ANC6A Supports Library Facilities at the New Rosedale Community Center

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The following is the text from the above ANC6A letter:


June 8, 2009

Mr. John W. Hill
President
District of Columbia Board of Library Trustees
901 G Street NW
Washington DC 20001


Mr. Hill:

At our regularly scheduled, public meeting on April 9, 2009, and with a quorum present, our Commission voted to request that the Board of Library Trustees support the construction of a library and library services as an integral part of the new Rosedale Community Center.

As you may know, the Rosedale Recreation Center is slated for a comprehensive modernization, which will raze the existing structure and build a state-of-the-art community center for residents. The inclusion of a public library on the grounds of the new social center will unify positive community engagement for our neighbors and serve to further unite the Rosedale community. Our neighborhood is being disproportionately affected by the potential closure of two neighborhood kiosks - R.L. Christian and Langston. In December, 2008, when responding to neighborhood concerns about these closures, the DC Public Library announced that they were considering the replacement of services through a possible co-location on the site of the Rosedale Recreation Center.

It is our understanding that the DC Public Library has not yet committed to exploring this option with officials from the Department of Parks and Recreation, who are swiftly moving toward final site design of the Recreation Center. We further understand from library staff that there is a requirement of only approximately 3,000 square feet of additional space beyond that planned for the Recreation Center in order to accommodate a robust library offering for our citizens. We believe that there is ample room on the Rosedale grounds and urge the Public Library to commit to joint planning with the Department of Parks and Recreation as soon as possible.

Please let me know if there is any information or action by the ANC that may assist your agency in fulfilling its commitment to include library services at this important community site.


On behalf of the Commission,

Joseph Fengler
Chair, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A


cc: Mayor Adrian Fenty
Ms. Ginnie Cooper, Chief Librarian
Councilmember Tommy Wells