that showcased the civil rights movement and the people who supported it. The library is also very spacious and has a stunning rooftop terrace with a great view of the city.
The Martin Luther King Library is a must-visit for anyone who loves reading, learning, and history. The library is a tribute to one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leaders and has a lot of interesting exhibits and events. I was impressed by the display board that featured the civil rights movement and its supporters. The library also has a modern and versatile event space on the fifth floor, where I attended a wonderful theater performance.
I highly recommend the Martin Luther King Library to anyone who is looking for a cultural and educational experience in downtown Washington DC. The library is a magnificent building that has been renovated and updated with state-of-the-art facilities and services. I learned a lot from the display board that highlighted the civil rights movement and its allies. The library also has a spectacular rooftop terrace that offers a panoramic view of the city and a cozy event space on the fifth floor that hosts various activities and shows.

I a new resident to DC and it was easy to get my Library Card, the people at the front desk were patient and kind to help me ! I got to take advantage of the beautiful rooftop at the library and I love it here . I’m grateful that libraries like this exist because is a place where everyone is welcome ! Even when you don’t speak the language! Thank you so much

This space depicts the beauty of black culture and creating a community space out of anywhere. Not only is this a beautiful library, but there are programs, lectures, and classes that you can attend. As well as ongoing and rotating exhibits to enjoy. There's a lovely cafe and a terrace you can go to on the rooftop, overlooking the city.

Good lighting, elevators available, no touch opening doors, and even footing. This is a great accessible space that has a whole days worth of things to do inside it beyond the library aspect.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial library and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the facility and service offered. The building itself is stunning, with its modern architecture and ample natural light. The interior is spacious, clean, and well-organized, making it easy to find whatever you need.

The library's collection of books, audiobooks, and movies is extensive. In addition to the traditional library offerings, there were plenty of areas for studying, working, or just relaxing with a good book. The technology available was top-notch, with computers, and printing services.

Overall, the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial library is a true gem in the heart of Washington D.C. I highly recommend visiting and taking advantage of all it has to offer.

An amazing newly updated library in the heart of downtown DC. The work they’ve done on this building was absolutely worth every penny. The rooftop has gorgeous views and some great outdoor space for hanging out or even renting out for an event. Speaking of renting out, every floor has rooms available for reservation, including large conference rooms on the fourth floor that can accommodate over 50 people each. In addition, the floor fourth floor also is home to a new museum-style exhibit showcasing the history of protest and civil disobedience in DC.

A masterwork by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) smack in the middle of Washington DC. It is the only library designed by Mies van der Rohe and was opened in 1972. Tastefully restored by Mecanoo and OTJ Architects in 2021.

Beautiful building and space. I wanted to see the exhibits and the roof. The exhibits are small for each topic…but still very interesting. I thought the Go go and punk exhibits were good and hope the library has a chance to expand and make them permanent. Roof was excellent. Amazing plant life, decent seating and views.

Haven't been 2 MLK Library in 40 yrs 😳 the upgrades, i.e. architecture and view of the city is beautiful...gotta return 2 ride the slide in the children's section...an amazing experience on Memorial weekend and the doc we saw was 🔥 will return!

I enjoyed the sunshine on the rooftop patio. A beautiful building! The library has exhibits, work spaces, and a small cafe with sandwiches n snacks! A Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit is there this summer.

After a $211 million renovation, the MLK Memorial Library is the definition of a library of the future. Here's why it will attract locals and tourists:

1) Location: Located in historic Penn Quarter, the library spans a city block in downtown D.C. near two Metro stations (Chinatown and Metro Center). Capital Bikeshare docks nearby are plentiful. You can easily visit the library and then walk down to the National Mall for sight seeing.

2) Space: Many of the original outside design elements were retained, but the inside is new and slick. Murals, slides and historical exhibits, there's much to see inside. Level after level are filled with all sorts of books, including an extensive local history section on the fourth floor. Eventually, they will host events in the many conference rooms, an auditorium and near the first floor cafe.

3) Rooftop: Take the beautiful winding staircase to the rooftop terrace, a large space with city views. Alongside tables and wifi are gardens. It's a peaceful place to work or read.

If you love books, design or city views, this library is for you!

Beautifully renovated and just a lovely place to read a book, study, or work with a small group. The rooftop space is lovely and they host the occasional event. Seeing a local gogo band play on the rooftop during their opening weekend was so much fun.

This library is like an oasis in downtown DC. A great place for reading and studying. It is newly renovated and books are perfectly organized. The top floor garden looks amazing. 4th has a black history exhibition that is very informative and educational. I highly recommend this place to both DC natives and tourists.

I found this book called 'Geek Girls' by France Winddance Twine on display, otherwise I wouldn't have known about. Evidently there is discrimination in hiring in high tech of qualified people of a certain demographic who have 4 year degrees in computer science compared to others less qualified who went to a 2 or 3 month coding bootcamp. Seeing 'Geek Girls' got me to look up other titles that are the opposite of 'Geek Girls': that would be 'Geek Girl' and 'Geek Girl Rising'.

I didn't know the MLK Jr Library was here at this convenient location until I walked down the street from the National Portrait Gallery and found it. A place to use the bathroom without getting chased out for not being fancy enough to pay. And a place to get tech support although there was someone ahead of me. I enjoyed visiting the 6 or 7 floors of the place. On this trip to DC I didn't go to the Library of Congress to hopefully find children's books from the 1970s, when the quality in illustration and cleverness in writing was there. I went to a favorite vegan burger joint called HipCityVegan nearby in Chinatown and my Planet Fitness membership gave me access to the vast gym. This library's closest metro station is Chinatown. It felt great to get the $1 coffee and some treats and be outside on the patio in mid September.

I cannot speak more highly about the staff of this library. Every day that I am here, I watch as the staff handle a wide variety of situations, which mainly includes the assistance of the many... I repeat, many, individuals who are outside of the system and have clear mental health issues. At every point, the staff maintains a level of composure and compassion which is sadly unsung to the general public. Instead, they have recently found themselves with funding reduced and reduced hours. This library, which is aesthetically pleasing, serves as a vital hub to the many in the city who have nowhere else to go. The people here deserve to be paid more I am sure, but an increase in funding would undoubtedly lead to an increase in their ability to serve the public at large.

This is the best Library I ever seen.
Thank you Mayor Muriel Bowser for enabling us to use that MLK Library. The place is well maintained, clean, safe, respectful and nice environment. I definitely took that place as my own place and contribue to his cleanliness.

Amazing design. Massive library with lots of kids, teens and adult activities as well books.
There’re 5 floors and everything is well signed and laid out.

Born and raised in Washington, DC in 1981 to now so I grew up this library. It was the place hang in my Junior and high school days. I’ve seen the contact charger in decor and the new library design is simple yet astounding. I’m so glad to call myself a native Washingtonian. I’m particularly proud of the tribute to go go music, Marion Barry, and the likes of other to culture all on the 3rd floor. They mentioned Howard Univ. several times and has a college graduate of this distinguished school I’m honored and smiled with the biggest grin seeing the connection to the cities rich history.

This is more than a library. They did a magnificent job displaying the black history in DC, I'm impressed with the interactive experience. The architectural design is beautiful. Everyone should experience this space at least once. Checkout the roof too

The library is very neat, clean and modern from inside. There are coworking spaces as well

Very kind staff in the kids/teens section. The space is beautiful with areas to read and study. There is a wonderful selection of materials. I highly recommend going to the special exhibition section on level 4.