Introduction

The City of Fairfax Regional Library is not my local library but it is my favorite Fairfax County Library branch. It opened when my children were babies and we spent many enjoyable hours in the bright, sunny children’s area. I drove past it when I dropped them off at preschool and would often return to spend those short hours reading mystery novels or leafing through cookbooks. Nowadays I don’t have the time to drive into Fairfax for a quick book fix so I go to the older branch just down the road from my house. It is very comfortable and friendly but it lacks the “Wow Factor” of the City of Fairfax Regional Library.

Digital Access

It is very easy to navigate the library’s website. If you login with your library card you search not only the library’s database but the database for the entire county. If the book you are looking for is at another branch simply click to have it transferred to your branch. The library serves the entire community. They offer a “Library to Go” service. Fill out a form with your library card, email address, and answer some basic information about what you are looking for and what kinds of books you like and the librarians will hand select recommendations for you to pick up (Fairfax County Government, n.d.).

The branch manager is listed on the website but that is the only employee mentioned by name. Patrons are invited to contact the library via phone, TTY, and email. Languages spoken by staff members are listed as American Sign Language, Arabic, Farsi, Gujrati, Hindi, Marathi, Spanish, and Urdu. It is recommended that individuals contact the library to confirm that an employee who speaks the required language is working before visiting (Fairfax County Government, n.d.).

Special collections listed on the website include Korean language a materials, audio books, and periodicals. There are numerous historical and and genealogical resources listed online including cemetery searches, historical newspapers, oral histories, and historical photographs. You can also find a variety of services available. Including links to books, audios, videos, library research databases, grant writing, and library curated material. There are even links to voter information, tax information and citizenship classes(Fairfax County Government, n.d.).

The Space and Physical Access

The City of Fairfax Regional Library is located at 10360 North Street and sits in the heart of Fairfax City, Virginia. A two-story covered garage is attached to the back of the building. The garage has drive-up book depositories so you can return items without leaving your car. You can access the library easily from the garage by elevator or stairs. Pedestrians can also enter the librarian through the front doors facing North Street. There is a city bus stop right outside the library.

It is a large, contemporary building that was designed to echo the colonial architecture found throughout Old Town Fairfax. Its “exterior and interior architecture suggest a love of history and enlightenment, from the colonial columns and dormers to the soaring yellow pine ceiling” (Fairfax County, n.d.). The ceilings are very high and the windows create a bright, welcoming space. The yellow pine beams and hushed atmosphere do evoke a feeling of being in church.

There are meeting rooms, study rooms, and a conference room available for reservation. There are work carrels, comfortable seating, and quiet nooks for study. The children’s area has small tables and chairs for their youngest patrons. I did not notice any areas that had restricted materials. It is evident that the library staff has made a concerted effort to make all those who walk through the doors feel welcome. They want their patrons to know that they belong there. There is a wide variety of multicultural displays as well as signs inviting patrons to ask for language assistance. When you first walk into the library there is a large sign that says “Interpretation Services Available: Show us your language and we will provide a telephone interpreter” (Fairfax County Government, n.d.). Those words are repeated in 24 different languages from Arabic to Vietnamese. There are multiple elevators to allow patrons with mobility issues to easily access all levels of the library.

Stepping outside you see a busy city street. The library is situated at the intersection of two main roads in Fairfax. There is a park across the street, shops, restaurants, and a brewery (where the library holds a Book & Brew club meeting once a month). There are bike racks, picnic tables, a large sculpture of an open book sitting on a stack of other books, and a bus stop.

Services and Intellectual Access

The library is clearly marked with large, easy to read signs. You can see a few of them in the photo above. They are distributed throughout the library making it very easy to navigate. I came home with a pile of leaflets and pamphlets detailing the branch’s special services and programs. There are far too many to list in entirety but a few were their Summer Reading Program (The theme is Oceans of Possibilities and displays are spread throughout the library including a very large purple octopus over the front door and jellyfish over the new arrivals display), English conversation groups, book clubs of all kinds and for all age groups, puppet shows, lectures on gardening, digitization services (photos, scrapbooks, VHS cassettes, audio cassettes, and floppy disks), and a large selection of Korean Language books. Please keep in mind that this is just a sampling of what is available.

Keeping in line with the public library mission of civic engagement the branch also offers a wide range of free information (Rubin & Rubin, 2020 p 106). Posted along the walls in the entry way are signs and flyers for drivers education, registering to vote, bike trails, public transportation routes (complete with a live monitor on the wall next to the door that provides updated bus information), and tax forms. Many of these are offered in a variety of languages. As I moved throughout the library I had a sense that the staff was dedicated to serving all members of the community and if there was anything missing patrons only needed to ask and it would be addressed.

You can access the library catalog from several terminals throughout the library. The library also offers self-checkout and curbside services. Genres are organized alphabetically by author’s last name. Nonfiction sections are organized by the Dewey Decimal System.

People (Patrons and Staff)

There were a dozen or more staff members, too many to count because they were always on the move. They were busily checking in books, shelving, assisting patrons, answering questions at the various information desks, and one gentleman was attempting to fix a broken copier. The staff was incredibly diverse. There were your stereotypical female, white librarians but many others as well (Keer & Carlos, 2015). Patrons were a very ethnically diverse group. I heard a variety of languages as I moved through the shelves including Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese. There were many teenagers and children perusing the shelves as well as middle-aged adults and a few elderly individuals. I also saw a woman using a walker access one of the elevators. People were reading, working on computers, searching the library databases, perusing the shelves, flipping through periodicals, and engaging with the staff.

Collections

The City of Fairfax Regional Library has collections that are available in English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese. They have a large children’s area and another for Young Adults. There are nature backpacks children can check out to explore local parks. The largest collection is located on the top floor. The entire floor is dedicated to local history and is called “The Virginia Room.” According to the City of Fairfax Regional Library’s website it has the “county’s foremost collection of books, photographs, and manuscripts related to Fairfax County history, government, and genealogy. We welcome researchers and genealogists from all over” (n.d.). The collection has its own information desk and study tables among the rows and rows of books, documents, and historical material. An easel offers free flyers and pamphlets on a wide range of historical topics including historic sites, court records, prisons, and local archeology, There is glass display case featuring the historical contributions of African-Americans. Prominently placed In the middle of the display case are two framed photos of African-American men with a sign that reads, “Mystery Men of the Archive: Can you help us identify them? These portraits have been in the archive for decades, but their origins are unknown. There are no marks on the portraits or frames. Some guesses: perhaps they were affiliated with Pleasant Grove Church or Tinner Hill neighborhood?” I thought this was very interesting and clearly represents the library’s efforts to acknowledge, highlight, and record the history of all citizens.

In terms of technology there are computers, computer stations, copy machines, microform readers, and scanners.

Other

The City of Fairfax Regional Library takes its mandate to serve the community very seriously. It embodies the inclusivity all public libraries strive to meet. There was evidence of this everywhere I turned. Such as signs offering extensive language services, updated city bus times on the wall, creative children’s programming, and rich historical material. This branch is clearly a place where everyone belongs and the library staff is ready to serve. I felt very proud touring the library. Not only because it is a lovely, engaging space but because the welcome mat was clearly out for everyone. One thing I was surprised to discover was that the branch has a Library Book Cart Drill Team! I’ve lived in Fairfax for close to two decades and had never heard of it! I’ll be checking them out next year for sure!

References

Fairfax County Government (2017, July 12). Fairfax County’s 275th anniversary [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbf44GIQe1g

Fairfax County Government (n.d.). Library branch info: City of Fairfax Regional Library. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/city-of-fairfax-regional

Keer, G., & Carlos, A. (2015, October 30). The stereotype stereotype. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/10/30/the-stereotype-stereotype/

Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.

Steenstra Davis, M. R. (2022a). City of Fairfax Regional Library exterior [Photograph]. Retrieved from Personal Collection. CC-BY-NC

Steenstra Davis, M. R. (2022b). City of Fairfax Regional Library interior from Virginia Room. [Photograph]. Retrieved from Personal Collection. CC-BY-NC

Steenstra Davis, M. R. (2022c). Mystery Men of the Archives [Photograph]. Retrieved from Personal Collection. CC-BY-NC