“Light and airy”
Those were the words most used by the multitude of residents, visitors, and elected officials to describe the new Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library on opening day. On June 27, 2022, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the new 23,500 square foot two-story building, which replaces the former library originally built in 1983 at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE.
Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, and At-large Councilmembers Anita Bonds and Christina Henderson joined Mayor Bowser for the occasion. In addition to Mayor Bowser and Councilmember McDuffie, President of the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends Robert Oliver, DC Public Library (DCPL) Board of Trustees Chair Antonio Williams, former DC Mayor Sharon Pratt, and others also gave remarks. Selections by thirteen year old harp player Sarah Ramson provided the perfect musical backdrop for the occasion.
The original Lamond-Riggs Library carried a deep history, and that history was heralded by all those who spoke as they recognized the naming of the new library in honor of the late longtime Ward 5 Riggs Park resident and activist Lillian Huff. According to DCPL, Ms. Huff was “the elected leader of the District’s Delegation to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services in 1978” and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as Vice-Chairperson of the Pre-White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services. Ms. Huff was active in the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association and was a strong DC statehood advocate. She was instrumental in advocating for and securing funding from Congress for the original library that was designed by local architectural firm Bryant and Bryant. That firm was led by two African-American brothers Charles and Robert Bryant. Robert Bryant was also a longtime Riggs Park resident. Longtime friends of Lillian Huff led the effort to name the building in her honor–Rocky Twyman planted the seeds for the idea at Ms. Huff’s funeral in 2018 and Gloria Hightower organized a committee to work on the effort. The families of both Ms. Huff and Mr. Bryant were on hand to witness the opening of the new library.
The ribbon-cutting was a well-attended affair that was visibly moving for the many people in attendance who either grew up or lived in Lamond-Riggs and surrounding neighborhoods. People fondly recounted stories of the old library, often referring to the library as “my neighborhood library.” Such was the case for Mayor Bowser, who grew up in nearby North Michigan Park and lived in Riggs Park for 16 years. Mayor Bowser noted that Ms. Huff knew her as a little girl and would always say, “Here comes little Ms. Bowser,” whenever the two crossed paths during Mayor Bowser’s childhood. Mayor Bowser stated that Ms. Huff would go on to become a mentor to her.
The new library was designed by a team of architects from HGA led by Peter Cook. Consigli Construction was the build team. The building was designed with the goal of earning LEED gold certification. The grounds feature bioretention ponds and extensive native plant landscaping, and the building itself contains a sophisticated rainwater management system. The building was constructed to support solar panels if DCPL wishes to add them at a future date, and there is space and capacity for an electric car charging station in the future if desired as well. There is also bike parking and a bike repair station in front of the library.
The library’s prominent exterior feature is the perforated metal screen on the second floor of the building, “inspired by the patterns, rhythms, and textures of nearby streets, the rooftop peaks of neighboring houses, and the open spaces of the surrounding neighborhood,” as described in the library’s news release. An interior of primarily cool colors likewise invokes the design team’s themes of nature and serenity, as the tree motif in the metal screen is incorporated throughout the interior in the leaf patterns, textures, and motifs on the furniture, walls, and ceilings. Traffic on South Dakota Avenue sounded like a mere whisper compared to the previous building.
The library’s anticipated prominent interior feature–a “Heritage Wall” next to the first floor staircase–will be completed in the future. In the many community meetings leading up to the final design, library officials heard residents state that they wanted local history to be part of their neighborhood library. Officials selected artist Michelle Herman who will create a digital, quilt-inspired collage of family photographs shared by residents that will cover the wall. Library officials will let residents know at a future date when photos may be brought to the library to be scanned.
A “front porch” surrounded by extensive landscaping near the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Jefferson Street NE, looks destined to become a favorite hangout or meetup spot for visitors to the library. The first floor of the library contains a large meeting room with capacity for 100 people that can be divided into two smaller meeting rooms by library staff. The first floor meeting rooms, which contain audio/visual equipment, also have motorized shades that can be lowered by staff as well. Along with the large meeting room, a large dedicated children’s area with seating to accommodate various sizes and ages (including for parents and caretakers) make up the bulk of the first floor public area. The children’s area is staffed by a children’s librarian. A community bulletin board with small cubbies for pamphlets sits near the elevator on the first floor. The second floor contains smaller meeting rooms, spaces for teens and adults, an “anything, anytime” space, lounge area, and a balcony that faces Jefferson Street NE. Indoor seating areas are all wired for devices.
Features of the new library as described by DCPL include:
- Expanded space for adults, teens, and children
- A variety of collaboration spaces, including a living room-style seating area
- A large meeting room with a capacity for up to 100 people, dividable into separate smaller rooms
- Seven smaller meeting spaces, one for up to twelve people, two for up to six people each, and four study spaces designed for two people
- A protected front porch area that is accessed from inside the library and offers an outdoor space for meetings, working, or reading a book
- Efficient staff spaces
- A reading porch on the second floor
- Modern and reliable technology offerings
- A discovery zone for children and infants
Library hours:
- Sunday 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
- Monday 10:00 am-6:00 pm
- Tuesday 10:00 am-6:00 pm
- Wednesday 10:00 am-8:00 pm
- Thursday 10:00 am-8:00 pm
- Friday 10:00 am-6:00 pm
- Saturday 10:00 am-6:00 pm
In all, a very nice job by DC Public Library officials, especially Jaspreet Pahwa, DCPL’s construction/technical lead who kept us all up-to-date with regular construction progress reports and photos, and Martha Saccocio, DCPL’s director of community engagement.
Be sure to check out the library events calendar for up-to-date programming information. Also, stay tuned for information about a community opening celebration event on July 23, 2022.
Check out video of the library from DCPL.
Pictures from the ribbon-cutting below
Next Stop...Riggs Park 