Saturday March 14 – Sunday, March 15
- All Library locations closed
- All Meeting Room reservations canceled
- All Library programs canceled
Beginning Monday, March 16
Central Library and the Columbia Pike Branch plan to reopen on their regular schedule for Wi-Fi and public PC use for adults and students. All other Library locations will remain closed.
- Adults: Self service access to adult materials available
- Kids and YA: Youth Services access closed to all at this time
- Events and Programs: Canceled
- AARP Tax Prep Help: Suspended until further notice
- Center for Local History, The Shed and The Shop: Closed
- Meeting Rooms: Closed (reservations canceled until further notice)
- Friends of the Library Book Store - Closed
- Holds: No new holds on physical items will be processed. Existing holds at Central and Columbia Pike may be picked up. Holds currently at other locations will be remain on the shelf.
- Interlibrary Loan - Suspended until further notice. If you currently have an ILL book checked out, please hold it until the Library resumes normal operation; you will not be charged any overdue fines.
- Books by Mail - Suspended until further notice.
- Talking Books - Suspended until further notice. If you currently have Talking Books cartridges checked out, please hold them until the Library resumes normal operation.
- Returns: All exterior branch book drops will be available
Fine and library cards renewals:
- All fines and due dates on physical materials are suspended until further notice.
- Any library cards expiring between March 1 and May 1 now expire on June 1.
Our online services are available 24/7 with your library card.
Arlington Public Library continues to assess COVID-19 Coronavirus information day by day. The information in this message is subject to change as the situation develops.
Learn more about how Arlington County is responding to COVID-19.
Good evening,
I accidentally left my car in the Central Library garage and wasn’t able to retrieve it tonight (Friday, 3/13). Is there any way to get it out before Monday? Will the garage open on Saturday (3/14) for Arlington Parks?
Roman,
I have forwarded your email on to someone who will be in touch with you tomorrow morning.
One clarification – will there be access at Central library to borrow children’s books?
One suggestion – unless the issue is employee safety (understand if so), doing holds would be a great way to allow folks to keep accessing books while practicing social distancing by preventing browsing the stacks. You could mark spots on the check out line that are 6’ away from each other!
Colleen,
There will not be access to the children and teens areas or childrens/teen books next week.
Colleen,
You are correct, the issue is employee safety.
How are you handling interlibrary loan returns?
George,
We are working out details like that now, and will let you know as soon as possible.
Can we check out books or are the Central and Columbia Pike libraries only available for computer and WiFi use?
Kristina,
At the moment, the plan is for you to be able to check books out of the adult collections at both Central and Columbia Pike.
Thanks so much for the quick response. Hoping to check out children’s books soon! 🙏🏽
Would have appreciated a little notice about closing. I had checked Friday late afternoon and there was a notice, so wasted a trip Saturday a.m.
Barbara,
We completely understand. Unfortunately, this has been a fast moving situation, and it has been hard to communicate as efficiently and effectively as we would like. As soon as we were able to Friday night, we posted the information on our FB and Twitter accounts, and sent an email to all patrons.
If you do not receive our news by email, you can sign up using this form: https://library.arlingtonva.us/connect/subscribe/
Thank you for all that you are doing for out community ❤️
Mary said it well! Our community is enriched by a spectacular team of librarians and a wonderful library system.
Thank you for all you are doing to keep everone safe. This must be a very difficult time for everyone on the staff.
Agree with the poster who said thank you for all the librarians are doing. I am finding it challenging enough to figure out the rules just for my three kids, I can’t imagine the challenge of trying to navigate a policy for the entire Library system with so much unknown and with minute to minute changes. It is like a skydiver jumping out of a plane, then getting the word that the landing spot has been moved!
Will the FOAL used bookstore at Central Library be open on the same schedule as the library?
Joedy,
Good question. Probably, but we won’t know for certain until Monday.
I have just received word that the Book Store will remain closed.
Thank you for allowing adult books to be checked out. If this goes on a while maybe you can let adults check out books for their children also.
FYI, I DID receive the email notice Friday about the closing; I recommend others sign up.
I’m a volunteer @ Shirlington library. I have MS. Your decision to close the libraries is the RIGHT DECISION. All of you do A GREAT JOB and please stay safe.
Will AARP tax services still be available at Columbia Pike and Central?
Makes me appreciate Arlington’s libraries even more. Hopefully, you can open again in a few weeks.
Thank you and take care.
Cathy,
We will have more information for you on Monday.
AARP-TaxAide is closed. Since we don’t know when help will become available, and if you are concerned about filing your taxes on time, you can file for an extension. You can get Form 4828 on line at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf. The extension will give you an additional 6 months (until October 15) to file–but not to pay–your tax. You can also file it electronically at https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free.
When will the neighborhood branches reopen?
Brandon,
We will announce that info as soon as we are able.
Is the Anne Patchett event Thursday evening cancelled?
Mary,
Yes, all Library events and programs are currently canceled.
Is it possible for adults to visit the childrens and YA sections (without kids present) to check out books for them? With schools closed for 4 weeks this would be helpful–but if it’s not possible I understand.
Mary,
Not at the moment. Thank you for your understanding.
I had a hold that was valid through today for Central library and was planning to come today to get it, as I worked very late hours during the week and wasn’t able to get it earlier. Could I get my hold extended to the first day that Central library opens back up (right now planned for Monday)?
Makenzie,
Holds currently on the hold shelves at Central and Columbia Pike – and all the Branches – will remain on the hold shelves until we resume normal operations. So you can still come in to Central Library and use a self check machine to check it out.
Will you be live-streaming the Ann Patchett talk on Thursday or is it completely canceled? Thanks.
Betsy,
Ann Patchett is completely canceled.
I just got a notice that a hold is ready to be picked up at one of the closed libraries. Is it possible to get that book transferred to one of the open libraries?
Suzette,
At this time it is not possible to transfer hold from other locations to one of the open libraries.
Please assure that the county-wide holds system is reinstated at this time of increased need even if books can only be picked up at Central or Columbia Pike. We need your essential service (providing books) more than ever as we are advised to cocoon at home. Clearly other area library systems have understood their mission, and avoided cutting off access to the majority of their book holdings. Arlington Library needs to re-think this decision immediately.
Thanks for keeping the Central Library open. Reading is a wonderful way to pass time. I can’t afford to order enough books for a month from Amazon. So I will be able save $$$ by using the Central Library.
Very happy to have the services that are still available. Many thanks to the staff in all positions!
Will tax services for seniors be cancelled this week also? My mother has an appointment scheduled on Tuesday.
Alicia,
I believe that AARP Tax Help has been suspended, based on Susan Dennis’s comment above. She wrote:
“AARP-TaxAide is closed. Since we don’t know when help will become available, and if you are concerned about filing your taxes on time, you can file for an extension. You can get Form 4828 on line at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf. The extension will give you an additional 6 months (until October 15) to file–but not to pay–your tax. You can also file it electronically at https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free.”
I have two books on hold for pickup at the Shirlington branch by 3/18 and 3/19. Since Shirlington is closed, when could I pick them up?
Edward,
Your books will stay on the hold shelf at Shirlington until we are able to open that branch again. Unfortunately, we don’t currently know when that will be, but we will let you know as soon as we can.
Thank You!
The library staff and leadership are doing an amazing job, thank you all so much for the timely decision making and good communication!
Thank you, Arlington Public Libraries, for being part of the solution and limiting access for everyone’s safety. Boy, did I miss you this weekend, and also I respect that you are doing the right thing.
Will tax assistance be available at (Central and Columbia Pike) a later time if that has been cancelled?
Yolanda,
That is a good question, and unfortunately at this point I don’t have an answer.
Thank you!
Also I really appreciate all the work you guys are doing to keep up operations as much as possible while also keeping people and your staff safe 🙂 So thank you!!
Is printing from the PC’s available?
Betty,
It should be.
Is the general seating area open at Central Library? I am talking about the area with all the open tables that are first come first serve.
Henry,
At the moment, yes.
I am so appreciative that Central’s PCs and printers are still available for use. I hope it continues. I also appreciate the increased personal space and cleanliness around the computer stations. Having this resource during this uncertain time is so helpful as I navigate working from home. I know a lot of people still need this access, so thank you!