Fairfax County put out an all-call for independent authors who want to submit their work to the Virginia Author Project Contest.

The statewide fiction contest allows people to compete for several prizes, according to Fairfax County.

To qualify, each submission must be independently published, either in the adult fiction or young adult fiction genre, written by a Virginia resident and available in certain file formats, the website said.

Prizes include:

• $500 each in adult and young adult categories
• Honors at the 2021 spring IAP Reception
• Opportunities to promote your book(s) at Virginia public libraries
• Inclusion in a full-page print spread in Library Journal
• Opportunities to earn royalties through the IAP Select collection

Anyone interested can submit their work online before May 31.

Fairfax County’s public library system wants to capture people’s COVID-19 experiences for its historical records collection.

The library system is looking for diary entries, photographs, artworks, videos — anything that documents what people’s lives are like during the pandemic.

People can submit material on their pandemic experiences anonymously or with their name attached as a “digital donation” via a Google Form. Submissions will be accepted through June 10.

The information will be used for a project for the Virginia Room, which contains historical records at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.

Image via Fairfax Library/Twitter 

(Updated 3/31/2020) A new local “toy library” plans to open tomorrow (March 31) in Falls Church — offering families the chance to refresh their toy supply, according to owner Lisa Bourven.

The Toy Nest (98 N. Washington Street) will let shoppers who have memberships rent toys, games and puzzles for up to two weeks, according to a press release, which added that people may also purchase and trade toys.

“The service will feature online reservation and curbside pickup of over 1,000 disinfected toys,” the press release said.

Once concerns around COVID-19 ease, the Toy Nest will also include open play spaces where members can enjoy 2,100 square feet of play space that can be booked for parties and other events, Bourven said in the press release. The location will not accept reservations until mid-May.

Memberships range from $25 to $45, the website said. “All members, monthly and annual, are able to use our online and curbside service,” Bourven said.

The hours of operation will be from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

“Toy libraries foster family connection and play-based learning while reducing expenses, waste, clutter and environmental impact,” the press release said. “They have a long history in the United States, dating back to the Great Depression, and are popular in other parts of the country and the world.”

(Updated 3/19/2020) Fairfax County announced today (Sunday) more closures to prevent the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

Starting Monday (March 16), indoor parks, community facilities and libraries will be closed for two weeks.

“The impacted facilities include recreation, nature, community, resource and teen centers, as well as golf courses, historic sites and (permitted use of) athletic fields and picnic shelters,” the county said.

Some of the closures will allow the facilities to be used as meal distribution centers, the county said.

Earlier today, the county said it has closed senior and adult day health care centers until further notice.

Image via Fairfax County

Updated 2/26/2020 — Corrects D’Orazio’s title.

After months of deliberation, the Vienna Town Council still has not decided on a course of action for the parking situation for the upcoming redesign of the Patrick Henry Library.

At the council’s meeting last night (Feb. 24), Mayor Laurie DiRocco lead a conversation regarding a potential timeline for the project and deliberated cost and design options along with the fellow council members.

The parking will serve not only as parking for the library (101 E. Maple Ave) but also for nearby businesses in the town as well.

The parking was the main topic of debate. Currently, there are two options that the council can pursue, according to Michael D’Orazio, Vienna’s deputy director of planning and zoning. One option would include 84 spaces with two levels of parking above the ground-level library, while the option would have 188 spaces and three levels of parking.

Regardless of the option chosen, the town will be responsible for paying either 35% or up to a maximum of $1 million for the design phase, according to a presentation given at the meeting– meaning the town will be getting a better deal.

For the two-story option, the town will have to pay the smaller amount of either 25% or $4.5 million For the three-story option, the town will need to pay either 40% or $9 million.

Working on the current timeframe, the design phase of the project is expected to be completed by March 2022, according to the meeting presentation.

If the Town Council decides to back out of the project at this time, they would only receive a 50% rebate on design costs from Fairfax County, according to D’Orazio. If the town were to back out in Sept. 2021, it would receive an 85% reimbursement.

“That seems higher than I was told on this several years ago,” Councilmember Howard Springsteen said at the meeting, expressing concern over the financial burden on the town.

To help pay for the costs, the mayor said that the town will be applying for grants to help supplement the budget.

To save money, Fairfax County also agreed to waive permit fees for the project, which will save roughly $400,000-$700,000 for the town, according to DiRocco, who said she wants to save the money for a “cushion.”

Going forward, town councilmembers said that they will continue discussions on the best course of action for the parking situation in the town.

Image courtesy Town of Vienna

As construction kicks off on renovating the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, the library will temporarily move to trailers near Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.

The library (120 N. Virginia Avenue) is set to close on Monday (Feb. 17), according to a press release from the city. The temporary library is set to reopen in mid-March at trailers at 601 S. Oak Street.

According to the press release, the temporary library will be open:

• Monday-Tuesday, Thursday: 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Wednesdays: 1-9 p.m.
• Fridays: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturdays: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sundays: 1-5 p.m.

“Visitors may park on the street while minding the posted street signs,” the press release says. “Visitors should be mindful of the surrounding neighborhood and respect private property.”

More from the press release:

The temporary location will host a good selection of books, periodicals, and other media. Programming like book discussion groups, ESL Conversation Groups, and storytime will continue, with some changes; visitors should check the library’s website for exact details.

All due dates for books and other media are extended into March. Once the temporary location opens, books may only be returned there (601. S. Oak Street). No books or media may be returned at the N. Virginia location, including the drive-through book drop, after Friday, February 28.

New interlibrary loan (ILL) requests are not accepted until the library opens in the temporary location (in early March). Starting February 11, patrons will not be able to place new holds until the temporary location opens in March. Previously placed holds will still be available for pick up at 120 N. Virginia Avenue until February 17. Holds will then not be available for pick-up until the temporary location opens.

The Falls Church City Council approved the construction contract for the project on Monday (Feb. 10).

The renovation is set to revamp the aging library, move the Local History Room and improve safety. The project is scheduled to be completed by May 2021, according to the press release.

Map via Google Maps

The Town of Vienna is moving forward with its plan to add public parking with Patrick Henry Library’s upcoming renovation.

The town is partnering with Fairfax County so that the town can have public parking spots when the county rebuilds the library (101 E. Maple Avenue).

The town is looking to incorporate public parking into a three-story parking garage, according to the Capital Improvement Plan.

Director of Finance Marion Serfass told the Town Council that the town would have 188 spaces, while the library would have 125 — a total of 313 parking spaces.

The parking garage is expected to cost $6.3 million, and the town is seeking a grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

The Vienna Town Council approved the 2020-2036 Capital Improvement Plan at their meeting on Monday (Oct. 21).

Image via Town of Vienna

Locals may spot a new sculpture outside Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library in the near future.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is slated to approve a public art donation from Promila and Krishan Chhabra at the meeting next Tuesday (Sept. 25).

The Chhabras want to mount a bronze, life-size sculpture by artist Dennis Smith of a girl reading a book outside the library’s front window.

The piece is meant to help beautify the library, according to county staff.

More from county staff:

After she retired from the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) system in 2017, Ms. Promila Chhabra and her husband, Krishan, looked for a way to express her gratitude to the county for her fulfilling career as a library aide at the library. The couple became inspired by the idea of donating a monument for installation on the library grounds…

The donors envision mounting the bronze on a 3-foot cinderblock pedestal with brick siding and a polished black stone pedestal top, with a small plaque on one side of the pedestal that states the dedication is made “in honor of Promila Chhabra’s years of service” to the library.

If the county board OKs the donation, the Chhabras would then select the contractor and pay for the construction costs.

Photos via Fairfax County

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library in Falls Church is reporting $2 million in unforeseen expenses for its upcoming renovation project.

The city is working to revamp the history room and add 3,174 square feet, along with new features to the aging Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Avenue). Voters approved the estimated $8.3 million budget in fall 2016.

Currently, the total estimated budget for the project is $10.8 million and has a shortfall of $2.1 million, Project Manager Joel Timmins said.

“So far we have spent $1.3 million,” Timmins said.

At a Falls Church City Council meeting last night (Monday), representatives of the library project said that unexpected costs stemmed from streetscape design, LEED Silver certification, added security measures and other areas.

Mark Manetti from BKV Group said that the upgraded library will be about two points short of receiving LEED Silver certification and that the team might need to purchase off-site credits to reach the 50-point minimum.

“To spend that kind of money to buy off-site credits is kind of anathema. Are there things we could do here to achieve LEED Silver?” Councilmember Dan Sze said. “Is it more tinkling with the HVAC? Is it more insulation?”

“I would have a preference to on-site energy reductions, efficiencies, et cetera as opposed to buying off-site credits,” Mayor David Tarter said.

Timmins said that the city’s Planning Commission said that the project needs a streetscape and the arborist recommended irrigation, which added costs.

Manetti added that the team didn’t realize initially that the project would need a streetscape design.

City Manager Wyatt Shields said that the library’s board and staff were primarily focused on the library when determining the original budget estimates for the project.

“I should have raised my hand and said we need to expand this to do the full site and the streetscape,” Shields said.

Shields added that he should have escalated the consultant’s estimate in 2014.

“Working with a 2014 number is difficult and not realistic or practical,” Shields said.

“What we asked the voters to approve for this particular project for generally what we wanted to do both in terms of expanding square footage and all of the stuff that comes along with it — forget cost escalation, forget tariffs, forget all of that — it just never seemed to comport,” Councilmember Ross Litkenhous said.

Litkenhous said he is frustrated that the referendum for the voters was $8 million instead of a higher number.

“If the referendum had said $12 million or $14 million, it probably still would have passed,” he said. “At the end of the day, there is going to be a cost overrun and it’s going to be significant.”

The total cost should be determined within a few weeks, Timmins said. Construction is slated to start by February. The library is scheduled to reopen March 2021.

Councilmember Phil Duncan said that he’s “fairly satisfied with what we’re paying.”

“The more I talk — the more all of us talk — the more expensive it gets,” Duncan said.

Image via City of Falls Church

(Updated at 11:45 a.m.) The Town of Vienna is mulling over three preliminary designs concepts for Patrick Henry Library’s upcoming renovation.

Opened in 1971, Patrick Henry Library (101 E. Maple Avenue) is set to be rebuilt as part of a $91 million bond referendum to upgrade Fairfax County’s aging libraries. The town is looking to partner with the county so that the town can have public parking spots at the new library site.

Grimm and Parker presented three design concepts that incorporate public parking to the councilmembers last Monday (Aug. 19)

The first design concept (Option A) would build a stand-alone, two-story building and have surface parking for 90 cars. The design has a modern design, according to the presentation:

The building orientation allows for a large expanse of glass to the north along Maple Avenue. This northern glass will provide ample natural light for the library users and provide views into the library from Maple Avenue. The rest of the building is clad in a variegated grey metal panel. The glass and metal cladding create a modern identity and gives the library a strong presence on the corner.

The last two concepts share the same idea of having a single-level library with an integrated parking garage, both with 125 spots for the library.

Option B1 would have 84 spaces for the town, while Option B2 would have 188 spaces for the town and require a height variance for the extra level of parking.

The last two options have a storefront-esque design. According to Grimm and Parker:

In this option the Maple Avenue facade is designed to resemble a traditional urban main street with glass display windows and canopies… The varied facade expressions help to reduce the scale of the building. A variegated metal cladding is used on the stair and elevator towers to distinguish them from the brick of the library and to draw attention to the public access to the parking garage. Canopies along Maple Avenue create an identity for the library and provide a human scale to the building.

The designs concepts are not set in stone and could change between now and when the county makes the final decision about the library design, a spokesperson for the town told Tysons Reporter.

Tysons Reporter wants to know what you about the design concepts.

Images via Town of Vienna