Library

Earlier this month, Google and the American Library Association (ALA) announced that Herndon Fortnightly Library would be one of three sites in Virginia to host free workshops aimed at creating economic opportunities through improving digital skills. These workshops will take place March 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the branch located at 768 Center Street in the Town of Herndon.

“We’re proud to be part of this workforce development initiative between Google and the American Library Association,” said Fairfax County Public Library Director Jessica Hudson. “It’s a valuable opportunity for job seekers, small business owners and community members to enhance their digital literacy skills with a day of hands-on workshops at our Herndon Fortnightly branch.”

The initiative, called Grow with Google, recognizes the critical role that libraries play in supporting workforce development. They are kicking off the effort with free, one-day events hosted at libraries, where Grow with Google staff will lead workshops for job seekers and small business owners, as well as library staff members.

“Virginia is a center for innovation, entrepreneurship and manufacturing. By bringing the ‘Grow with Google’ tour to the state, we are making a commitment to help develop a skilled workforce that can meet the needs of Virginia’s growing economy,” said Erica Swanson, Google’s Head of Community Engagement.

There will be four different in-person workshops held:

• Digital Skills for Your Community: Learn about free tools and resources that you can use to assist job seekers in conducting an online job search and learning new digital skills, and help small businesses learn how to reach customers online. This workshop includes curriculum that you can tailor for your own community needs. Note: This session is for library, education and nonprofit professionals only.
• Reach Customers Online with Google: Anyone who wants to learn new marketing skills or reach potential customers online will learn about search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, and social media marketing. The result? A strategy that can get your organization, business or event in from of your target audience.
• Get Found on Google Search and Maps: Explore Google My Business, a free tool for local businesses who want to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps. Get hands-on help creating or updating your listing, and learn how to make a free website.
• Get Started with Email, Spreadsheets and Presentations: Do your best work from wherever you are. In this interactive workshop for beginners, anyone interested in learning more about Gmail, spreadsheets, and presentations will gain first-hand experience using these products and learn helpful tips on how to collaborate and stay organized.

You must register in advance at g.co/GrowVirginia. Space will be limited.

Library Director Jessica Hudson welcomes Lisa Bryant as Executive Director of the Fairfax Library Foundation, now in its 25th year of providing critical supplemental funding to the library.

“The Fairfax Library Foundation is an extraordinary partner of the library. We welcome Lisa Bryant and look forward to working with her to continue our work providing modern library services to the residents of Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax,” said Hudson.

Bryant starts her new position February 19. Read the full release online.

The new year motivates many of us to make positive changes, but sometimes our enthusiasm begins to flag before Groundhog Day arrives.  The Library can help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

Start with the books (unless you aren’t a reader, then skip this part!):

First of all, and this is the worst kept secret ever, but we have the best books! Maybe you are a reader and have read the latest John Grisham, but have you also browsed our nonfiction aisles? No matter what your 2019 goals include, library staff can connect you with the best books to help you achieve them. Do you want to get started on your memoir this year, get rid of your debt, buy a home or perhaps something less traditional like learn to make soap, or build a deck or train your misbehaving dog? We have just the book to keep you on track, and if we don’t, you can use interlibrary loan to find a library that does.

Not a reader? How about videos or recorded books?

If learning from a book isn’t the best method for you, let us introduce you to our DVDs and audio books. An often-overlooked resource at the library are the Great Courses audios and DVDs, in which experts in a field teach everything from art and music to history and literature. Lynda.com provides online training for everything from computer programming to photography to banjo playing. It’s a great way to learn (or improve) job skills.

Speaking of Lynda.com … that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Lynda.com is just one of the library’s databaseswe have more than 100 databases for students, professionals, retirees and everyone in between. Find articles, data and more in biography, current events, health and wellness, finance and other topics. You can even learn a new language.

Is this the year you are going to find a new, better or just plain different job? Or pass a test for certification? We have in-depth resources to help you every step of the way from refreshing your resume and interview skills to practicing for exams.  The top two databases for job hunters are LearningExpress Library and Career Transitions. Stop by any library branch to get specific support for your dream career. Don’t forget the books about job hunting and career exploration!

Last but not least: Library Events

If you prefer to learn in person, or maybe your goal is to meet new people, then attend a library event. Browse the library’s calendar of events online or in print (hard copy available in branches) for programs of interest to you. There are opportunities each month to get better acquainted with technology, talk to others about books, discover a new a hobby, watch a movie, learn to play cards and more for all ages.

Library staff are standing by to help you maintain your 2019 resolutions. It’s too early to give up!

Leave the hustle and bustle behind and enjoy the library’s calming sense of peace during December. Select from many great programs from crafting and book discussions to meditation and yoga. Visit our online calendar of events to see all the activities happening in December.

Here are a few seasonal programs to enjoy. Find more online or in our printed calendar of events available at library branches.

Winter Holiday Open House at Herndon Fortnightly Library

Saturday, December 1, 12:30 – 4 p.m. Music, children's crafts, light refreshments and a visit with Santa. All ages.

A Taste of the Holidays with Chef Cal at Pohick Regional Library

Saturday, December 1, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Chef Cal presents tips and recipes to make easy and delicious holiday meals. Adults. Sign up online or call 703-644-7333 TTY: 711.

Holiday Cookie & Recipe Swap at Centreville Regional Library

Tuesday, December 4, 7 – 8 p.m. Bring your favorite cookie recipe to share with other cookie bakers. Bring two dozen homemade cookies and take home an assortment, along with great recipes. Adults. Sign up online or call 703-830-2223 TTY: 711.

 Adult Craft Night: Light Up Holiday Cards at Martha Washington Library

Thursday, December 6, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Create a unique holiday card that lights up. All supplies provided. Adults. Sign up online or call 703-768-6700 TTY: 711.

Winter Craft Night at Lorton Library

Thursday, December 6, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Create winter-themed crafts to decorate your home for the winter season and holidays. Materials provided. Adults and teens. Sign up online or call 703-339-7385 TTY: 711.

Holiday Open House at Oakton Library

Saturday, December 8, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season with light refreshments, entertainment and fun for all ages.

Holiday History Book Mart at City of Fairfax Regional Library

Sunday, December 9, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Local authors will be selling their books at this Holiday History Book Mart. Meet authors who have written about the history of this county and surroundings. Free event sponsored by the library and the Friends of the Virginia Room. Adults.

Winter Holiday Crafts at Thomas Jefferson Library

Monday, December 10, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Make 3D paper snowflakes, candy cane reindeer, ornaments and other winter-themed crafts. All ages.

Fireside Cafe Burke Centre Library

Tuesday, December 11, 7 – 8 p.m. Hear beautiful music performed by Robinson Concert Orchestra while relaxing by our flickering fireplace and savoring hot chocolate. All ages.

Holiday Movie at Dolley Madison Library

Friday, December 14, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Enjoy Disney's “A Christmas Carol,” complete with popcorn and drinks. "Jim Carrey stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in this adaptation of Dickens' classic holiday tale about the value of generosity and the true meaning of Christmas." Rated PG. Age 6-12.

Holiday Open House Pohick Regional Library

Saturday, December 15, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the holiday season with light refreshments, music, face painting and other fun activities. All ages.

Holiday Open House Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library

Saturday, December 15, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join the Tysons-Pimmit staff as we celebrate the holidays. Hear music from the Marshall High School choir; enjoy children's crafts and treats from the Tysons-Pimmit Friends. All ages.

Holiday Open House Martha Washington Library

Saturday, December 15, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Stop in for holiday fun, music, refreshments and face painting. All ages.

Holiday Open House at Reston Regional Library

Saturday, December 15, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season with light refreshments, music, entertainment and fun. Al ages.

Holidays at Hogwarts Movie Matinee at Woodrow Wilson Library

Wednesday, December 26, 2 – 5 p.m. Catch a matinee showing of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” (PG). You are welcome to bring snacks, blankets and the whole family.

Holiday Movie at Herndon Fortnightly Library 

Friday, December 28, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Watch the movie “Frozen” (PG) and enjoy snacks provided by the Friends of the Herndon Fortnightly Library. Wear your favorite princess dress! All ages.

Miriam Smolen has been elected chairman of the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees. A resident of Fairfax, Smolen has served as the Providence District representative to the board since 2015.

Fran Millhouser has been elected as the vice chairman. Millhouser, a resident of Falls Church, has served as the Mason District representative to the Board since 2015.

Their terms begin July 1, 2018, and last one year.

The Library Board of Trustees is responsible for library policies and for making budget recommendations to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The 12-member volunteer Board comprises one member from each of the nine supervisory districts in Fairfax County, each appointed by the district supervisor; one member-at-large, approved by the Chairman of the Board; one member appointed by the City of Fairfax Council; and one member nominated by the School Board.

Library board meetings are usually held the second Wednesday of each month (except August) at the George Mason Regional Library, located at 7001 Little River Turnpike in Annandale. Please visit the Fairfax County public meetings calendar to confirm dates and locations.

For more information visit the library’s Board of Trustees page.

Twenty-One of Your Neighbors Were Honored This Month At Fairfax County Public Library

In addition to being celebrated for the number of hours given to the library, five volunteers were recognized for providing volunteer service that was deemed exceptional by library staff. The impact of volunteers on daily library services cannot be over emphasized. In calendar year 2017, 1,581 volunteers dedicated over 115,000 hours to the library.

These treasured volunteers were publically recognized and applauded at the recent library board of trustees meeting by staff, trustees and Delegate Mark Sickles, who served as MC at the event.

Sickles said, “Volunteers play a significant role in the library’s ability to provide the highest customer service to county residents.” Sharing a quote that he said “truly recognizes the spirit of volunteerism,” Sickles said: “‘Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.’”

“‘Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.’”

The following volunteers are helping build the community we all want to live in, with a strong and well-loved library that supports all residents.

2018 Volunteer Star Awardees:

Exceptional Service Honorees

• Margaret Culyba, Burke Centre Library
• Jennifer Brooks, Herndon Fortnightly Library
• Jaimi Turgeon, Herndon Fortnightly Library
• Pauline Reid, Oakton Library
• Georgia Chirieleison, Patrick Henry

Length of Service Volunteers

• Su Davis, Reston Regional Library

• Sandra Griffith, City of Fairfax Regional Library
• Juanita Broome, Kings Park Library

• John Florio, Burke Centre Library
• Caroline Wilkinson, Burke Centre Library
• Ronak Mohammed, Centreville Regional Library
• Diane Redmond, Centreville Regional Library
• Emmi Rose Ayo, Chantilly Regional Library
• Maggie Belsan, City of Fairfax Regional Library
• Anita Lopez, Kings Park Library
• Betty Mackenzie, Kings Park Library
• Yolanda Gaines, Kingstowne Library
• Dianne McCune, Kingstowne Library
• Susan Luvison, Oakton Library
• Leanna Bell, Patrick Henry Library
• Ro Hofford, Patrick Henry Library

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized April 8-14 as Library Week in Fairfax County with a special proclamation during its March 20 meeting. Among other notable services, the proclamation lauded the public library for “supporting public safety, family services, mental and physical health, business development, information dissemination and child development and education.”

In thanking the Board of Supervisors, Miriam Smolen, Vice Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees, also recognized the “high-quality staff of the library’s 23 branches, and the 1,581 volunteers who donated 115,486 hours to the library last year.” She also applauded the financial contributions from the different Friends’ of the library groups and from the Fairfax Library Foundation for helping to enhance the library’s services.

The library is pleased to join libraries nationwide in celebrating the many ways libraries lead their communities through the transformative services, programs and expertise they offer. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. This year’s theme is “Libraries Lead.” It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries—school, public, academic and special—participate.

Jane Miscavage of Vienna, Stella Pekarsky of Centreville and Philip Rosenthal of Fairfax Station have been appointed to the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees. Miscavage is an at large delegate, while Pekarsky represents the Sully District and Rosenthal represents the Springfield District.

Miscavage is an award-winning public affairs strategist who will serve on the library’s public relations committee. Currently she serves as vice president of outreach for the Fairfax County Council of PTAs supporting 175 local PTAs. She is a bookseller at Bards Alley Bookstore, an independent community bookstore in Vienna that she helped launch in 2017. Among her career accomplishments, she has: overseen grassroots advocacy efforts on behalf of Fairfax County Public Schools, including the successful campaign that led to the first fully-funded schools budget (FY 2017) in 10 years; managed communications campaigns for non-profit, political, corporate and social service clients; been a substitute teacher; and served as President of the Thoreau Middle School PTA where she oversaw fundraising for a major school renovation. Miscavage has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois.

Pekarsky is a child advocate with extensive leadership experience, including managing programs, budgets and volunteers, and teaching and coordinating youth services for diverse populations. Currently she is co-owner of Skyway Air Taxi of Manassas where she manages strategic planning, marketing and customer relations. She serves as Secretary for the Fairfax Council of PTAs and is a member of the education committee of the Fairfax Chapter of the NAACP. Earlier, she served as president of the Greenbriar West Parent Teacher Association where she helped develop after school programs and coordinated all events; served as president of her Homeowners Association in Centreville; and advocated for students’ interests as an ESOL Teacher in Fairfax. She will serve on the library’s ad hoc policy committee. Pekarsky has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Mason University.

Rosenthal is president of Nationwide Credit Corporation in Alexandria where he directs all management, personnel and overall operations. As part of that role, he oversaw the merging of National Capitol Adjustment Corp. with Nationwide Credit Corporation in 2000. He has advanced throughout the ranks of the American Collectors Association International, having held each executive officer position, culminating in serving as president in 1999-2000. He was twice awarded the Paul Bunyan Award, ACA’s highest honor. Currently he serves on ACA’s board of directors. He is a current member and past chairman of the Fairfax County Community Action Advisory Board and a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, among other business and civic organizations. Rosenthal will serve on the library’s finance committee. He has a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.

The Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees approved a revised Memorandum of Understanding between individual library Friends, the Library Board and the Fairfax County Public Library at its January 10, 2018, meeting, concluding more than nine months of work on the document. The library is fortunate to have more than 20 active Friends groups that support the library in numerous ways including donating funds raised through the sale of used books mainly provided by the library, sponsoring events such as the Summer Reading Adventure, and many other worthwhile projects. Miriam Smolen, Chair of the ad hoc MOU Committee of the Library Board shared that “The Friends members are passionate volunteers who provide invaluable services to the Library.”

The new MOU, which replaces a prior 2006 version, provides additional clarity and details regarding the relationship and requirements among the three parties. Components of the document cover communication and coordination, use of the library resources and organization of the Friends groups. The document also details the responsibilities of the Board and the library towards their non-profit partners.

Jessica Hudson, library director, stated that “The MOU offers a chance for the Board, the Friends and staff to recommit to the partnership. The MOU offers clarity in terms of steps to take in order to maintain transparency, public accountability and strong and productive relationships.”

Members of the Library Board of Trustees expressed their appreciation for the Friends groups and the important work they do for the library and the staff during discussions at the January meeting.

Over the next few months, library staff will work with the Friends groups on execution of the document. Once signed, the MOU will remain in effect for five years, with optional five year extensions.

Did you know that we have …

3-D printers?

• Yep!

Teen gaming centers?

• Yep!

eBooks?

• Yep!

Items beyond books available for lending?

• Yep, including thermal cameras, nature backpacks and Civil War Education kits. (More items coming soon.)

How can you stay on top of it all? It’s easy …

• Visit your local library branch regularly and ask what’s new. Pick up an events calendar while you’re there.

• Visit us online and spend some time browsing the website and LibGuides.

• Follow the library on Facebook and Twitter.

• Sign up for the library newsletters including the weekly e-news, Family Fun, Ready to Read, Wowbrary and Loud and Clear for people with disabilities.

• Visit the library’s Flickr and YouTube pages. (They will make you smile; we guarantee it.)

• Watch the library’s quarterly cable show “Check it Out,” produced by the county’s own Channel 16 staff.

Your library supports job seekers, career changers, students at every level, business owners, parents, teens, caregivers, new Americans, entrepreneurs, older adults, preschoolers, and those that just want a “third place” between work/school and home to hangout and access the Wi-Fi.

And one last thing …. Check out our phenomenal online resources (we sometimes call them databases) … what a wealth of curated and authoritative information to meet your needs whether financial, health, academic, business, auto mechanics, studying for a test … (and more, more, more) don’t bypass this incredible portal to stats, articles, educational resources and fun ways to learn for all ages … discovered by you (not Google). If you like to be in the know and help others find what they need, browse the database collection today and help us spread the word!