Fairfax County Public Library


The Fairfax County Public Library is a public library system in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It includes eight 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 of the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax County.
Hennen's American Public Library Ratings has ranked the system among the top 10 libraries in the United States five times in the past 10 years.

Description

The Fairfax County Library was established in 1939.
, there are 23 library branches, including eight regional branches, 14 community branches, one which assists people with disabilities. The library also oversees the county's Archives and Records Management Branch. The library's service area spans both the county and Fairfax, and several local jurisdictions through reciprocity agreements serving nearly half a million registered users.
The library system is the largest in Virginia in terms of population served, which includes over one million people between Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax.
As of 2015, more than 2.3 million items were available for check out. These had a circulation of more than 12 million, the number of total checkouts and renewals. More than 4.8 million physical visits were made to the branches, and website visits reached almost 5 million. There were more than 449,000 registered library card holders.
The library offers a wide variety of services both in the branches and via its website, including searching through its catalog, reserving items, applying for a library card, viewing calendar of events at libraries, and reserving meeting rooms. The library has public computers for access to the Internet, catalog computers, ebooks, downloadable eaudiobooks, and subscription databases. The library and their Friends groups sponsor various programs, such as children's story times, national and local author readings and book 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 employees dropped to 379 in 2014 from 430 at the end of 2013 following continuing budget cuts. Volunteers donated over 124,000 hours in 2014. 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 for San Juan County, WA. Prior to Hudson, Sam Clay III served as library director for more than thirty years.

Branches

Free library cards are available to non-residents who work, go to school in, or own property in Fairfax County; or those 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. Thus, cards are available for free for residents, property owners and employees working in Washington, D.C.; the Maryland Counties of Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's; the Virginia cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park; and the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William. All others who do not qualify may obtain a card for $27 per year.

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