I love old worldly charm libraries. This is one of them. My friend Shazia and I got a bit lost…read moretrying to find Dumbarton Oaks and decided to step inside here. In us being lost, we found this gem. If I lived in DC this would be my go to library. The librarians are nice and helpful. I have seen other libraries where they do not even want to help you try to find a book. Here they were giving us directions plus providing us information of this library. I really like the way the library is set up. It would be a good place to read, research and study etc. They have cute stairs to lead to the second floor however we didn't get to go there. They only have parallel street parking however, being two hours people were moving their cars etc and we were able to find parking for it being a Saturday. If you are looking for a good place to read or just do your work in peace, this is the place.~

Georgetown Public Library is one of the best libraries in Washington, D.C. First of all, it's on…read moreBook Hill overlooking Georgetown (and Rosslyn's skyline across the Potomac River) in a beautiful, regal brick building. It's several levels full of books, magazines, and reading rooms. The basement has a large kids section with programming for kids- story time, art time, etc. The staff are friendly and the library is clean!

Agree with the rest of the reviews mentioning the population that tends to hang out here. It…read moredoesn't feel safe or feasible to stay in the library for any prolonged amount of time given the disruptive and sometimes aggressive behavior. If you're a smaller person or look less able to defend yourself, you might not feel safe hanging out in here. Also, if you're smell sensitive, forget it. I really don't mean to sound callous, but a public library is supposed to be for everyone. At times for this library there's really only one kind of community member that seems to feel comfortable hanging around. I don't think this is an acceptable state of things when our tax dollars fund public libraries. I wouldn't take kids here either. I strongly urge the leadership to do something about this problem that many people have now noted. The public library isn't a homeless shelter. Allowing it to turn into one will not fix the systemic issues that lead to homelessness and a lack of shelter space. It simply prevents others from using this public resource as intended. If y'all can call security on a Black teenager that was trying to study in the Children's section and bothering no one, surely you can call security to remove disruptive homeless people.

This is an excellent, new, clean, and well organized library in West End. There is a lot of seating…read moreand reading spaces, but it smells foul in some areas because some of the patrons are homeless hanging out/sleeping inside. The service desk employee was friendly and knowledgeable and got me signed up for a new DC Library Card quickly. I love that the library is delivery connected to the Bluestone Lane (cafe/sandwich/breakfast spot).

I wanted to write a review to thank the DC library for how wonderful they have been during the…read moreCOVID crisis. Even though I have lived in DC for a few years, I embarrassingly was not a member of the DC library. It was really easy to go online and fill out a form. When I was confused, I was able to easily get help online. Although I have not had a chance to use the library building, I have been able to go there to pick up books. Each time I have been in and out very quickly. They have a system of how people walk through so that people are not too physically close to each other. The location is incredibly convenient to the metro. I really appreciate how nice everyone has been and how easy they have made it to take out books. Thank you to the staff of the DC Public Library and the Cleveland Park Library for making life easier in these crazy times!

Brightly lit multistory library with communities meeting rooms, a book sale rack, and clean…read morerestrooms, albeit without potable water or restrooms on the main floor!!! Librarians are really helpful, although automation is replacing a lot of their functions - while it frees them to concentrate on other tasks, it might also render them obsolete.

Was cool and one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen…read more Old bible. Books. Paintings. Sculptures. Stairs. Reading room with no books?

I have only visited the Library of Congress at a personal level a couple of times. Other visits…read morewere due to events/meetings there. If you are visiting D.C., I cannot stress the importance of a stop here. To this day, it remains the largest library in the world. Pretty impressive. It's also the oldest federal cultural institution. Periodicals, books, etc. available in over 470 languages. More than 178 million pieces of articles from manuscripts, recordings, photos, printed materials, to books and so on. Library acts as a source of research for Members of Congress and handles copyright laws. This building and all its components are an important part of our nation's history.

I spent many hours studying in this library and found ample citable sources that helped accomplish…read more30-page essays that eventually achieved high marks (whether it be points or letters). The writing center is still such a wonderful resource for students. Very good memories in the stacks!

First time here as a Grad student…read more Looks great inside and out. They just doubled the amount of computers here. They have a snack room where you can eat your meals and then go off to the reading and web surfing. Lots of floors. They have group study rooms that you can reserve to study in (2 people min.) Printing is 7 cents per page for black and white. The lighting is great and it generally very quiet and provides you with a great place to study. Oh yea, open 24 hours and 7 days a week during the semester!! (except for major holidays!)

Did you know there is a wooden slide in the MLK Jr. Library? You can find it on the second floor,…read moreand it's definitely worth a look! I was visiting for a conference and attended an opening presentation here. The facility is consistently clean, and the staff is always friendly and helpful. It is located right in the heart of DC, making it a great place to visit whether you are there for an event or just exploring the city.

If you know me, you'll know that I will need to visit at least one library in whatever city I am…read morein. And when I heard about the MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY, of course we had to visit. I wanted to visit so see if they had any special memorial for MLK Jr. If they had I missed it because I have ADHD and got distracted by the rooftop garden, the awesome children's library, the beautiful architecture... and the exhibit they had on local arts on the 4th Floor. Bonus points for sliding down from one floor to the next....

Open every sing day, Mount Pleasant Library is a true neighborhood library. Housed in a historic…read morebuilding with a new renovation and extension, its rooms are filled with books, magazines and art. The first floor has plenty of room to spread out and read in quiet. The kids section is on the second floor and comes with two reading nooks decorated with vintage murals.

A fantastic library, especially with recent renovations and the full re-opening after the early…read morepandemic days. I deeply appreciate that I could check out books even during the worst of the pandemic and these books even arrived in a timely manner. The library has a good book selection, especially for a branch library, and the staff are helpful. The library website for ILL is extremely user-friendly and easy to place holds.

I had always dreamed of going to The Folger Shakespeare Library. I finally got the opportunity to…read morego there for a workshop this past March! It was everything I dreamed of and more! The Teacher Weekend Intensive was so amazing. I learned some new techniques to use when working with my students on a Shakespeare production (or any production). The instructors were engaging and listened to our concerns as classroom teachers trying to help students learn to love The Bard as we do. The exhibits were incredible! I could go there every day and never tire of being in the space and learning new information. The performance of AS YOU LIKE IT was very good. The concept was clear and the actors performed well. They were fun and engaging. i cannot wait to go back to Washington D.C. and to the Folger again!

As someone who loves the Shakespeare Library as a whole (and frequently goes there for shows) this…read moreis exclusively a rating for their afternoon tea. The tea has been lauded as amazing on instagram so when reservations went live in December, I booked our April tea before it sold out in 15 minutes. Directions to finding the room for it, are not clear. Despite what you see in social media, this is in a small room with just quite a few tables - not in their famous cafe. You are given bagged tea (not the brand listed on their menu), and your tray is brought over almost immediately upon seating. It was not explained what any of it was like traditionally is done. The food is TINY, and you barely get a single bite out of each. We didn't receive nor were we offered refills of cream or jam, despite there being four of us. We had the 3PM slot and pretty much everyone was rushed out after an hour. We spent some time just talking at our table and were the last ones there despite it not being closed. We felt very unwelcome by the time we left at 4:30. You pay $85 per person and there are WAY better teas in DC that are cheaper. I would never bring anyone here for their tea, what a disappointment.

The Pros: I like the fact that this library is located right next to the metro station. It's also…read morea very modern facility, and nearly half of the second level is dedicated for desktop computer work stations. They have private study rooms that can be reserved by residents. I'm not clear if there is a cost associated with that, because I haven't yet tried to reserve a space. It's also more quiet on the second level compared with the first level which is geared more towards children. The Cons: The library is small, and I could not find a desk when I got there. I've been to two other libraries in the city which provide significantly more space. With no available empty table, I sat at a computer work station desk and tried to navigate space for my laptop.

I love libraries. The Tenleytown public library is among the many where I have ducked in for an…read morehour between business appointments. It works well for that purpose. Although some are critical of the vibe here, I cannot say I have found, on three visits, that is inferior to others in the system, or even discernibly different. I tend to select my retreat based on location, whatever is convenient to the last meeting or the next meeting. I would not criticize this venue. The city must have started a giant renovation project. So many of the branches have bright, well designed, tasteful furnished renovations. It does get a bit hot here. On the scale of concerns, with looming catastrophe from climate change, that hardly ranks as more than a quibble.

I purposely visited recently (winter season) because entrance to the gardens is free, otherwise…read moreit's $15. The gardens are interesting even in the cold months. The couple most closely associated with this Georgetown estate, Mildred and Robert Bliss, clearly loved and thought deeply about this parcel of land when they owned it (1920/30's). Their efforts to preserve and share the space with the public are to be commended. It must have been quite something in its heyday. There's a lot of research that's supported here, as well as other activities. The website explains all that. It's a low-key sightseeing spot; quiet, contemplative.

Most everyone in my office is off today due to the holiday, so I mad a plan to visit this museum…read more I also wanted to see the adjoining garden, but it doesn't open until much later in the afternoon. They have quite a few notable collections that I liked. The Byzantine Collection featured different artwork from the fifteenth cwntury. There were also several large sculptures that originated from the Byzantium empire which is known as Istanbul today. According to their information, the museum is continuously acquiring different works if art from this time period. There were also some pretty cool grave markers dating back to the 11th century. The museum is sort of hidden off of the main avenue in Georgetown so you will probably need to search for it. It is also free and open most days to the general public.