| Fairfax County Public Library | |
|---|---|
| Location | Fairfax County, Virginia, US |
| Established | 1939; 87 years ago (1939) |
| Branches | 23[1] |
| Collection | |
| Size | nearly three million items[2] |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 1,142,234 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Eric Carzon |
| Website | www |
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TheFairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is apublic library system comprising 8 regional libraries, 14 community libraries and the Access Services Library Branch, which removes barriers to library services for people with disabilities. FCPL is headquartered in Suite 324 ofThe Fairfax County Government Center inunincorporatedFairfax County,Virginia, United States.[3][1]
Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) has ranked the system among the top 10 libraries in the United States (for its size of 500,000+ residents) five times in the past 10 years.[4]
According to the library's timeline, the Fairfax County Library was established in 1939.[5]
As of May 2015[update], there are 23 library branches—8 regional branches, 14 community branches, and one which assists people withdisabilities. The library also oversees the county's Archives and Records Management Branch. The library's service area spans both the county andFairfax City and several local jurisdictions through reciprocity agreements serving nearly half a million registered users.[6]
The library system is the largest in Virginia in terms of population served (over one million people between Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax).[7]
In the library's 2010 fiscal year (through June 2010), nearly 14 million items were borrowed from its collection of nearly three million books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, and other items. Nearly 5.7 million visits were made to the branches, and website visits reached almost 5 million.[6]
The library offers a wide variety of services both in the branches and via its Web site, including searching through its catalog, reserving items, applying for a library card, viewing calendar of events at libraries, and reserving meeting rooms.[8] The library haspublic computers for access to the Internet,catalog computers,ebooks, downloadable eaudiobooks, and subscription databases.[9] The library and theirFriends groups sponsor various programs, such as children's story times, national and local author readings andbook signings, local musical concerts, technology classes and one-on-one sessions, and special events for the county's diverse population.
The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees dropped to 379 in 2014 from 430 at the end of 2013 following continuing budget cuts.[10]Volunteers donated over 124,000 hours in 2014.[6] As of November 2024, the director of the Fairfax County Public Library is Eric Carzon. Carzon succeeds Jessica A. Hudson, who served from mid-2016 until June 2024, before departing to become county manager forSan Juan County, Washington.[11] Prior to Hudson, Sam (Edwin S.) Clay III served as library director for more than thirty years.[12]
Library cards are available to non-residents without charge who work, go to school in, or owns property in Fairfax County, or who live, work, own property or go to school in the City of Fairfax, or the towns of Herndon or Vienna. A card is also available free for a person who lives, works or owns property in a jurisdiction that provides reciprocal privileges.[13] Thus, cards are available for free for residents, property owners and employees working in theDistrict of Columbia; the Maryland Counties ofFrederick,Montgomery, andPrince George's; the Virginia cities ofAlexandria,Falls Church,Manassas andManassas Park; and the Virginia counties ofArlington,Fauquier,Loudoun, andPrince William. All others who do not qualify may obtain a card for $27 a year.[13]
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