FCPL Newsroom | Library

Department Resources

Library-related news and special events for you and your family to enjoy. For a full list of events at your library visit our Library Calendar. Stay connected to your library by following us on social media: Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram.

For media queries, contact Marketing & Communications Director Sara Prohaska at sara.prohaska@fairfaxcounty.gov.

FCPL and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 1, 2021

This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) supports statements from the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association and American Library Association condemning ongoing anti-Asian hate crimes. FCPL serves a large county with a diverse population and works to build community and end racism toward all people of color by replacing violence and fear with inclusiveness and enlightenment. Your library is committed to the County’s One Fairfax policy of social and racial equity. We provide materials, create community programs, and have spaces that are open and welcoming to all. In the words of Nelson Mandela: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” For parents and caregivers working to teach love and tolerance, FCPL offers racial and social equity resources to support your efforts and has curated a list of online resources about the AAPI community. For others wishing to learn more, we offer additional resources and events for all ages this month.

Read full article

Behind the Scenes at FCPL: The Intern Experience

July 20, 2021

A local aspiring librarian shares his story of working in a branch while pursuing his Master of Library Science degree. By Dylan Wokeck, Intern, Richard Byrd Library (January-April 2021) Facilitating Reading and Learning Interning at a library is an enlightening experience offering unique rewards if you have the mindset to receive them. When I began my internship at Richard Byrd Library in late January, FCPL branches were closed to the public and offering users full access to the physical collection through curbside pickup of items placed on hold. Most days I saw our list of holds exceed 150, and some days it was more than 200. These items had to be hunted down throughout the library, scanned into the computer system, have a sticker placed on them, and put on our hold shelf or transferred to other libraries. Every moment of this was exciting. These holds meant that people were using the library, even during a pandemic! The work I was doing was facilitating reading and learning. You may not know why someone is checking out something from the library, but you know that you are improving some aspect of their life by getting it to them. Offering In-Person Support My experience was made all the better once the library buildings reopened to the public. It started as a trickle of visitors, but it was still wonderful to see people return to the branch. Not only could I collect holds, but Library Information Assistant Anne Sinclair and Branch Manager Valerie Suttee helped train me also to answer all of our visitors’ questions. I still have a lot to learn — and helping readers find new titles they may enjoy takes a lot of practice — but these two FCPL staff members and everyone else at Richard Byrd have provided exceptional support in my preparation to become a librarian on my own. A Legacy of Library Service Before she passed away, my grandmother told me she worked as a library page at Richard Byrd Library around 1959. While she didn’t stay in the library for her career, she did continue to help people by providing home health and hospice care. I may not be going into the medical field, but I am following partially in her footsteps and looking forward to working in a position dedicated to helping others. Dylan graduated from East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.) in May 2021 with his Master of Library Science (MLS) degree and continues to volunteer at Richard Byrd Library.

Registration Now Open for July meeting of Josh Bell's Book Club

June 24, 2021

Fairfax County Public Library is excited to announce registration is open for the third meeting of Josh Bell’s Book Club, a partnership between FCPL and the Washington Nationals. Library cardholders can now register for the second book discussion with Josh Bell to be held virtually July 18 at 7 p.m. Check out July's book After the Rain: Gentle Reminders for Healing, Courage, and Self-Love by Alexandra Elle, Make sure to register with the email address that is associated with your Zoom account. Register now! Nationals fans, book lovers and anyone exploring self-improvement, seeking out good, or pursuing progress: Josh Bell's Book Club is for you. Bell has has purposefully chosen books for his club that offer concepts, mindsets and inspiration for being and becoming better. Books – Betterment – Progress is a continuum: we can learn through books, we can become better and we can achieve progress. Each month Bell will announce another book in this season-long series. Read the book and join Bell and librarians from FCPL and Prince George's County Memorial Library in engaging discussions about what resonated. Check back often to register for the virtual book discussions and to see which books are next in this series. We and Josh Bell look forward to seeing you on July 18! Register now!

Registration Now Open for June Meeting of Josh Bell's Book Club

May 27, 2021

Fairfax County Public Library is excited to announce registration is open for the second meeting of Josh Bell’s Book Club, a partnership between FCPL and the Washington Nationals. Library cardholders can now register for the second book discussion with Josh Bell to be held virtually June 13 at 7 p.m. Check out June's book, Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven. Make sure to register with the email address that is associated with your Zoom account. Register now! Nationals fans, book lovers and anyone exploring self-improvement, seeking out good, or pursuing progress: Josh Bell's Book Club is for you. Bell has has purposefully chosen books for his club that offer concepts, mindsets and inspiration for being and becoming better. Books – Betterment – Progress is a continuum: we can learn through books, we can become better and we can achieve progress. Each month Bell will announce another book in this season-long series. Read the book and join Bell and librarians from FCPL and Prince George's County Memorial Library in engaging discussions about what resonated. Check back often to register for the virtual book discussions and to see which books are next in this series. We and Josh Bell look forward to seeing you on June 13! Register now!

May 13, 2021

Fairfax County Public Library is excited to announce the opening of registration for Josh Bell’s Book Club, a partnership between FCPL and the Washington Nationals. Library cardholders can now register for the first book discussion with Josh Bell to be held virtually May 23 at 7 p.m. Registration opens to the general public on May 14. Check out May's book, The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance by H.A. Dorfman and Karl Kuehl. Make sure to register with the email address that is associated with your Zoom account. Register now! Nationals fans, book lovers and anyone exploring self-improvement, seeking out good, or pursuing progress: Josh Bell's Book Club is for you. Bell has has purposefully chosen books for his club that offer concepts, mindsets and inspiration for being and becoming better. Books – Betterment – Progress is a continuum: we can learn through books, we can become better and we can achieve progress. Each month Bell will announce another book in this season-long series. Read the book and join Bell and librarians from FCPL and Prince George's County Memorial Library in engaging discussions about what resonated. Check back often to register for the virtual book discussions and to see which books are next in this series. We and Josh Bell look forward to seeing you on May 23! Register now!

Honoring Former Trustee Will Jasper

May 10, 2021

Fairfax County and Virginia state officials gathered Thursday to honor Willard Owen Jasper, a longtime Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) Trustee for Lee District. First appointed to the board in 2004, Jasper served as a trustee for 16 years before he passed away on Oct. 4, 2020, after a brief illness. A conference room at the John Marshall Library in Alexandria now bears a plaque in Jasper’s honor. The current FCPL Board of Trustees voted to confer the honor. Naming a free, public space after Jasper is appropriate, as in life Jasper felt it was important that community members had a place to gather, said Fran Millhouser, chair of the FCPL Board of Trustees . “The best thing about naming something after someone is people say, ‘Who was this guy? Who was this woman?’ and then you get to tell the whole story and they get to reflect about how they can take a time piece of Will’s personality,” said Jeffrey McKay, chair of the county Board of Supervisors. He was always happy to see Will on the list of people with whom he was meeting on a given day, McKay said. The world needs more positive people like Jasper, the chairman said. Former Congressman Jim Moran echoed McKay, recounting stories of Jasper’s calm, positive demeanor. Jasper’s grandson spoke on behalf of the family. “He knew how to show up for his community, and his family,” said Isaac Feldman.

Llama y escucha un cuento!

April 20, 2021

A partir de este mes, la Biblioteca Pública del Condado de Fairfax (FCPL) ofrecerá el servicio de Dial-A-Story. Los clientes podrán llamar y escuchar los cuentos leídos por los bibliotecarios de FCPL. Los cuentos se ofrecen tanto en inglés como en español. Este servicio permite a los padres y cuidadores que limitan el tiempo que los niños pasan frente a la pantalla o que no tienen acceso a Internet a que puedan escuchar los cuentos a través del teléfono. Los cuentos están dirigidos a niños de 3 a 5 años y cada dos semanas se agregarán mas a la lista. ¡Marque 703-246-book (2665) ahora para escuchar! El mensaje inicial está en inglés, marque el numero “2” para español.

Library

Library Alert:

Department Resources

Upcoming Events

Fairfax Virtual Assistant