The Lamond-Riggs Library Friends (LRLF) was founded on June 9, 2017 to address our community’s lack of representation within the Federation of Friends of the District of Columbia Public Library (“Federation”) since 2012.  We were formally recognized by the Federation on June 14, 2017, and we are an IRS 501(c) 3 organization.

Our mission is to advocate for both the Lamond-Riggs Library and the DC Public Library (DCPL).  Advocacy involves articulating the needs of our community and requesting support for local and/or city-wide improvements in library funding, programming and services.

However, much to our surprise, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyon McDuffie advanced the Lamond-Riggs library reconstruction funding to 2017 from 2020.  As a result, we had to simultaneously build an organization and prepare for the construction related challenges ahead.

We have achieved much during our short tenure.  A list of our endeavors and accomplishments follow:

• Solicited community opinion on the Lamond-Riggs Library rebuild via the 2017 LRLF Survey.
• Attended DCPL Performance Hearings.
• Advertised library events through local civic associations, the Nextdoor website and flyer distribution.
• Established Twitter Account.
• Developing Webpage.
• Participated on DCPL Design Team Panel.
• Coordinated Stakeholder’s Tour of DCPL Library Branches.
• Analyzed Lamond-Riggs programming and developed options for all age groups.
• Initiated Teen Chess Program.
• Applied for 2018 DC Oral History Collaborative Grant.
• Provided funding for Lamond-Riggs Library events.

LRLF looks forward to an even more productive year before the Lamond-Riggs closure and the transfer to an interim facility.