More Than Just Books

By the Georgetown Neighborhood Library

The Georgetown Neighborhood Library, a branch of the District of Columbia Public Library and one of the cornerstones of the local community, stands at the intersection of Wisconsin and R Streets at 3260 R Street NW.

The library’s origins can be traced back 150 years, to 1875, when financier and philanthropist George Peabody founded Georgetown’s first public library. For sixty years the collection was housed in a room of the Curtis School at 3126 O Street NW, but eventually local citizens’ associations sought the construction of a larger, freestanding library, and in 1934 Congress appropriated $150,000 for that purpose. The resulting Colonial Revival building, designed by renowned architect Nathan C. Wyeth, was completed in 1935, and the library became a part of the District of Columbia Public Library system. The building underwent considerable renovation in 1976 and then again in 2007–2010 after a large fire severely damaged the building.

Today, Georgetown Neighborhood Library serves the community as a place to gather, explore, and learn. It offers study and meeting rooms; public computers; printing and copying services; book, DVD, and audiobook collections for children, teens, and adults; and much more. An outstanding feature of the current building and a notable legacy of George Peabody is the Peabody Room, an archival collection dedicated to the history of Georgetown. As part of the greater DCPL People’s Archive, the Peabody Room holds photographs, maps, newspapers, paintings, books, artifacts, house history files, and personal and household papers that document various aspects of Georgetown life going back to the beginning of the 19th century.

As the library now looks forward to the October celebration of 90 years of community service, staff have a full schedule of regular weekly events planned, including storytime readings and Lego challenges for children, chair yoga for seniors, art classes, and coffee & conversation social hours. Additionally, the library will host various discussion and activity groups, such as a chess club, virtual and in-person book groups and literature discussions, and guest speakers on a wide variety of topics. Event listings can be found on the DCPL website at https://dclibrary.libnet.info/events.

Finally, the library is extremely proud of the community partnerships it has forged over the years. The Friends of Georgetown Neighborhood Library regularly run programs such as book sales and trivia contests to benefit the library. Additionally, the Georgetown Gardening Club has been involved in the beautification of the library grounds and nearby Book Hill for nearly sixty years—and this May Georgetown Neighborhood Library was included in the GGC’s Georgetown Garden Tour. And the library is always proud to host community group meetings of all sorts, from English language learners and Girl Scout troops to DC government agency town halls and HOA meetings. Most of all, Georgetown Neighborhood Library is here to welcome every member of the community, to help them connect with others and expand their horizons, and to be a cornerstone of community progress by activating dreams with knowledge, access, and hope.