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From Barriers to Ballots

August 1, 2025

Fairfax County Public Library is proud to announce the exhibit "From Barriers to Ballots: The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia" that will be displayed in select library branches this fall. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has generously partnered with FCPL, among other community partners, for an exhibition to tell the stories of activists in Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights. Visitors will learn the story of four activists and the critical parts they played in securing the Voting Rights Act - Gertrude Lynde Crocker, Portia A. Haskins, John Robinson and Gum Springs resident Annie E. Harper. The exhibit will be on view during regular opening hours at Sherwood Regional Library (Aug. 1-31), and City of Fairfax Regional Library (Sept. 1-Nov. 4) and includes an interactive voting element where visitors are encouraged to share their answers to the question "What does voting mean to you?" We encourage you to visit the exhibit being featured at FCPL and take time to visit Arlington Public Library's exhibits and attend their events as well. Learn more: New Exhibition Features Work of Former Voting Rights Activists – Official Website of Arlington County Virginia Government //--> The Video Player does not directly support your device. Please the link below the play in VLC, Quicktime, or other media player: https://dl.ebmcdn.net/fairfax/flash/16AF_0825_BarriersToBallots_KD1125.mp4 //-->

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Love Your Public Library and Love Your Public Art!

July 30, 2025

Have you noticed your favorite Fairfax County Public Library branch’s public art? Many of our branches have statues or other art for you to enjoy. From now through September 30, 2025, take a selfie with one and earn a chance to win prizes! ArtsFairfax invites local library and art enthusiasts to participate in their Public Art Locator Challenge - a social media scavenger hunt to promote their Public Art Locator, a tool that maps public art throughout the region.  Public art is all around us – you just have to find it!      How to Play: Participating is easy! Simply take a selfie with publicly accessible art (at a library or anywhere in Fairfax County) and post on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to win arts experiences. Qualifying Public Art Locator entries will be entered into a raffle for gift certificates, show tickets and other offerings from Fairfax arts organizations.      To secure one entry:  Post a photo with artwork already mapped in the Public Art Locator, tag ArtsFairfax and Fairfax County Public Library, and use the hashtag #PublicArtLocatorChallenge  To secure two entries: Upload new artwork to the Public Art Locator Post a photo with the artwork, tag ArtsFairfax and Fairfax County Public Library, and use the hashtag #PublicArtLocatorChallenge  ArtsFairfax is the local arts agency that provides funding and resources for the arts sector in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church.  To learn more about the rules of the Public Art Locator Challenge and how to submit your entries, please visit: Introducing the Public Art Locator Challenge! - ArtsFairfax

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Seven Tips for a Successful School Year

July 29, 2025

Did you know the library can help students study, write reports and do homework? Let us be your partner in academic success! Use these seven tips to maximize your learning this school year with services and resources available for free from Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL). Tip #1 - Get support and guidance from library staff. You are not alone at the library — or wherever you are with internet access or a mobile device! Library staff are trained to help students find legitimate information sources in branch and online, including historical newspapers, speeches, reference databases, trusted websites and more. Visit the Information Desk at a branch for in-person support with research and help finding physical materials. Need a different way to reach us? Call your local branch or send us an email at wwwlib@fairfaxcounty.gov. Tip #2 - Take advantage of free tutoring sessions. While the library does not provide tutoring services, we can connect you with them — including virtual and in-branch sessions! Brainfuse HelpNow provides live, online tutoring and homework help for students in grades K-12. Tutors are available to meet virtually in English and Spanish every day between 2-11 p.m. A library card is required to use HelpNow outside the library. Tip #3 - Access 24/7 homework help online. The library's Homework Resources guide is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you find free resources to explore new ideas and get help with homework topics. Find a variety of online resources offering research material for papers and homework help separately tailored for students in grades K-6 and grades 7-12. Writing a paper? No problem. Check out the writing resources section for help with style, vocab, proper source citation and more. Plus, visit Brainfuse HelpNow's online Writing Lab for assistance and feedback in virtual study spaces. Tip #4 - Find books, magazines and newspapers. Whether you’re studying classics, history, current events or any other subject, with a library card you have at your fingertips more than 2.3 million items in the library's collection of digital and physical materials. Print books can be checked out in person or placed on hold and picked up later. Digital books are available 24/7 via OverDrive and the Libby App Access magazines and newspaper articles in print or online. Tip #5 - Check out library items with just your name — and no fines! FCPL provides all Fairfax County Public Schools students in pre-K through grade 12 with a fine-free public library virtual account called a Library Equity Access Pass (LEAP). All you need is your name to check out physical materials at a branch, and you can check out up to three items at a time for six weeks each. Tip #6 - Use library resources to prep for fall SATs and ACTs. Several different online sources offer test preparation for SAT, ACT, AP and SOL exams. Start with LearningExpress Library for a wide range of options (library card required). Tip #7 - Access free Wi-Fi and computers. Whether you have your own device or not, simply log in to do just about any online research and project preparation needed for school assignments. Bring your own laptop, tablet or mobile device and connect to free Wi-Fi from inside any branch and even from outside many of them. Can't bring your own hardware? Use ours! The library offers more than 400 public computers at our branches, all equipped with Microsoft Office apps, internet access and printing and scanning capabilities. Rather work at home? Check out one of our Connect Kits. The kits contain a Chromebook and mobile hotspot that can be borrowed by adults (cardholders ages 18+) for two weeks at a time with no renewals. Connect kits can be put on hold for pick up most branches, with the exception of Access Services and Patrick Henry Library.

Patrick Henry Temporary Library and Future Vienna-Carter Library

July 23, 2025

Patrick Henry Library is one of the busiest community locations in the Fairfax County Public Library system, operating at a level of a small regional. Patrick Henry Library's New Location The temporary Patrick Henry Library branch is now open in the Cedar Park Shopping Center, located at 262 Cedar Lane, Unit C, Vienna. The site is approximately 2800 square feet and intended as a quick visit and convenient service location. The hours for this location are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Available at the temporary facility are: • Small browsing selection • Ability to pick up holds or return books • Public Wi-Fi • Chromebooks for onsite use • Some programming (e.g. storytimes) Customers are invited to visit a nearby full-service branch to attend programs and events or to browse a larger selection – close options include Oakton Library, City of Fairfax Regional Library and Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Materials can be picked up at or returned to any Fairfax County Public Library branch. Members of the public came out to celebrate the ribbon-cutting and open house of the new temporary location on Wednesday, July 23, complete with cupcakes and ice cream from fellow Cedar Park Shopping Center business tenant, Toby's Handmade Ice Cream. Watch here: 16AF: Ribbon Cutting at Patrick Henry Library | Cable and Consumer Services Future Vienna-Carter Library Artist rendering of future Vienna Carter Library The future Vienna-Carter Library, approved by a bond referendum in 2020, is a joint development project between Fairfax County and the Town of Vienna to renovate the library and provide additional parking structures for the library and the town. The facility will replace the existing Patrick Henry Library with an approximately 19,000 SF one-story library and a 209-space four-level parking structure on the existing site, 101 Maple Avenue East, Vienna. The proposed facility will include a state-of-the-art library space that will support the current and future programmatic and operational needs of the library users and staff, an outdoor reading and gathering space, and a flexible community space that will be open during and after library business hours. The garage will provide 125 parking spaces for the library users and staff, and an additional 84 parking spaces for the public. The project has a goal to achieve a minimum of LEED Gold certification, 50% energy reduction over current ASHRAE standards, Net Zero energy design and will utilize all electrical systems and equipment. The project also includes a Photovoltaic (PV) panel system and Geothermal heating and cooling to reduce energy consumption and achieve Net Zero energy. Construction is scheduled to begin in late summer 2025 and occupancy of the new library in 2027. Why the new name? The Fairfax County Public Library Board decided to rename the newly rebuilt facility the Vienna-Carter Library at their meeting in February of 2024. The Carter family as a whole has contributed significantly to the history of the library, the Town of Vienna and Fairfax County. In 1958, Carter and his wife Lillian co-founded the Vienna Friends of the Library in their living room and led a successful community effort to open an FCPL facility, the Patrick Henry Library, in 1962 as an integrated library facility where “Everyone [is] Welcome.” Celebrating Patrick Henry Library's Former 101 Maple Ave East Location The last day of service at the 101 Maple Ave. E, Vienna location, which opened in September 1971, was May 9, 2025. A community celebration and open house honoring the old location took place on Saturday, March 29, 2025, featuring remarks from community leaders, history activities, crafts, performances, commemorative giveaways and more, for all ages. The community was also encouraged to share their memories of Patrick Henry Library in short interviews with staff and members of Vienna Historic Inc. “We moved to Vienna before my children were born. Walking from the picture book area to the early readers and juvenile readers, to teen books is like a walk through our family’s life,” said one celebration visitor. Another shared, “This library has been the living room for the community for so many years.”

Rainbow decorative background with text that reads Fairfax County Public Library Celebrates Pride June 2025

FCPL Has Pride: Celebrate the LGBTQIA+ Community with Your Local Library

June 1, 2025

Everyone belongs at the library! Pride Month is an annual commemorative celebration honoring the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities and the impact members of these communities have had on history and culture. Recognized in June to honor the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, the observation was nationally recognized in 1999 by then-president Bill Clinton, though Pride celebrations date back to 1970. Throughout the month, Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is celebrating the contributions of members of the LGBTQIA+ community all month long with workshops, movie viewings, crafts and more. 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. Unpacking Gender: How to Talk to Kids and Teens – Chantilly Regional and Sherwood Regional Libraries – Tuesday, June 10 (Chantilly) and Wednesday, June 18 (Sherwood) – Registration Required Explore the messages we are taught about gender and how they can affect our relationships with ourselves, loved ones and community in this program led by Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, a division of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services. No-Sew Pride Fashion – Tysons-Pimmit Regional and Centreville Regional Libraries – Tuesday, June 17 (Tysons-Pimmit) and Sunday, June 22 (Centreville) – Registration Required Join NoVA Prism Center and transform your t-shirt into fabulous Pride-ready fashion—no sewing required! Learn exciting customization techniques and design your own unique Pride apparel. Funday Monday PRIDE – Sherwood Community Center – Monday, June 23 Join our librarians as the City of Fairfax's Commission on the Arts presents the "Funday Monday" series at the Sherwood Community Center with a special Pride-themed storytime and ribbon craft. Pride Crafts - Woven Pride Flags! – Thomas Jefferson Library – Monday, June 23 Learn how to create pride flag bracelets using the rigid heddle method of weaving in this program for advanced crafters. Pride Month: Movie and Craft – Kings Park Library – Tuesday, June 24 – Registration Required Stop by the library to enjoy an easy-to-make keychain craft while watching the 2018 movie “Love, Simon.” For a complete list of related events, visit bit.ly/FCPL_LGBTQIAEvents. You can also celebrate by selecting a new read from our specially curated Pride Month booklist found here.

Group of people being sworn in as U.S. citizens

Celebrating 25 New Americans at Pohick Regional Library

May 30, 2025

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Fairfax County Public Library’s Pohick Regional Library, in collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Washington District and Fairfax County Asia American History Project conducted a special naturalization ceremony at which 25 candidates for citizenship were administered the Oath of Allegiance. The Video Player does not directly support your device. Please the link below the play in VLC, Quicktime, or other media player: https://dl.ebmcdn.net/fairfax/flash/16AF_0525_Naturalization.mp4 The entire ceremony video can be found on our Facebook page, as well as a photo gallery on SmugMug. Congratulations to our newest citizens and thank you for choosing to celebrate with us!

Fairfax Library Foundation Awards 2025 Scholarships

May 16, 2025

At its meeting Wednesday, May 14, the Fairfax County Board of Trustees honored the 2025 Fairfax Library Foundation Scholarship Recipients. This year’s awardees included 16 undergraduate recipients, 7 graduate, and 9 recipients of scholarships for staff development. Congratulations to all the recipients! Graduate Scholarship Recipients Raven Anderson Kathleen Cheon Rebecca Herrera Rebecca Kurylo Laura Odegard Sahadev Poudel Larissa Yates Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients Temni Afework Karsten Anderer Alice Cao-Dao Krishna Chaduruvelly Zayan Meah, Savkar-Loser R.E.A.D. Scholarship Liyana Mohammed, Pohick Friends Joan & Richard Vaaler Scholarship Ibrahim Mujahid, Myra “Micky” Shulman New American Initiative Scholarship Susan Pirnat, Friends of the Centreville Library Scholarship Cory Potter Daniel Purvis, Pohick Friends Dan & Joanne Neckel Scholarship Alicia Rebello, Pohick Friends Andrew Pendergrass Scholarship Ella Ridgway, Friends of the Burke Centre Library Scholarship Amery Stapleton, Pohick Friends Rita Hoskins Scholarship Eleanor VanDuyne, Pohick Friends Nancy Vandel Scholarship Victoria Wood, Christine Chambers-Chun Scholarship Claire Yan, Pohick Friends Mary Storch Scholarship Staff Development Luis Aponte Mona Chandan Logan Counard Sondra Eklund Nancy Klein David M. Mercer Pamela Murrell Sara Prohaska Jennifer Tchida Award totals for this year include $22,500 for undergraduate, $24,000 for graduate, and $4,877 for staff development scholarships. To date, the Foundation has awarded a total of $585,000 in scholarships. A full photo gallery celebrating our scholarship winners can be viewed here: 2025_FLFScholarshipAwardees - Fairfax County Public Library.

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