The Martin Luther King Jr. Library closed in March for a two-year renovation project. (Photo by ElvertBarnes)

Two months after the flagship Martin Luther King Jr. Library closed its doors for a two-year renovation project, the D.C. Public Library system is implementing expanded hours at all neighborhood libraries and opening a small interim site in downtown D.C.

Starting on May 8, the rest of the system’s 25 libraries will be open on Thursday mornings and an interim “Library Express” will be available at 1990 K Street NW.

The Library Express will be home to a small collection of books and computers as well as the Adult Literacy Resource Center and the Center for Accessibility.

The Memory Lab, which gives people the technology and know-how they need to digitize their personal photo and video collections, will be accessible by appointment at the Northeast Library (330 7th St. NE). The Studio Lab, which offers post-production technologies, will be available at the Shepherd Park Library (7420 Georgia Ave. NW). Parts of the library’s extensive special collections can be accessed at the Washington Historical Society, the Georgetown Library’s Peabody Room, and the Library of Congress.

MLK Library will re-open in 2020 after the 44-year building undergoes a major overhaul.

The most visible changes will be to the interior of the building, which was designated a historic landmark in 2007, along with the addition of 100,000 square feet of public space. The transformations include new fabrication spaces, expanded areas for special collections, an interactive children’s area (complete with a slide), a cafe, auditorium, and a green rooftop.

Other updates will be less obvious to the naked eye, though no less important, library officials say. That includes a complete overhaul of pretty much every heating, lighting, and electrical system in the building. They will also work to shore up the structure and replace the glass in each window, while honoring its architectural signature.

It is the only Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed building in the District of Columbia, and his only completed library in the world.

“We really are intent on future-proofing this building so it’s not just a sanctuary for people who want to read or take out books, but a third space for people who want to participate in everything that DCPL has to offer,” executive director Richard Reyes-Gavilan said ahead of the closing.

Here are the hours for the new goings-on at DCPL:

Library Express (1990 K St. NW)
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Closed Sunday

Neighborhood library locations:
Monday – Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.

Co-located library locations (Deanwood, Northwest One, and Rosedale)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Historical Society of Washington
Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square (801 K Street NW)
Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
One Saturday per month: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Appointments can be made online

Library of Congress (Visits will begin on June 5)
Newspaper and Current Periodicals Reading Room (101 Independence Ave SE)
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Friday, Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Appointments can be made online

Georgetown Neighborhood Library
Peabody Room (3260 R St. NW)
Monday and Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Second and fourth Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Materials delivered upon request made via email to jerry.mccoy@dc.gov or by calling 202-727-0233.