Dear Fairfax County Community,

Winter is upon us here in Fairfax County! For many of us, that means more time spent indoors, keeping comfy and surrounding ourselves with family and friends. Luckily for you, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) has many outstanding programs that can keep readers of all ages entertained (and warm) both in person and from the comfort of their own homes.

I am excited to share that library users can now check out board games! Available at our Centreville, George Mason and Sherwood Regional branches, our collection includes games for all ages, ranging from beloved classics to newer favorites. These board games are available as a part of our Library of Things and users can check out the games for three weeks at a time.

I am also proud to welcome artist Suzy Scollon to John Marshall Library this winter. Joining us as a part of the ArtsFairfax Artist Residency Program, Ms. Scollon is an accomplished ceramics and tile work artist. She will be offering a five-class tiling workshop throughout the month of December.

Starting Dec. 1, we will be launching our Winter Reading Challenge. Running through Jan. 31, this year’s theme is “Cozy Up with a Good Book” and encourages all of us to spend more time reading for fun. Like our Summer Reading Program, readers of all ages can select to read a specific number of books or specific number of minutes to meet milestones. We have once again partnered with other community organizations to offer prizes to those who complete the challenge.

In addition to these events and programs, FCPL remains committed to developing opportunities for the residents in our county to hear from world renowned authors and this winter is no different. We are honored to have hosted Laura Numeroff, beloved author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and other classics, for a virtual storytime and Q&A session on Dec. 10. We also welcomed Ibram X. Kendi, author of the New York Times #1 bestselling book How to Be an Antiracist, on Dec. 7 for a virtual presentation and conversation.

Coming up on Feb.19, FCPL along with The Alden/McLean Community Center will welcome Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project, for an in-person presentation in honor of Black History Month. Registration for this event will open Jan. 22.

Many more exciting things are in store for FCPL in 2023. Stay tuned to your local branch, our website and our social media pages for the latest news!

Jessica A. Hudson
Director
Fairfax County Public Library