Oakton’s public library could soon bear the name of one of the most vocal advocates for its construction.
A request to rename the library in honor of the late Gerry Connolly has been submitted to the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees by two members of the county’s Board of Supervisors: Chairman Jeff McKay and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
The library board will hold a public meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. to hear feedback from community members, who can register in advance for a three-minute speaking slot. A vote whether to move forward with the renaming would be held at a later date.
McKay told FFXnow that he “strongly” supports renaming the library for Connolly, who represented Fairfax County as a local and federal lawmaker for more than 30 years before his death last year.
“During his time on the Board of Supervisors, he played a pivotal role in supporting our library system — and this branch in particular — helping ensure it could serve generations of residents,” McKay said.
First elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1995, Connolly represented the Providence District when community members founded the Friends of Oakton Library in 2001 in hopes of building a new library branch for the growing neighborhood.
Connolly had long championed the construction of a new facility while in county office, and ultimately helped procure the property that the library was later built on.
The new library, located at 10304 Lynnhaven Place, officially opened Sept. 29, 2007.
“It’s going to be a focal point of the community,” Connolly told the Washington Post weeks later. “It gave me so much gratification that you could leave that behind.”
The library’s opening was one of the last major developments under Connolly’s tenure as chairman of the Board of Supervisors. He was elected to Congress in 2008, representing Virginia’s 11th District for nearly 20 years before his death.
“He devoted his life to public service and to Fairfax County,” McKay said, “and it is fitting that a place of learning and community connection reflects his legacy.”
