Politics & Government

Fairfax County Library Fight: More This, Less That

Share your ideas for the struggling library system in Patch's survey.

The Fairfax County Public Library system has delayed a decision on reducing branch staff and cutting education requirements for librarians. 

The proposal would also have youth librarians spending less time in the branches and more time focused on outreach efforts.

Sam Clay, the long-time library system director, told The Washington Post this summer that times have been tough for the Fairfax Library and a new direction was necessary. 

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We’ve got decrease after decrease,” Clay told the paper. 

He noted that the budget has been cut by 23 percent in the last five years, and that library visits and circulation are both down.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the same time, library leaders were criticized after 250,000 books were tossed in the trash instead of gifting them to nonprofits and service groups, as had previously been the practice.

So, Patch wants to hear from library users with our own survey on how you use the library and your reaction to some of the system’s more controversial proposals. 

Complete the survey above and share more suggestions in the comment section below.

Editor's Note: If the box above looks blank and the survey is not appearing, refresh your page once and it should appear. If not, e-mail the editor at jennifer.vanderkleut@patch.com and a copy of the survey can be sent to you.


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