(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Fairfax County libraries will return to their pre-pandemic state of operations in June — with a few exceptions.

Starting on June 5, standard circulation procedures will resume, including the return of fines on overdue materials and hold expirations, and visitors won’t have to navigate time or capacity limits, Fairfax County Public Library announced yesterday (Thursday).

In addition, public computers can be used in 30-minute increments with unlimited sessions allowed, and meeting rooms will once again be available for public bookings.

In a change from its earlier operations, FCPL says it will introduce expanded hours at its 23 branches, with the eight regional branches opening from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Sundays.

The 14 community branches will open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays. Community branches will not be open on Sundays.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, FCPL had been in line for a funding boost to support longer, more consistent operating hours and allow branches to acquire more materials, but that plan was put on hold after the pandemic forced the county to pull back on its spending.

FCPL Communications and Marketing Director Erin Julius confirmed that the expanded hours coming next month are not the result of any new funding.

“FCPL moved around hours to provide the best service we can under existing budget constraints,” she told Tysons Reporter.

Since temporarily closing in March 2020, FCPL has been gradually transitioning back to normal, in-person operations, but library officials plan to retain some of the practices adopted during the pandemic that have proven popular.

Introduced in June to limit contact between staff and patrons, curbside services will still be an option for patrons looking to pick up materials without needing to go inside. It will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on days when branches are open.

Libraries will also continue offering “robust” virtual programming to complement the in-person programs that will be allowed to resume indoors and outdoors on June 5.

The initial response to FCPL’s announcement suggests that people “are thrilled” that curbside pickups will continue, Julius says.

FCPL Director Jessica Hudson says curbside service “has been immensely popular” and virtual programming “has been a boon” for patrons, freeing them from worrying about logistical issues like traffic and parking.

“Even as things are reopening and we’re getting back to ‘normal’, the library wants to continue to offer programs and services which the public is asking for,” Hudson said by email. “…We look forward to seeing our library users in the method that suits them best!”

In accordance with Virginia’s guidelines, some public health protocols will remain in place even when FCPL resumes full services:

Due to capacity restraints, branches cannot yet accept donations.

Plexiglas shields at customer service desks will remain in place at this time.

FCPL continues to follow Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and local Health Department guidance on mask wearing and social distancing. All visitors are welcome to continue to wear masks, if they choose, and caregivers are expected to ensure that their children ages 5 through 12 follow current masking guidance.

Please do not visit a branch if you have COVID-19 symptoms, have been exposed to someone who tested positive or are awaiting COVID-19 test results.

Correction: The name of Fairfax County Public Library’s director has been corrected. Her name is Jessica Hudson, not Jennifer as originally stated.

Photo via Fairfax County

Beginning March 22, Fairfax County Public Library branches will reopen for indoor services.

But library patrons will only be able to visit FCPL branches for up to 30 minutes. Branches will open on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and from Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The changes come after the system offered curbside and online services since mid-January.

Each branch will have capacity limits of up to 30 people for community branches and 60 people for regional branches. Customers over five must wear masks at all times.

The system will also institute a number of social distancing measures, including plexiglass shields, social distancing floor stickers, and limited furniture.

Book donations are still not being accepted, and returned library materials will be quarantined for 24 hours. Meeting rooms remain unavailable.

Even as express services resume, curbside services will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Sunday.

Great news!! https://t.co/3eSGcwTDyR

— Supervisor Walter Alcorn (@WalterAlcornFFX) March 5, 2021

Photo via Fairfax County

Fairfax County Public Library Introduces Text Service — “Beginning today [Mar. 1], you can text your #Fairfax library questions to 571-556-5025 and receive answers in real time 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday thru Friday. If it’s not during those real-time hours, send a text & a ticket will be automatically generated. We’ll respond when available.” [Fairfax County Public Library/Twitter]

New Police Reform Laws Take Effect — Several police reform laws passed during the Virginia General Assembly’s special session last year took effect yesterday, including a ban on no-knock search warrants, new statewide training standards related to racial bias and deescalation, and a “Marcus Alert” system that limits the role of law enforcement in responding to behavioral health issues. [@GovernorVA/Twitter]

Fairfax County Seeks Input on Active Transportation Plan — “The ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan will establish a vision and a roadmap for implementation of safe, convenient, and enjoyable streets, sidewalks, bike facilities, and trails in Fairfax County. “Community input is critical to the success of this planning effort,” said Chris Wells, the Active Transportation Program Manager at FCDOT.” [Fairfax County Department of Transportation]

McLean High School Kicks Off Football Season With a Win — “The McLean Highlanders opened their high-school football season with a 28-14 victory over the visiting Mount Vernon Majors on Feb. 27. McLean fell behind 7-0 on a long touchdown pass, then rallied.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Feb. 16)

• Mystery Book Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s mystery book group will discuss Cara Black’s “Murder in Bel-Air” for its February meeting. Register with Fairfax County Public Library for a link to the event.

Wednesday (Feb. 17)

• Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement (Online) — 7-7:30 p.m. — The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter is sponsoring a discussion about the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s and the Black Arts Movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Register for the online event through Fairfax County Public Library.

Thursday (Feb. 18)

• Middle School Book Club (Online) — 4-5 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s book club for sixth to eighth-grade kids will discuss the young adult novel “Tangerine” by Edward Bloor for its February meeting. Email Laura Miller at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
• Vision Board Workshop (Online) — 6 p.m. — The Boro in Tysons is holding a virtual workshop with the art studio CraftJam on vision boarding, which involves creating a collage of images or objects that reflect your goals for the future. Participants should register in advance to reserve a spot and receive a list of suggested materials.

Friday (Feb. 19)

• Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St. S) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will take her monthly stroll from town hall to give community members an opportunity to chat or ask a question.
• Virtual Black History Program (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — Fairfax County is celebrating February as Black History Month with a night of discussion and music. Speakers will include Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, County Executive Bryan Hill, Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, and George Mason University Director of African and African-American Studies Mark Hopson. The event will also feature hip-hop artist Dumi RIGHT and musical selections from actor Amber Iman, The Hamilton Brothers, and more. The event will stream live on TV and online through Channel 16, and it will be available to view on demand afterwards.
• Virtual Family Bingo Night (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — Preregistration is recommended for the McLean Community Center Old Firehouse’s virtual bingo night, which will feature games and prizes. The event costs $5 per person for five bingo cards.

Saturday (Feb. 20)

• McLean CBC Virtual Open House (Online) — 9-11 a.m. — Fairfax County is holding a virtual community open house to discuss the latest draft of its revised comprehensive plan for the McLean Community Business District. The meeting can be attended through WebEx.
• Fairfax COVID-19 Vaccine Information Session (Online) — 10-11 a.m. — AARP is hosting a talk about the COVID-19 vaccine with Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, who can answer questions about how the vaccine works, how much it costs, and the process for getting vaccinated. Register for the virtual event through AARP’s website.
• Freedom and Dance for All (Online) — 1-2 p.m. — Educator and author Clarence McFerren II will talk about dance as a freeing outlet for Black communities in the face of social injustice. Vienna’s Patrick Henry Public Library is organizing the event, and participants must register in advance to receive a link.

Photo via Dr. Wendy Longo/Flickr

Second Dead Capitol Police Officer Was Madison Alumnus — The Capitol Police announced on Saturday (Jan. 9) that officer Howard Liebengood had died — reportedly by suicide — after being on the scene when a mob breached the U.S. Capitol last week. Liebengood attended Vienna’s James Madison High School in the 1980s and participated in the school’s wrestling team. [The Washington Post]

Fairfax County Libraries Return to Curbside Service Only — “Effective Monday, Jan. 11, all Fairfax County Public Library branches will provide curbside and virtual services only. Please stay home if you’re sick, if you’ve been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or if you’re awaiting your own COVID-19 test results.” [Fairfax County Public Library]

Bowlero to Move into Former Macy’s at Tysons Galleria — “Bowling alley operator Bowlero plans to open its fifth location in Greater Washington this November at Tysons Galleria…The new location will house 36 bowling lanes, more than 70 arcade games, a full-service kitchen, sports bar and audio-visual capabilities including hi-definition video screens above the bowling lanes.” [Washington Business Journal]

Construction on New George Mason High School Nearly Complete — “The new school set to replace the old George Mason High School in the City of Falls Church will be opened in the coming weeks, but in-person learning may not be allowed despite a recently announced reopening plan.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Fairfax County Requests Flexibility and Funding from State — During a public hearing on Jan. 9, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay told the county’s General Assembly delegation that localities need the flexibility to determine their own priorities as they try to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. [WTOP]

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Fairfax County voters approved the sale of $441 million worth of bonds to fund a full slate of pending capital projects during the 2020 general election on Tuesday (Nov. 3).

This year’s ballot featured four separate bond referendums that asked Fairfax County voters to authorize:

• $90 million for renovations and upgrades at four public libraries
• $112 million in parks bonds
• $160 million in transportation bonds to fund the county’s share of Metro’s capital improvement program, which covers rehabilitation and modernization projects for the Metrorail system
• $79 million in community health and human services bonds to renovate the Joseph Willard Health Center on Old Lee Highway and Alexandria’s Crossroads residential treatment facility

Though vote counts won’t be finalized until tomorrow’s noon deadline for absentee ballots, all four referendums passed with ease. The health and human services bonds garnered the most support with 76.5% “yes” votes, followed by parks with 72.4% and transportation with 67.7%. Just under two-thirds of voters (66.1%) supported the public library bonds.

The public library bonds include $23 million for Fairfax County’s planned redevelopment of the Patrick Henry Community Library in Vienna.

Originally built in 1971, Patrick Henry Library operates close to the level of a small regional library as one of the busiest community branches in the Fairfax County Public Library system, according to the county’s FY 2021-2025 adopted capital improvements program.

“Renovation is required to upgrade building systems and infrastructure that are well beyond the end of their life cycle and meet current and future operational needs,” the CIP said. “The building is one of the oldest, resulting in an antiquated layout that does not adequately reflect modern library design and usage.”

The new library bond funds will help expand Patrick Henry Library by roughly 7,000 square feet to a 21,000-square-foot building, permitting more public seating and a larger children’s section.

The renovation will also involve the construction of a 213-space parking facility that the county is working on with the Town of Vienna as part of an agreement approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in July.

Fairfax County’s 2020 parks bond includes $100 million for the Fairfax County Park Authority and $12 million to pay for the county’s share of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority’s capital program, which focuses on resource protection, facility improvements, and the expansion of open space, trails, and recreational opportunities.

Tysons area projects covered by the Fairfax County Park Authority’s bonds funding include an upgrade of McLean Central Park in accordance with the park’s master plan and a renovation of the Providence RECenter to improve its efficiency.

The park bonds also have funds for design advancement for McLean’s Salona Park, even though the project was put on hold in September until the park authority develops a master plan for Langley Fork Park.

Photo via Google Maps

Young readers now have virtual access to the Fairfax County Public Library through a new program created in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools. 

LEAP, or Library Equity Access Pass, started on Oct. 1. The program was initially piloted in 2019 and was created to ensure student access to library materials, even without a library card or an account with the library, according to the program website. 

Now, the program has been adapted to a virtual platform, making access even easier in the midst of the pandemic. 

Through LEAP, students grades PreK-12 only need their name to check out materials. Additionally, the program will never charge fines or fees. Each account will allow students to check out up to three items at a time for six weeks each.

The program has been running for about three weeks and has already served students at each of the county’s branches. While the program hasn’t run long enough to collect specific usage data, LEAP customers and staff have reported questions about the program from across the community.

“Word is spreading, our marketing efforts are reaching people, and the community seems enthusiastic about LEAP,” said Ted Kavich, the administrative services division director of the FCPL. 

In particular, on Oct. 20, the staff at Reston Regional Library worked with staff from Dogwood Elementary School to check out books to local families using the LEAP accounts, according to Kavich. According to the school, more than 15 families were provided with books.  

For more information, students and parents can ask a teacher or librarian at their school, or call any FCPL location. 

Photo via Dogwood Elementary School/Twitter

Tysons-based Credit Union Raises $585,000 for Military Veterans — “The PenFed Foundation joined over 75 community and business leaders to raise over $585,000 to support veterans and the military community at the 17th annual Military Heroes Golf Classic on Monday, September 21st.” [PenFed]

How Substantial Park Requirements May Challenge Walkability Goals in Tysons — “Parks can create what urban theorist Jane Jacobs called “border vacuums.” Border vacuums are long stretches of monotonous space separating potential destinations.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Behind the Scenes of Library Book Selection — “Have you ever imagined what goes into the library’s decision to buy a book? Collection Services is the department at Fairfax County Public Library that selects and orders library materials.” [Fairfax County]

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Tysons Library Name Dropped in Restauranteur Memoir — “He mentioned Albert Camus’s ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ — he remembers reading it as a teenager at the library in Tysons Corner, Va, where he grew up…” [New York Times]

Capital One Center Wegmans Slated for Early November Opening — “The Wegmans location at the Capital One Center campus in Tysons is slated to open on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m.” [Patch]

Fairfax County Outlines Online Car Tax Payment — “Avoid the lines October 1-5! Pay your car taxes online. See all ways to pay including online, by mail, by phone, in person or drop off.” [Fairfax County]

Tysons-based MicroStrategy CEO Defends Choice to Invest in Bitcoin — “Before the Covid-19 crisis, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company had about $500 million mostly invested in short-term U.S. government securities. Saylor began to question that conventional strategy when yields tumbled in the wake of the pandemic. ” [Bloomberg]

A controversy at the library level led to a heated exchanged at Fairfax County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday) as the Board’s lone Republican pushed back against a motion to ensure the various boards and commissions consider the county’s standards of diversity.

Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay started the meeting with a motion for staff to circulate the One Fairfax policy and training to all boards and commissions and that members sign acknowledgement to confirm they have received and reviewed the policy. The One Fairfax policy adopted in 2017 creates a standard of social and racial equity that the Board of Supervisors committed to considering when making decisions or developing programs and services.

Just now, the Board approved my motions to make sure our commitment to One Fairfax is extended to our Boards, Authorities and Commissions. pic.twitter.com/OvROKGY3Oc

— Jeff McKay (@JeffreyCMcKay) September 15, 2020

The fight centered around what Supervisor Pat Herrity lambasted as an attack on Phillip Rosenthal, a Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees member who faces calls for resignation from Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and others.

At a July 29 meeting, Rosenthal decried highlighting material about Black Lives Matter and by Muslim authors, Patch first reported.

Backlash to Rosenthal’s comments was swift, but Herrity has vocally defended Rosenthal, who he appointed to the Library Board of Trustees in 2018. At the Board of Supervisors meeting, Herrity defended Rosenthal again and said the motion was a move towards silencing dissent.

“When we try to silence the other side we enter a slippery slope,” Herrity said. “To take someone out because they don’t agree with our political agenda… I think that’s a slippery slope.”

While McKay protested that the board matter wasn’t about an individual person, the text of the item did say “comments made at a recent Library Board of Trustees meeting highlight that we still have a long was to go before we truly become One Fairfax.”

“Things appointee said were hurtful,” McKay said. “I called for his resignation for a lot of reasons.”

Herrity found little support from the other members of the Board of Supervisors, receiving particular rebuke from Dranesville Supervisor John Foust.

“[Herrity] totally misstakes and mischaracterizes the statements Mr. Rosenthal has made,” Foust said. “Everything I hear about Rosenthal is that he’s a decent man who makes many contributions to our community, but his comments at the library board need to be read to understand why so many people were so hurt and why we’re being so misled by Supervisor’s Herrity comments about this.”

Foust ran through a list of Rosenthal’s controversial statements at the library board, which included calling Black Lives Matter activists Marxists and expressing frustration about a reading program aimed at supporting LGBTQ youth.

“To characterize them as Herrity does about the statement for the need for more diverse views in the catalog of books is ridiculous, outrageous, and totally misleading,” Foust said.

Supervisor Dalia Palchik, representing the Providence district, argued that while Herrity had appointed Rosenthal, what Rosenthal said and did reflects on the Board of Supervisors as a whole.

McKay’s motion was passed, with only Herrity voting against it.

Image via Fairfax County