Around Town

With the last day of school coming up fast, Fairfax County Public Library hopes to see more kids cracking open books over summer break, instead of putting them away.

The county library system will kick off its annual summer reading program this Saturday, June 13 with the return of its Children’s Summer Reading Festival, a free event organized by the nonprofit Fairfax Library Foundation.


Around Town

Pride Month has arrived, and with it comes a range of celebrations throughout the D.C. region, from festivals to bike rides.

While RestonPride announced earlier this year that it will not hold its annual festival this year due to “critical” capacity and organizational challenges, Fairfax County will still have quite a few other events to uplift the LGBTQ community.


Countywide

A local initiative promoting brain-health exercises for seniors has proven successful enough to expand from Fairfax County’s senior centers into its libraries.

Goodwin Living Foundation’s StrongerMemory initiative provides both in-person and online programming. Thirty minutes of cognitive exercises are offered four to five times per week as part of the 12-week free program.


News

Fairfax County is exploring the possibility of building a new Centreville Regional Library, combined in one building with affordable housing.

“The project could be built through a partnership with a private developer, and it may include new homes and an updated library in one building, featuring amenities for residents and the greater Centreville community,” Allyson Pearce, marketing and outreach manager for the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development, told FFXnow.


Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors are being asked to provide additional funding for library materials, with some advocates stressing the value of increasing print holdings.

“Libraries are in fact in desperate need,” Langley High School junior Mia Nash told the Board of Supervisors at an April 15 public hearing on the fiscal year 2027 budget.


News

“A first-class library that the people of Franconia deserve” is how Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay described the new Kingstowne Regional Library, which welcomed crowds measuring well into the hundreds at its April 11 opening.

“This is a huge day,” said McKay, who represented the Franconia District when it was still called the Lee District on the board before becoming chairman.


News

Nearly two months after their community library branch closed, Kingstowne residents will soon have a brand-new spot to check out books.

The neighborhood’s new regional library, under construction since 2023, will celebrate its official grand opening on Saturday, April 11 as part of the ribbon cutting for the new Franconia Governmental Center (7130 Silver Lake Blvd).


News

The coming weekend will bring Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and, for Kingstowne residents, the closure of their longtime community library.

Fortunately, patrons won’t have to wait too long for a new place to check out books: after the existing Kingstowne Library closes this Sunday (Feb. 15), a regional branch that has been under construction since 2023 will open at 7130 Silver Lake Blvd early this spring.


Countywide

Fairfax County’s efforts to divert more waste away from landfills have taken a literary turn.

The county launched a book reuse and recycling program last month that encourages residents to drop any unwanted books into a green donation bin at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) near Fair Lakes.


News

Vienna’s Patrick Henry Library is officially being torn down to make way for a more up-to-date and arguably more attractive replacement.

Construction crews began demolishing the one-story library building — which opened at 101 Maple Street East 54 years ago — late last month, slightly ahead of the most recent project timeline shared by Fairfax County Public Library.


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