The mission of the District of Columbia Public Library is to acquire and organize information, including books and other materials, to meet the educational, cultural and recreational needs of adults and children in the community; and to provide free access to these materials and services in a manner convenient to the homes and offices of all residents.

The D.C. Public Library was established in 1896 as an independent city agency. It operates the Martin Luther King Memorial Library (the downtown central library), four regional libraries, seventeen neighborhood branch libraries, four smaller community libraries, a kiosk and a bookmobile service to senior centers.