Library Chief Pushes for New Building

Cooper is not likely to get bored in the District anytime soon.

City officials said four neighborhood branches were closed nearly two years ago, and annoyed residents have yet to get promised new facilities. Library advocates are growing impatient waiting for the release of a task force report that has been promised "in two weeks" for several months. Morale is low among the staffers who complain of poor ventilation, broken elevators and unruly homeless visitors, officials said.

The debate over whether to build or renovate the library was fueled last month when Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi said, either way, the construction costs are likely to be $275 million, $61 million more than estimated originally.

Council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), who is opposed to using the convention center's prime downtown location for a library, introduced a third option -- using the old Carnegie Library between New York and Massachusetts avenues NW.

"I do not want to use the old convention center site, which is such a valuable piece of property, to put a public service on there that doesn't raise any funds," Schwartz said. "That is penny-wise, pound-foolish."

But a feasibility study found the Carnegie Library is not large enough and lacks parking and any proposed renovations would have adverse affects on its century-old trees.

As the debate continues about the main library, some residents in neighborhoods where the four branches are closed -- Anacostia, Benning, Shaw and Tenleytown -- are rallying to pressure public officials to take action.

Eddie Rhodes, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Northeast Washington, said his constituents plan to protest a proposal to build apartments over the new Benning library.

"We don't want housing to be a part of it," Rhodes said. "We would rather see the old library reopened."

Rhodes said he hopes Cooper will listen to the residents because they are "very passionate about libraries. The library is associated with being a safe and quiet place."

John W. Hill Jr., president of the library trustees board, said that Cooper has moved swiftly to station four new bookmobiles in communities with closed libraries. Cooper said libraries are now open on Sundays, wireless Internet access is available and hundreds of new computers are being installed.

"We're thrilled to have her here," Hill said. "She's getting things done, firmly taking control of the library."

The test will be whether Cooper can persuade residents that a new facility is needed. A similar effort in Brooklyn failed.

Robin Diener, director of the Library Renaissance Project, a local advocacy group, said Cooper's job in the District will demand community input.

"If she's going to be distracted by building buildings, and if we don't include the community, then there's going to be a lot of hostility," Diener said. "That is going to make moving forward more time-consuming than it needs to be."