RESOLUTION
In the matter of
Resources for the Fairfax County Public Library
Reston Citizens Association
February 9, 2015
The Fairfax County Public Library
(FCPL) is a public institution that is vital to the high quality of life of the
residents of the County and especially important to less fortunate individuals
and families who rely on its resources for helping children learn, job hunting,
and starting and managing small businesses.
(FCPL) is a public institution that is vital to the high quality of life of the
residents of the County and especially important to less fortunate individuals
and families who rely on its resources for helping children learn, job hunting,
and starting and managing small businesses.
●
WHEREAS
Reston is a planned community whose vision is to provide a high quality of life
for people of all incomes, ages, races and ethnicities;
WHEREAS
Reston is a planned community whose vision is to provide a high quality of life
for people of all incomes, ages, races and ethnicities;
●
WHEREAS
the Reston Regional Library, in partial fulfillment of that Reston vision, is
among the County’s busiest in serving a wide variety of people;
WHEREAS
the Reston Regional Library, in partial fulfillment of that Reston vision, is
among the County’s busiest in serving a wide variety of people;
●
WHEREAS
the Reston Regional Library, like the other 22
FCPL branches in the County, has suffered significant, continuous cuts
in its budget, staff, and collection over the last decade;
WHEREAS
the Reston Regional Library, like the other 22
FCPL branches in the County, has suffered significant, continuous cuts
in its budget, staff, and collection over the last decade;
●
WHEREAS
FCPL as a whole has experienced a 22% decline in its operating (General Fund)
expenditures —while the county-wide budget has increased 15% in the same
timeframe;
WHEREAS
FCPL as a whole has experienced a 22% decline in its operating (General Fund)
expenditures —while the county-wide budget has increased 15% in the same
timeframe;
●
WHEREAS
FCPL as a whole has experienced a 14% decline in full time positions over the
same timeframe – while county-wide full time positions have increased by three
percent since FY2007;
WHEREAS
FCPL as a whole has experienced a 14% decline in full time positions over the
same timeframe – while county-wide full time positions have increased by three
percent since FY2007;
●
WHEREAS
FCPL has reduced its collection inventory by 16% in the decade between, including
a 12% reduction in children’s books;
WHEREAS
FCPL has reduced its collection inventory by 16% in the decade between, including
a 12% reduction in children’s books;
●
WHEREAS
FCPL has reduced the number of library children’s programs;
WHEREAS
FCPL has reduced the number of library children’s programs;
●
WHEREAS FCPL’s
policy of considering the discard of library materials after only two years of
being unused is exceptionally short by public library norms and has contributed
substantially to the decline in the FCPL materials inventory;
WHEREAS FCPL’s
policy of considering the discard of library materials after only two years of
being unused is exceptionally short by public library norms and has contributed
substantially to the decline in the FCPL materials inventory;
●
WHEREAS FCPL does not include
in-house use of library materials prior to creating the “dead” list,
WHEREAS FCPL does not include
in-house use of library materials prior to creating the “dead” list,
●
WHEREAS the
impact of all these reductions in budget, staffing, and materials collection
has caused a decrease in the quality of the FCPL system and by extension a
decrease in the quality of life for Reston Life;
WHEREAS the
impact of all these reductions in budget, staffing, and materials collection
has caused a decrease in the quality of the FCPL system and by extension a
decrease in the quality of life for Reston Life;
●
WHEREAS this
has been exhibited by the American Library Association’s Public Library
Division which ranks FCPL in the bottom third of Metropolitan Washington public
library systems (14th of 19 public library systems);
WHEREAS this
has been exhibited by the American Library Association’s Public Library
Division which ranks FCPL in the bottom third of Metropolitan Washington public
library systems (14th of 19 public library systems);
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the RCA Board of Directors calls upon:
●
The Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors (FCBOS) to index the FCPL budget for FY2016 and all
following FY to other comparable libraries in the Washington DC Metro area;
The Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors (FCBOS) to index the FCPL budget for FY2016 and all
following FY to other comparable libraries in the Washington DC Metro area;
●
The FCBOS to fill
the vacant full-time positions and ensure that FCPL library staffing levels are
indexed to regional norms;
The FCBOS to fill
the vacant full-time positions and ensure that FCPL library staffing levels are
indexed to regional norms;
●
The FCBOS to
increase the number of full-time positions—and fill them—at least at the rate
of growth of the County’s population over the next decade;
The FCBOS to
increase the number of full-time positions—and fill them—at least at the rate
of growth of the County’s population over the next decade;
●
The FCBOS to
direct the FCPL to replace any discarded materials at least one-for-one plus
increasing holdings at the percentage change in the county’s population
year-to-year;
The FCBOS to
direct the FCPL to replace any discarded materials at least one-for-one plus
increasing holdings at the percentage change in the county’s population
year-to-year;
●
The FCBOS to direct the FCPL to include in-house use of
library materials such that those books are not included on the initial
“dead” list to be discarded.
The FCBOS to direct the FCPL to include in-house use of
library materials such that those books are not included on the initial
“dead” list to be discarded.
●
The FCBOS to
direct the FCPL to change its “unused” material discard policy to
national and regional norms;
The FCBOS to
direct the FCPL to change its “unused” material discard policy to
national and regional norms;
●
Fairfax County citizens and homeowners
associations to adopt similar resolutions to encourage the FCBOS to treat the
libraries as essential to the quality of life for Fairfax County citizens.
Fairfax County citizens and homeowners
associations to adopt similar resolutions to encourage the FCBOS to treat the
libraries as essential to the quality of life for Fairfax County citizens.