Fairfax County Libraries Prepared for Cuts

A $374,000 reduction could make some titles less available at local branches, including Reston Regional.

Fairfax County Public Libraries are ready to reduce some book availability at the Herndon Fortnightly Library, along with other branches, if cuts in the county's proposed FY 2014 budget are approved in April, officials say. In his advertised $7 billion budget package presented to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, County Executive Ed Long proposed removing $374,000 from the library’s collections budget, which it uses to buy books and stock the shelves. “We are aware of the advertised budget that the county exec put out and we have thought about how we would implement the reductions to the collections budget that he stated,” said Mary Mulrenan, the public library marketing director, adding nothing is final, but "if it went through as is we …

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NWFCU, FAN Make Donations to Fairfax Library Foundation

Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation and FAN each donated $1,000 to the Library Foundation.

Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation and the Financial Awareness Network each donated $1,000 to the Fairfax Library Foundation in December to help purchase books on financial education for Fairfax County Public Libraries.   The Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation is the philanthropic and community-oriented foundation of NWFCU, which has offices in Herndon.  "We are incredibly grateful and thrilled to receive a donation from these two organizations," said Susan Harman, executive director of Fairfax Library Foundation in a press release.  "A gift like this truly is a win for everyone: NWFCU Foundation and FAN, Inc, make great strides in Fairfax County in regards to their mission of spreading financial education knowledge, while …

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Five Most Popular Books in Fairfax County in 2012

The Fairfax County Public Library released a list of the top five books checked out the most from each genre.

Wondering what were the most popular books in Fairfax County this year? Here are the top five based on the top 100 checkouts from Fairfax County Public Library in adult, teen and children. The Hunger Games trilogy leads with a combined 10,330 checkouts on all three titles. Dr. Seuss has staying power with 9,822 checkouts and John Grisham’s The Litigators has 4,868, making it the most popular title in the system. ADULT Top Five Fiction The Litigators by John Grisham V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton The Drop by Michael Connelly Zero Day by David Baldacci Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich Top Five Nonfiction Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, …

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Top 10 Things Fairfax County Library Staff are Grateful For

The Fairfax County Public Library reveals what 10 things staff are grateful for in December.

The end of 2012 is almost here. To celebrate, the Fairfax County Public Library released a list of the top 10 things library staff in the county are grateful for in December. The full list was sent out via the library's email newsletter, FCPLease: 10. Good weather and electricity! We’ve stopped taking either for granted since blizzards, hurricanes and derechos have come to Fairfax County; you can’t check out a book or recharge your e-reader without electricity, and we need our books.  9. No bedbugs! Yes, we saw the New York Times article that shows some libraries in other parts of the nation are dealing with bedbugs in library books. This has not been a problem in Fairfax County, but if you want to cross your fingers, toss salt over your …

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Herndon Fortnightly Library Hours to Change in September

All Fairfax County Public Library branches will operate under modified schedules beginning next month.

Starting Sept. 8, all Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) branches will operate under new schedules. According to an announcement on the FCPL website, "library branches will be open more hours due to funding approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ in the FY2013 (July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013) budget." “We are pleased that we can restore many of the open hours lost during the economic downturn. Our library services are important to county residents and now they are much more accessible,” said Edwin S. Clay III, director of Fairfax County Public Library in the announcement. All community library branches, including Herndon Fortnightly Library will have their schedules modified in September. The new schedule at community branches …

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Libraries Face More Cuts, but Consider Longer Hours

The Fairfax County Library Board met to discuss proposed cuts and requests for additional hours.

The budget for Fairfax County libraries has been cut almost 27 percent over the last four years. Now, the system is bracing for more reduction. Since 2008, the Board of Supervisors has cut the library's budget from $33.5 million in FY 2008 to $26.0 million in FY 2012. The cut within the proposed FY 2013 is 1.21 percent — another $324,359. “We cannot afford anymore cuts," said Charles Fegan, at large member of the Library Board of Trustees.  The board met Wednesday night to discuss the budget.  "The Board of Supervisors is very attune to this.  We need to hit while the iron is hot. We have to take a stand.” "The cuts were intended to be on the edge, not [Library Director Sam Clay’s] significant programs," Griffin told The Connection earlier…

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To Attract a New County Executive, Money Is No Object

Panel, citizens agree a higher salary is needed to attract the right candidate for an impossible job

"We’re not going to get somebody in here on Tony’s salary," said a constituent at Supervisor John Cook's Town Hall on Monday night.  Fairfax County Executive Tony Griffin is scheduled to retire in April, and the Board of Supervisors has begun the process to replace him. According to Cook, Griffin currently earns about $240,000 a year. School superintendent Jack Dale earns about $320,000 a year, and many in the room said that discrepancy would need to be adjusted if the county wanted to attract top candidates for county executive. Supervisor Cook agreed. "The Board of Supervisors hasn't yet set any parameters, but when you're as big as Fairfax County, you find who you want and you get them," he said. "We’re going to pay what we need to pay…

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Kids' Books Weekly

Honoring Native Americans in Literature

Well chosen children's literature is an effective way to counter deeply held stereotypes and teach cultural respect.

"There are plenty of "good" books -- well-written, exciting, from respected authors, much-loved by their readers, with well-developed characters -- that are inaccurate, stereotypical, fanciful, or just plain dehumanizing in their depiction of the Native characters," write Naomi Caldwell, Gabriella Kaye and Lisa Mitten in I is for Inclusion.  Yet curriculum writers Guy Jones and Sally Moomaw say, "... with the possible exception of classroom visits by American Indian people, excellent children's literature is the most effective way to counter deeply held stereotypes and help children focus on similarities among peoples as well as cultural differences." How can parents, teachers and caregivers know which books to choose?  In honor of Native …

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