Diversity & Inclusion

DC’s MLK Library is ‘not your mom’s library anymore’

On a recent tour, Technical.ly DC saw the current and future tech offerings at the District's central library.

Nicholas Kerelchuk (right) at the 3D printing desk of the MLK library. (Photo by Lalita Clozel)

Need to get some 3D printing done, catch a coding class or find free space for your burgeoning business? Try D.C.’s central library.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is “not your mom’s library anymore,” said Digital Commons manager Nicholas Kerelchuk. “We see it as a full-service, one-stop shop for the entrepreneur in everybody.”
For Kerelchuk, who gave a talk on “Coworking, Collaborating, Creating at Your Library” at this year’s SXSW festival, libraries have a duty to be forward-looking.
They “have always been more cutting edge than people give us credit for,” he said. For example, he noted that they were a reliable source of internet in the 1990s — before computers moved into our homes, bedrooms and backpacks.
“Maybe one day, everyone might have 3D printing in their house,” said Kerelchuk. Until then, he said, “We allow that level playing field.”
On a recent tour of the D.C. Public Library’s central branch, Technical.ly DC found much more than dusty books:

  • The Digital Commons, a $3.4 million wing opened in July 2013, is 12,000 square feet full of 50 Dell and 16 Mac computers, including “creative stations” with professional software like Adobe Creative Suite. It regular classes for coding, software and creative advice.
  • 3D printing and scanning: the library will print your orders on demand ($5 for scans and $1 + 5 cents per gram for prints) — within certain constraints: no organic materials, please. MLK Library is equipped with eight 3D printers: three MakerBot 5th Gen, three MakerBot Replicator 2, a 3D Systems Cube X and a Makerbot Z18; plus a Next Engine 3D Scanner.
  • Dream Lab Initiative is a free coworking space during the library’s hours of operation that hosts about 60 small businesses.
  • Espresso Book Machine: the library is considering using the insta-paperback printer to restock its inventory of classics that are in the public domain. “Why aren’t we printing them in-house and using this as a self-feeding machine?” Kerelchuk pondered.

The library will auction off some of the abandoned or misshapen 3D printed objects.

The library will give away some of the abandoned or misshapen 3D-printed objects. (Photo by Lalita Clozel)


Also, in the spring, the library will be opening two new spaces:

  • A 900-square-foot “fabrication lab” that will include more 3D printers, as well as CNC machines, which use deductive manufacturing for higher precision.
  • A 1,000-square-foot AV studio, which will include:
    1. A digital production studio for electronic music and other sounds
    2. A voice-over studio
    3. A master control room and studio (with a green screen, ceiling lights, etc.) for full live bands, short films or stop-motion animation.

The construction and equipment for these additions will cost $300,000, a library spokesman said.
The MLK Library will also temporarily relocate in 2018 for remodeling and a fifth floor addition, to be financed by $208 million in scheduled funding from the District.

MLK Library

The library’s paperback book printer. (Photo by Lalita Clozel)

Companies: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

19 tech and entrepreneurship events to check out before the holidays

DC’s year in tech: An interactive timeline for 2024

EDA officials are ‘hopeful’ Tech Hubs program will live on under Trump

AI is being used in more and more of the hiring process, especially at high-volume companies

Technically Media