Petworth Neighborhood Library

Super convenient location about a 6 minutes’ walk from Petworth Metro. Lovely building with nice, solid wood furniture — it looks like what you think a library should look like, friendly staff, and fun events. I recently came to a coffee education and cupping program with Qualia Coffee in the big conference room, which was really informative and fun. It was a nice opportunity to try a local business that I hadn’t gotten around to checking out yet, and I learned quite a bit about coffee.
They have free yoga classes on Saturday mornings at 11, and the instructor said that she also does classes in the evenings on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of the month. The instructor is encouraging and relaxing, and the classes are challenging enough to keep me interested, without being so challenging that I feel like it’s impossible to keep up. Mats and blankets are provided if you don’t have your own.

This is a very nice library. We use the large conference room every couple of months for our meetings. It’s a nice room with plenty of tables and chairs, and even has a counter with a sink, which is great for when you have refreshments. My favorite feature is the outlet in the center of the floor, which is great for presentations.
What is inconvenient is that parking is hard to come by. There is a tiny lot off the side of the library — but when I say tiny, I mean it’s tiny. Like 10 cars max. There is some street parking available but not a lot.

Petworth library has been renovated and it is beautiful, adorning the intersection of Kansas Ave and Georgia Ave. They have beautiful private study rooms overlooking the street and private meeting space in their basement. In each wing, they have comfortable armchairs for the reader to sit in front of a beautiful (non-​functioning) hearth. They also have desks where you can plug in your laptop, and a great children’s reading section. They also have WIFI.

***NEW NUMBER 202 243 1188***DISCLAIMER… I have never visited the library this review is related to telephone contact only. I just moved to the area and was happy to find a library so close to home! Being that my laptop is in the shop and, I don’t have a wireless printer for my IPad, I needed to get there stat! The female that answered the phone was very polite and helpful. Like all libraries, a card is needed to use the services and its free. For black and white copies it’s .15/​color .35.
Four stars because I REALLY REALLY need a fax/​scanner:(

If you live close to this library and have not been by since it reopened over a year ago, it would be a great Saturday or day-​off activity. And it’s free.
They really did a wonderful job with the renovations, inside and out. Make sure you check out all three floors. Be prepared, there is always a long line to use the computers and copying machines if you need them for some reason.
The book selection is pretty limited, but it is always expanding. You can check online to see their inventory if you are looking for a particular book. Or, just go and grab whatever looks interesting. That’s the great thing about a library – if you don’t like the book there is no obligation to read it.
There is a nice periodical section, which is well-​maintained and respected by the readers. There are plenty of seats and tables, some more comfortable than others.
They have a decent selection of DVDs if you are interested in taking some of those home with you.
The Petworth Library is a good, quiet library and great addition to the neighborhood. If you go in expecting the NYC Public Library, or even some of the larger ones around DC you will be disappointed. The staff are all very friendly, at least in my experience. And don’t be afraid to ask them questions.

I really hope Les D. gives the Petworth library another go now that the construction is complete. I’ve grown to love my little local library. It’s quaint, and therefore doesn’t have a huge selection, but you can easily request your books in advance and they’ll have them waiting for you. I wouldn’t recommend going here for a specific title without requesting it first.
The library itself is bright and airy, and the staff members are always very friendly. It’s always super-​quiet when I visit (usually on Saturdays) and it’s never crowded. Such a better library experience than the MLK library has to offer. I’m yet to see any homeless or crazy people lingering around, unlike the huge crowds that MLK draws in.
Show your local library some love, folks!

This is my neighborhood library. It’s still under construction. I think it’s a big mistake to renovate this tiny, old, drafty poorly located building for this neighborhood, but I guess that decision is done. I just don’t want to know the price tag.
I attempted to study here a couple of times. Just too small and too crowded. I went to the interim library to study one time last April. A patron sat beside me after borrowing one of the branch’s laptops. He then started shouting profanities and threats to nobody in particular. One of the librarians finally came over and asked him to stop. I thought he had Tourette’s, but clearly he didn’t. He agreed to stop shouting, but ten minutes later he was back at it. Keep in mind, there are about ten preschoolers on the other side of the stacks and about ten adults in this area. Little librarian reminds him to keep it down and stop shouting profanities, and tells him if he doesn’t keep quiet, she’s going to take away the laptop. He apologizes. Librarian leaves. Scenario repeats ten minutes later. Little librarian girl attempts to take the computer. Dingus pleads not to take it. Then says she can’t take it, he has the right to the computer. Noting that some intimidation is now occurring, I had had enough at this point and I ask young Dingus to comply with the librarian’s request. He turns to her and says she can have the computer but doesn’t need no cracker telling him what to do, and that he’ll take a cracker out. Everybody in the library laughs. Except me, the cracker.
I signal to the head librarian to call the police while Dingus begins to take a more physical stance. Librarian ignores me. Little librarian leaves the area with the computer. Dingus sits back down and continues to whisper threats towards me under his breath. I’m ready to just pack and leave, but I don’t want to leave the library with no adult males who have the spine to keep this guy in check and back the library staff in this little interim building full of moms and kids. Dingus gets out of control again. Little librarian confronts him as she’s trying to keep from falling to pieces and tells him to leave. He doesn’t. I tell him to comply with the librarian. He asks what if he doesn’t. I tell him I think he should. I walk to the other librarian mere feet away and who is intentionally ignoring the scene, and tell her to call the police. After five minutes of Dingus intimidating her colleague, she finally does. Dingus sees her on the phone, sees that I’m not leaving and gradually makes his way to the door. Twenty minutes later, library police (yes, there’s a metro library police) arrive and talk to the librarians. Little librarian is so shaken, she can’t even talk to the police. Older librarian is just evasive with them. She basically tells the police as I’m eavesdropping, that he just got a little rowdy and distracted. At that point, I had heard enough. I approached the police and told them what went down, specifically that Dingus made general threats against me. They said they were going to his address and would ban him from the library. I don’t know what happened after that, other than most people in the library were bemused bystanders, and I never could return to concentrating on my work.
After Dingus left, the guy across the table from me, who chose to remain silent throughout the ordeal, finally spoke to me and told me Dingus came in there a lot of afternoons and that Dingus is usually high on crank, but not usually as bad as today. Indeed.
As I understand it, there’s a little, older librarian who lays down the law at this branch. She clearly wasn’t there that day. I haven’t returned to Petworth library, but if I ever feel like I need to get into an alley fight with a crackhead, I know where to go; my local public library branch.