Library

Beginning Sunday, April 3, all regional and community branches will return to their regular schedules.

Regional branches will be open:

• 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and
• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Community branches will be open:

• 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and
• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Community branches will not be open on Sundays.

FCPL’s Access Service branch remains open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) Board of Trustees on Wednesday evening honored several staff members with its annual Staff Excellence Awards.

Library users nominated their favorite staff members this February, and a board committee selected winners from nearly 150 nominations recognizing staff members from 12 branches and FCPL’s administrative services. Board members introduced each winner and shared an excerpt from their nomination during Wednesday’s virtual meeting.

2022 FCPL Staff Excellence Award Winners

• Vicki Corcoran, information assistant at Richard Byrd Library
• Renee Edwards, programming and educational services director at FCPL Administrative Services
• Kelly Gilbert, youth services assistant at Chantilly Regional Library
• Jane Girondo, early literacy assistant at FCPL Administrative Services
• Robert Harsher, reader’s advisor at Access Services
• Jill Johnson, branch manager at Burke Centre Library
• Christine Jones, branch manager at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library
• Rebecca LaPlante, assistant branch manager at Pohick Regional Library
• Christine Lomax, page manager at Woodrow Wilson Library
• Elaine McRey, librarian at City of Fairfax Regional Library
• Kim Nguyen, library aide at Burke Centre Library
• Shazia Shehryar, page manager at Oakton Library
• Rebecca Takacs, youth services assistant at Reston Regional Library
• Anita Toth, youth services assistant at Burke Centre Library
• Erica Tran, library aide at John Marshall Library
• Maree Watkins, librarian at City of Fairfax Reginal Library
• Nora Wickert, information assistant at Dolley Madison Library

FCPL is offering events and programming this Women’s History Month to celebrate, honor and educate. You can also check out titles curated for Women’s History Month by FCPL librarians or view selections in Kanopy’s collection of films honoring women from around the world and their contributions to science, politics, art, society and more. Don’t have a Kanopy account yet? Learn more about this streaming service brought to you by FCPL.

Book lovers can join author Joyana Peters at Patrick Henry Library Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m. to learn about the Garment Workers’ Uprising in 1909 and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911, events fictionalized in her book The Girl in the Triangle. Advance registration is required.

For those interested in women’s involvement in World War II, three events delve into the subject:

• On March 9 at 7 p.m., virtually meet Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms. This fictional story is about two daring women who were part of the Army's first class of female officers and the first Black women allowed to serve their country during World War II. Advance registration is required.
• Irving Lubliner recently published the powerful stories his mother wrote before her death about her internment during WWII in Polish ghettos and two Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen, in the book Only Hope: A Survivor’s Stories of the Holocaust. Join him virtually Wednesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. when he will share excerpts from the book and discuss his process in bringing the project to fruition. Advance registration is required.
• On Thursday, March 17, at 12 p.m., author Kayleen Reusser will share stories about some of the 350,000 American women who joined the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Army Air Corps during WWII. Advance registration is required.

End the month with master storyteller Diane Macklin’s virtual presentation of “Threads of Freedom: Stories Woven Into African American Quilts” on Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m. Advance registration is required.

Immerse yourself in living history. Sherwood Regional Library in Alexandria is hosting the Traveling While Black interactive program from Feb. 22 to April 2, 2022. Visitors to this cinematic virtual reality exhibit experience lessons about restricted movement and race relations in the U.S. as shared by patrons around a booth in D.C.’s historic Ben's Chili Bowl. Hourlong slots are available to the public and advance registration is required.

Ben’s Chili Bowl has been a Washington, D.C., mainstay of the African American community since 1958, bearing witness to significant Civil Rights milestones that are woven into the film in powerful snippets of footage. From the stirring memories of Civil Rights leader Courtland Cox to the heartbreaking words of Samaria Rice, whose young son Tamir was killed by police in 2014, virtual reality connects the parallels of the past to the present.

Can’t make it to the Sherwood Regional branch or want more information about the history of traveling while Black? Join the Burke Historical Society virtually on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. for the presentation “You Will Find It Handy: Traveling Through the Old Dominion With the Green Book.” Refusal of service and other threats made automobile and other travel extremely difficult for Black travelers. The Negro Motorist Green Book, published from 1936 to 1967 and renamed The Negro Travelers’ Green Book in 1952, provided a trusted guidebook to ensure safe travels. This presentation highlights more than 300 Virginia sites advertised in The Green Book between 1938 and 1967. Registration is required.

Beginning Sunday, Jan. 16, and effective through April 1, all regional and community Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) branches will be closed every Sunday and Monday. These branches will open in keeping with their regularly scheduled hours Tuesday through Saturday.

Regional libraries will be open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Community libraries will be open Tuesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Access Services branch located at the Fairfax County Government Center will maintain its usual hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

View a system map and listing of regional and community branches.

The current surge in COVID-19 cases and a high number of vacancies necessitated this change in hours.

FCPL is always available online! Search our digital offerings via Libby, or explore ten other ways to enjoy your local library from home.

At its Dec. 8 virtual meeting, the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) Board of Trustees approved a new policy that ends the practice of charging overdue fines on most library materials.

"The FCPL Board of Trustees has approved eliminating fines on most library materials and joins surrounding jurisdictions in removing this significant barrier to equitable access to information and library services," said FCPL Board of Trustees Chair Fran Millhouser.

Library staff members are working to ensure the system is set to forgive fines already incurred and stop imposing most fines beginning around Jan. 1, 2022.

Overdue fines remain in effect for some special collections and interlibrary loan materials.

“Equity is driving our shift to a fine-free model of library services; we don’t want accrual of overdue fines to deter anyone who wants to use the library,” said FCPL Director Jessica Hudson.

FCPL analysis showed that overdue fines disproportionately affected young people and those in low-income areas. Pre-pandemic, “blocked” cards (accounts not allowed to check out materials due to having more than $15 in fines) were about 17% of the total cardholder population. “Blocked” youth cards (accounts for users under the age of 18) were 23% of the youth cardholder population.

“Blocked” card numbers are higher in areas served by Reston Regional Library (Hunter Mill District), City of Fairfax Regional Library, George Mason Regional Library (Mason District), Kingstowne Library (Mt. Vernon/Lee District) and Sherwood Regional Library (Mt. Vernon District). There appears to be a link between low-income communities and higher numbers of blocked library accounts.

Library systems around the nation, including in all neighboring counties, have gone fine-free and experienced surges in returned materials. These systems have also found that their cardholders continue to return materials on time, even without the threat of fines, Hudson said.

FCPL’s special collections that will continue to incur overdue fines include but are not limited to: interlibrary loan materials, Chromebooks and mobile hotspots.

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.

Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) branches reopened their doors to customers Monday morning after two months of curbside pickup and virtual services only.

At Reston Regional Library, customers were waiting at the door when branches opened at 10 a.m.

Elizabeth O’Malley, a Vienna resident, browsed the “hot picks” section toward the front of the library. “I’ve done some [curbside] pickup but I’ve missed the library,” she said.

Five-year-old Claire Dawson perched on a stool along the stacks, surrounded by her book choices.

“We were very excited to come today, it’s a great library,” said Claire’s grandmother, Barbara Canody.

Claire wanted scary books. “I like scary like Halloween,” she said. Their family also loves using FCPL’s eBook offerings and other materials, Canody said. Claire also picked out some Disney DVDs, including “Sleeping Beauty.”

By day’s end, 379 people had visited the Reston branch.

Library staff members are as excited to have customers back inside as the customers are to browse the stacks. Wanla Freer has worked at Reston Regional Library since 1994. Earlier this month, the FCPL Board of Trustees presented her with the annual Staff Excellence Award, which is based on customer nominations.

“This is the happiest day,” Freer said of Monday’s reopening. “This is my home. Everybody knows me, and I know them.”

Sujatha Perakalapudi, another Staff Excellence Award winner, was happy to see customers again. “I like to talk with new people every day and help our community,” she said.

Across the county at Martha Washington library, Branch Manager Cathy Noonan accepted gifts and thanks from the Mount Vernon Rotary Club.

The library and its services offered “a refuge, a place of peace” during the pandemic, said Mount Vernon Rotary President Helen Walutes.

“I like to talk with new people every day and help our community.”

Martha Washington library also did brisk business Monday, with about 200 customers stopping by to check out materials.

Hannah Dorr browsed for new books with her mother and grandmother. Hannah had missed visiting the big stuffed owl that decorates Martha Washington’s children’s section, her mother said. While Hannah loves Dora the Explorer, she also discovered new books in grab bags put together by Martha Washington’s librarians for curbside pickup while the branches were closed, said her mother Jennifer.

Though staff has worked throughout the pandemic putting together virtual programming, checking in books, filling curbside requests and more, Charlotte Reineck missed the bustle of customer activity, she said. Reineck, the page manager at Martha Washington, is another Staff Excellence Award winner. On Monday she was checking in and reshelving books.

“I like creating order out of chaos and establishing relationships with patrons, the regulars,” she said.

FCPL library branches are open for interior Express Service Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Curbside services continue to be offered Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) will reopen for interior Express Services Monday, March 22.

Customers will be able to visit FCPL branches for up to 30 minutes Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Curbside pickup of materials on hold will remain available to customers Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Capacity limits will be in place: up to 30 members of the public at a time may be in community branches and up to 60 may be in regional branches.

Library programming will remain virtual and meeting rooms will remain closed at this time.

Please do not visit a branch if you have COVID-19 symptoms, have been exposed to someone who tested positive or are awaiting COVID-19 test results.

We will continue to offer robust virtual programming for all ages, which can be found on our YouTube channel and Facebook page. Learn about the top 10 ways to access FCPL resources at home.

Please find more pandemic-related information on the county’s COVID-19 webpage or the emergency blog.

Learn more about curbside service at the library.

To wish you good luck in the new year, FCPL is offering:

Something told: One Community, Many Stories

Something new: eBooks of the Month

Something borrowed: 2.1 million items available!

Something to do: Winter Reading Challenge

Our new One Community, Many Stories virtual storytime series will feature each month a member of a marginalized community reading a children’s book that reflects their lived experience. Stay tuned to our events calendar for more information and schedule details!

Beginning January 1, we’re launching an eBook of the Month program, which will offer two hand-selected eBooks for unlimited use each month. Click here to learn more and find out which titles we’ve chosen for January!

For more reading-related fun in the new year, plan to join in our new Winter Reading Challenges for all ages. Our virtual Summer Reading Challenges were a huge hit, so we didn’t want to wait a whole year to do it again! Plus, we’re eager to introduce Beanstack as our new platform for reading challenge activities and logs. Stay tuned to our website and social media for sign up instructions, and mark your calendar for a virtual author event with Gale Galligan on January 11 to kick off the youth winter reading challenge.