D.C.’s Southwest Library is closing on June 1 in preparation for its demolition and reconstruction. The D.C. Public Library says construction of the new library is fully funded, and will begin later in June.

The renovation of Southwest Library is part of a long series of D.C. library renovations. Twenty of the city’s libraries have already been renovated or completely rebuilt. A fully renovated central library, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, is set to open next fall.

Future renovations are also scheduled for the Lamond-Riggs Library and Capitol Hill’s Southeast Library; both projects are still in the design phase.

In addition to the renovations, DCPL is also developing a larger 10-year plan. Executive Director Richard Reyes-Galvin told DCist earlier this year he wants the city’s libraries “to provide more meaning and impact” and be responsive to the public’s changing needs. Earlier this year, DCPL conducted a digital survey and held a series of in-person meetings to get community input.

The new Southwest Library’s design puts an emphasis on public space: It will have a large meeting room with capacity of over 100, three conference rooms, four study rooms, an outdoor porch, and an innovation lab with 3-D printers. The building will have solar panels and a green roof.

During construction, a Southwest Interim Library will open at 4th and M Streets Southwest later this summer. Beginning June 20, story time will be available at Politics & Prose at The Wharf on Monday mornings, and another Wednesday morning story time event will be held weekly next to the Waterfront Metro Station. Both will begin at 10:30 a.m.

May 22 is the last day to place a hold on an item for pickup at the Southwest Library, and any outstanding holds after June 1 will be available for pickup at the Northeast Library, unless you indicate a different location on your online library account. Here’s a full list of library services that will be offered in the neighborhood once the interim library opens:

• Mondays 10:30 a.m.: Story Time at Politics and Prose at The Wharf.
• Mondays: Arty Afternoons at 425 M St. SW
• Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.: Story Time, location to be determined
• Wednesday evenings: Pajama Story Time at 425 M St. SW
• Thursday Afternoons: Sit & Knit at 425 M St. SW
• Monthly Coffee & Conversation at 425 M St. SW
• Tech and Job Seekers Help, held periodically at 425 M St. SW