Library

NORFOLK, Va. - The Virginia Library Association (VLA) recognized two Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) staff members at the organization’s awards banquet on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Sylvia Enriquez and Wilma Andrade are a part of a group of 11 recognized the ceremony honoring librarians and library staff in Virginia for their dedication and contribution to the communities they serve.

Sylvia, a youth selection and Spanish language information assistant at Technical Operations, received the Outstanding Professional Associates Award. According to the VLA website, the award is given to “a library associate who advances and strengthens the image of Professional Associates as well as fosters communication among library employees throughout the Commonwealth.” Sylvia has been with FCPL for 27 years. She has played an integral role in advocating for and developing the library’s Spanish language collections, an achievement the VLA cites as a reason she received the award.

Wilma, a library information assistant at Reston Regional Library, received the Librarian of Color Forum Award. Per the VLA website, “this award recognizes librarians who promote an inclusive, positive environment in the libraries for persons of color, and enhances the image of librarians and library professionals of color in the community." Having moved to the United States from India, Wilma understands the struggles immigrants face and made it her mission to develop programs to help them, including English language learning and U.S. citizenship classes. Even through the pandemic, she taught classes virtually and recruited other community instructors to further develop these programs. “Wilma’s work is a wonderful example of how one person’s passion to help her community can have a profound impact on removing barriers between people of color and library information and services,” said the VLA, quoting from Wilma’s nomination.

At the ceremony, Sylvia was on hand to accept her award while Kevin Osborne, Deputy Director of FCPL, accepted Wilma’s award on her behalf.

LORTON, Va – More than 1,400 community members gathered Saturday for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Lorton Community Center and Library. The facility, which features a newly renovated and expanded Lorton Library, aims to bring many important county resources to the community in one convenient location. “This facility combines services, resources, entertainment and education,” said Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck “It's all in one place for all ages and all abilities...truly the center of Lorton.”

In addition to Supervisor Storck, other county, state and federal leaders, both past and present, were on hand to mark the occasion. “Every square inch of this building, thought and energy was put into designing it in a way that it can accommodate the community's needs for such a long time,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “What I really love is when you walk through here, you'll see all the great amenities for seniors, the library, the teens and the young people in our community come together in one place . Not dividing our communities up but bringing people together in one place so that we can learn from each other.”

Former Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland, under whose tenure the early stages of this project began, addressed the crowd, saying that with the center and other developments in the community, “Lorton became a place that people have now recognized as an absolutely wonderful, wonderful place to live … Lorton, which is not a negative anymore. It's a positive. We have in this community almost everything that a vibrant community would want to have.”

One part of the ceremony enjoyed by guests on Saturday was the newly renovated Lorton Library. The rejuvenated branch makes up slightly more than one-third of the new facility, expanding from 10,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet and features multiple meeting rooms/spaces, a teen section with a gaming area, a colorful children’s area and many books and resources available for checkout.

“This library, community center and park space are really the best of what our county has to offer,” said Jessica Hudson, Fairfax County Public Library Director. “When we join our spaces together, we’re able to offer one space that you can come in and get multiple different services … we want it to be perfect for all of you.”

Also in attendance was U.S. Rep. Don Beyer who praised those who developed the facility, saying, “Thank you for creating this center … And for making these opportunities accessible to so many. It's a fundamental step to creating a healthy, active, sociable community; creating the social capital we also need, and this is all the more so after all the years of isolation and confinement with COVID.” Rep. Beyer also lauded the library specifically for providing the community with free Wi-Fi access. “We've learned that internet must be a basic human right in the 21st century,” he said. “And now so many will have a chance to reimagine and navigate their lives once we have universal broadband service.”

Following the program and ribbon cutting, Hudson, library staff and volunteers welcomed guests into the branch, where they were able to experience many different types of services offered at the library. These included arts and crafts, storytimes, 3D printing demonstrations, a musical performance by Groovy Nate and of course, book checkout.

Two community members who spoke as a part of the program best summed up the atmosphere of the day. Alicia Doe, a parent in the community who looks forward to attending the center with her children said, “This center demonstrates the impact that partners working together for the community will have on every life stage from youth, right through adult education and activities for seniors. This will benefit everyone from our community. Thank you for making this a reality for us all.” Ivan Robles, a community youth, added to this sentiment, saying “I'm happy that they have built this new center here in my community where we will have the opportunity to have more programs and a safe space to play and study.”

Lorton Library is open Monday from 1 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Learn more about the branch and the services they offer.

OAKTON, Va. – FCPL’s Oakton branch on Sept. 24 hosted a celebration in honor of its 15th anniversary. Guests including U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, Fairfax County Supervisor Dalia Palchik and Virginia Sen. John Chapman “Chap” Petersen were on hand to pay tribute to the library’s longevity.

To commemorate the occasion, attendees were treated to a variety of festivities including a presentation on owls from wildlife organization Secret Garden Birds and Bees, a performance from the Vienna Community Band, activities for children and a tour of the library’s rain garden.

Additionally, the ceremony served to showcase the history of the library and how far it has come. “The story of Oakton Library is as unique as Fairfax County itself,” said Connolly. “The need for the library came during a time when many residents felt there was not a library nearby for them to attend,” he continued. Since opening in 2007, Oakton Library has received a Silver Rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a habitat for wildlife.  

Oakton Library now offers many programs to people of all ages and backgrounds, including preschool storytimes, book discussion groups, guest speakers and more. According to Friends of Oakton Library Co-President Corinne Savage, “It’s impossible to imagine Oakton without a library. It continues to inform, educate and inspire all who step foot in here.”

Learn more about the Oakton branch or find out how you can get involved with the Friends of Oakton Library.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Fairfax County officials gathered Saturday to honor Carmen Fernandez, a longtime pillar of the Culmore community.

A conference room at the Woodrow Wilson Library in Falls Church now bears plaques in Fernandez’s honor. The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) Board of Trustees voted in June 2022 to confer the honor.

Born in Cuba, Fernandez came to the U.S. in 1960 and worked as a social worker in Arlington County for 25 years before founding the nonprofit Hispanics Against Child Abuse and Neglect (HACAN), according to her obituary.

Fernandez spent many Saturday mornings in the Woodrow Wilson Library room that now bears her name facilitating community programs and activities for elementary school-aged children through a HACAN program known as Morning Star, as well as parenting education classes through the Morning Star Mothers program.

“It’s Saturday morning and here we are at the Woodrow Wilson Library, where Carmen spent hundreds of Saturday mornings,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross. “That was Carmen, always willing to give time and effort to her community … Her legacy is here, in the faces of the many children she inspired.

HACAN is a nonprofit educational and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening families in Northern Virginia through parent education and out-of-school activities that serve and support youth, according to its website.

Carmen Paredes, HACAN’s executive director, also had words of praise for Fernandez, calling her “an extraordinary woman who could see people’s potential and believe in them.”

Fernandez’s children Silvia Brugge, Celia Fruchterman, Javier and Jorge Fernandez were on hand for the unveiling of the plaques.

RESTON, Va. – Fairfax County Supervisor Walter L. Alcorn, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) leadership and dozens of library supporters were on hand Wednesday, June 8 as the FCPL Board of Trustees accepted a $200,00 gift from the Friends of Reston Regional Library.

“The Friends of the Reston Regional Library are amazing, hard-working community advocates who donate generously." said FCPL Director Jessica Hudson. The group’s funds are raised primarily through used book sales.

The gift will be invested in FCPL’s collection, benefitting cardholders throughout the county.

"At $3 million, county funding for collection building is below the recommended level of 20% of the library's total budget," said Frances Millhouser, chair of the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees.

A majority of the gift will be invested in FCPL’s digital collection, which experienced explosive and sustained growth in recent years. FCPL’s collection budget is unable to meet community demand in large part because more cardholders are checking out digital materials.

In May 2022, just over 51,000 unique users checked out items from the library’s physical collection while the digital collection saw about 46,150 unique users in the same time period. Those digital users are all borrowing from a collection of slightly under 228,000 items while the physical collection contains more than 1.8 million items.

These numbers show the digital collection works hard; digital titles are placed on hold and checked out more frequently than their physical counterparts. Laws around eBook licensing mean digital materials also cost more than their physical counterparts.

FCPL collection services staff plans to invest the gift in ways that benefit the maximum number of cardholders, including purchasing Simultaneous Use eAudio packages, acquiring more perpetual use licenses and expanding the Lucky Day collection, which offers popular titles to cardholders for two weeks and does not permit holds or renewals.

Some areas of FCPL’s physical collection do work as hard as our digital collection; FCPL collection services staff plans to spend a portion of this gift on board books, Read-Alongs and other materials for young readers as well as Spanish-language materials.

For several years, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) has hosted a “Food for Fines” drive each fall as a way of facilitating food donations to our partner organization, Food for Others, which offers library cardholders a reduction on their fines.

As of Jan. 1, FCPL no longer charges overdue fines on most materials. To continue its partnership with Food for Others, FCPL is now hosting “Read and Feed” in April. Those who wish to give may simply drop off donations at any FCPL branch during its regular hours throughout the month of April.

Most needed items include:

• Oil
• Cereal
• Canned tomato products (crushed, peeled, diced, etc.), 4 oz. – 1 lb.
• Canned meat (chicken, turkey, or seafood), 2 oz. – 15 oz.
• Rice, 16 oz. packages
• Spaghetti sauce, 14 oz. – 1 lb. (ideally in cans instead of glass)
• Canned fruit (packed in fruit juice instead of syrup) 11 oz. – 20 oz.
• Dried or canned beans (black, kidney, pinto, etc.)
• Pasta
• Fruit juice (100% juice) 32 oz. – 64 oz.
• New or clean reusable grocery bags
• Can openers

Food for Others is unable to accept donations of:

Items that are more than three years expired, opened items, food that is not labeled, homemade items, cooked food, or toiletries.

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

With 23 branches serving more than a million people, Fairfax County Public Library relies on many people to support the needs and interests of the community. In addition to the amazing staff who work tirelessly to provide services, programming and assistance to library visitors, there is another group whose contributions are vital to the success of FCPL’s mission. Last year, over 1,200 volunteers selflessly gave more than 78,000 hours of their time in service to our library. And beyond just the hours worked, they have served as ambassadors – reminding others of the importance of the public library within the community.  

To recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of library volunteers and community partners, FCPL annually hosts the Star Volunteer Awards. Employees nominate volunteers, who are honored for longevity and exceptional service. In honor of National Volunteer Month, the library and its Board of Trustees recognized 19 volunteers at its April Board meeting, held at George Mason Regional Library on Wednesday, April 9. 

A heartfelt congratulations to the 2025 awardees! 
 
Category: 1,000 Hours of Service 

Susan O’Boyle - Burke Centre Library 

Tarun Ramesh – City of Fairfax Regional Library, Patrick Henry Library, Technical Operations 

Elizabeth Adams – Richard Byrd Library 

Alison Duncan – Technical Operations 
 

Category: Exceptional Service 

Brandon Burrell – Burke Centre Library 

Anjali Ahuja – Chantilly Regional Library 

Claudia Johnston – City of Fairfax Regional Library 

Jacob Hallisey – Great Falls Library 

Elaine Michl – Kings Park Library 

Irene Marx – Lorton Library 

Peggy Jackson – Patrick Henry Library 

Anne Sween – Patrick Henry Library 

Samantha Goldberg – Pohick Regional Library 

Michael Carpenter – Reston Regional Library 

Ray Walser – Reston Regional Library 

Marion Glass – Thomas Jefferson Library 

Mathias Tsige – Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library 

Philip Zettle – Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library 

Steve Corley – Technical Operations 

More photos from the ceremony can be viewed here.

Officially designated in 2022 by President Joe Biden, National Arab American Heritage Month  honors people in the United States who are of Arab ancestry, as well as their history, culture and many contributions to our country. To celebrate, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is hosting presentations, workshops, storytimes, crafts and more throughout the month, highlighting members of the Arab American community and their heritage.  

Check out a small sample of what we have planned at a library near you:   

*Please note that dates/times of the following events are subject to change. Check the event listing for the latest information.     

Arab American Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt – Centreville Regional Library – All Month  
Learn to read the numbers 1-10 in Arabic script as you search the library for the hidden clues to match up the correct numbers. Once your scavenger hunt sheet is completed, turn it in at the Information Desk for a small prize. 

Coloring Arabesque and Geometric Patterns – John Marshall Library – Monday, April 7 
Relax and listen to instrumental Middle Eastern music while coloring arabesque and geometric patterns. 

Family Storytime Extravaganza – Kingstowne Library – Saturday, April 12 
Bring your family to learn about Eid al-Fitr, a celebration of the end of Ramadan, with books and crafts. 

Arabic Stories and Calligraphy for Kids – City of Fairfax Regional Library – Thursday, April 17 
Enjoy a reading of The Proudest Blue by I. Muhammad, sing some songs and try your hand at Arabic calligraphy. 

Poetry Writing and Reading – Lorton Library – Tuesday, April 22 
Celebrate National Poetry & Arab American Heritage Months by creating poetry. Prompts, writing materials, tea and poetry books by classic and contemporary Arab American writers will be provided. 

Arab American Cultural Open House – Chantilly Regional Library – Saturday, April 26 
Learn about the rich and diverse cultures of Arab Americans in Fairfax County in this program for all ages. 

Moon Rock Painting – Sherwood Regional Library – Saturday, April 26 
Celebrate and learn about Farouk El-Baz’s contributions to NASA and the Apollo missions by creating a moon with "moon rock" paint!  

For a complete list of Arab American Heritage-related events, visit bit.ly/FCPL_ArabAmericanHeritage.

You can also celebrate by selecting a new read from our specially curated Arab American Heritage Month booklist found here. 

Beginning Saturday, March 8, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) will be hosting several focus groups with the aim of improving the County's 911 responsiveness. In partnership with the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications and George Mason University, several of our branches will hold sessions to explore community relationships with first responders, including identifying challenges, needs, and opportunities for improvement. These discussions will help first responders to better understand and anticipate community needs as well as evaluate the community's current understanding of how AI tools are developed to support community.

A schedule for sessions is as follows:

• Lorton Library - Saturday, March 15 - 4-7 p.m.
• Sherwood Regional Library - Sunday, March 16 - 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Culmore Library - Saturday, March 22 - 3-6 p.m.
• Richard Byrd Library - Saturday, April 5 - 3-6 p.m.
• Centreville Regional Library - Sunday, April 6 - 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• NEW DATE! Richard Byrd Library - Thursday, April 24 - 4-5 p.m.

Learn more about the project in this article from George Mason University.