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October 22: Library Operations Update More Info

Arlington Public Library

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October 22: Library Operations Update

COVID-19 and FY2021 Budget Impacts

Arlington Public Library continues to work closely with the Arlington County Government leadership and the Department of Public Health to make decisions about Library operations. These decisions are made carefully and in consideration of a range of factors including budget, staffing models, demand for services and community health conditions.

As the economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic continue, Arlington County is working to close a projected $28 to $39 million budget gap between County expenses and revenues in the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2021. To close the FY 2021 budget gap, the County will use a number of approaches including service reductions and delayed facility openings. (Please see the County’s full press release to learn how the entire FY 2021 budget gap will be closed and for information on how to give feedback to the County Board.)

What Does This Mean for the Library?

The Library is operating with significantly less staff than pre-pandemic and will continue to do so for the remainder of the fiscal year.  The Arlington County Government hiring freeze, in place since March 2020, affects the Library’s ability to fill vacant positions and to use temporary workers to achieve our typical staffing levels.

Why Can't We Do More?

At present, current staffing levels allow for the operation of the 7-day a week Holds Pickup service at Central Library and book drops at six branch locations. The Holds Pickup service is a more labor-intensive staffing model than our normal way of doing business, due to health and safety considerations for patrons and staff. 

What Are Our Next Steps?

Providing equitable access to our services remains a priority for Arlington Public Library. Library leadership will work to reevaluate and rebalance offered services to increase access to Library collections.

Any additional services would be offered at limited locations and for limited hours and will mean a reduction in the hours of the Holds Pickup service at Central Library. Stay tuned for an update on services in December.

Please continue to send us your feedback. We read and consider all comments.

If you have a question that requires a response, need help accessing your Library account or placing holds. Instead, please contact us by phone, web chat or text.

ALERT: Holds Due To Be Picked Up October 16-19 Are Extended To October 20

Due to a messaging outage, holds due to be picked up Friday, Oct. 16 – Monday, Oct. 19 will be held at Central Library until Tuesday, Oct. 20.

We apologize for any confusion this may cause. Please check your library account to confirm your current hold status (i.e.: on the hold shelf). Please note: Any items currently on the hold shelf and due to be picked up October 16-19 will not reflect the correct pick up date of October 20 in your account.

If you need help resetting your account password during this time, please contact us by phone, chat or text.

Notices meant to be sent Friday, Oct. 9 – Monday, Oct. 12 are being sent now. Because of the backlog, some message in the queue for today (Tuesday, Oct. 13) may not go out until Thursday. Other emailed library notices, including overdue reminders and autorenewal confirmations, may not be delivered. Please check your account online for the status of any checked out items. Since July 1, daily overdue fees have been eliminated.

 

Ballot Drop Locations at the Library

Do you have a Mail Ballot for the General Election in Arlington? 

Now you can deposit it at one of nine new 24-Hour, Secure Ballot Drop Boxes located around the County, including at four Library locations:

Central Library
Aurora Hills
Shirlington
Westover

Ballot Drop Boxes are located outside of these Library buildings: 

  • Central Library, 1015 N Quincy St - 10th Street Parking Lot entrance
  • Aurora Hills Branch, 735 18th St - To the left of the main entrance
  • Shirlington Branch, 4200 Campbell Ave - To the right of the main door
  • Westover Branch, 1644 N McKinley - To the left of the library entrance

See the full list of Ballot Drop Box locations.

Read the Ballot Drop Box FAQs.

Questions? Contact Arlington Voting and Elections.

All ballots must be dropped off by 7 p.m. Election Night or received in the mail by noon the Friday after the election. You can also drop your Mail Ballot off at a supervised drop location or hand-deliver your Mail Ballot to your polling place on Election Day.

Voter Registration and Elections does not recommend mailing a ballot less than 10 days before an election).

Learn more about Mail Ballots in Arlington County.

Dr. Roland Bruner: Taking a Stand

"He provided free medical services to the most disadvantaged in Arlington..."

Graphic image of a megaphone

Join us for a new series of stories from the Center for Local History highlighting members of our community who made a difference in ways that helped shape our history and created positive change. 

Their voices were not always loud, but what they said or did had a significant impact on our community.

Dr. Roland Bruner

Dr. Roland Herman Bruner (1902-1978) was an obstetrician, lecturer, and the first African-American doctor to be hired by Arlington County’s Department of Health’s Prenatal Clinic in a time of bigotry, racism, and segregation.

Bruner received a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University in 1928 and a Medical Degree in 1932. One of just 24 students to receive the offer of an internship at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington D.C., he joined the staff thereafter completing his internship.

On July 29, 1934, Bruner and his wife Georgia purchased a property in Green Valley/Nauck at 2018 S. Glebe Rd. where he opened a private practice specializing in obstetrics. This allowed African-American women to deliver children in Arlington rather than having to travel to the Freedmen’s Hospital in the District of Columbia. He bartered with patients and often provided free services to the most disadvantaged, even delivering babies at the homes of people turned away by a segregated medical establishment.

Dr. Bruner and a nurse perform an obstetrics exam for a patient at the Arlington County Department of Health, 1938. Image had the caption "Prenatal Clinic" under it in the 1938 Rural Health Conservation Scrapbook. Photo Source: RG 21, Records of the Arlington County Department of Health: 21-1-"1938"-9

In 1935 Bruner became a part-time member of the clinical faculty of Howard University College of Medicine, where he would serve until 1951. He became a notable lecturer in the fields of women’s health and prenatal care and in 1938 he became the first African-American doctor employed by Arlington County’s Department of Health’s Prenatal Clinic. Bruner also played a vital role in the establishment of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Arlington. With a private practice spanning 45 years from 1933-1978, Dr. Roland Herman Bruner served multiple generations in his community.

In 2001, Arlington Housing Corporation (AHC) purchased Dr. Bruner’s home from the Bruner family, renovating the property into a development comprising 7 townhomes known as Bruner Place. The home was relocated on the property.

Bruner's daughter, Dr. Denise E. Bruner, is a practicing physician in Arlington County specializing in bariatrics and anti-aging.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

  • Share Your Story

Access Restored to Library Catalog, Patron Accounts, Library App and eCollection

Update: Access to all Library systems has been restored as of 10 p.m.

Due to a planned system maintenance, the Library’s catalog and patron accounts system, as well as the Library App and eCollection will be unavailable as of 9 p.m. on Friday, October 9.

Any items already checked out in your OverDrive, Libby or RBdigital apps will be available, but you will not be able to perform any actions that require checking into your library account.

The maintenance is expected to take approximately one hour.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Pumpkin Spice Up Your October!

Submission deadline: Thursday, Oct. 22, 11:59 p.m.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Prizes will be awarded for best pumpkin made by Adults, Teens and Kid/Family creators.

Need a pumpkin?

Looking for decorating ideas? Join us for:

Submission Guidelines

  • Submit a photo of your pumpkin (.jpg or .png) using the form at the bottom of this page. Name your file: Firstname_Lastname.format.
  • Submissions will be reviewed by a committee of Library staff.
  • Anyone within the Library community may submit. You do not need to be an Arlington resident to participate.
  • By submitting a photo of your pumpkin, you grant the Library the right to publish that photo on the Library website, social media and in marketing materials. Ownership rights of your original photo remain with you, the creator.
  • All work is subject to Arlington County and Arlington Public Library standards of conduct.
  • Submitting work does not guarantee publication.

Submit your entry for the 2020 Library Pumpkin Decorating Contest

By uploading my information to this form, I give the Arlington Public Library permission to publish my first name and photo (if included) on Library social media, the Library website and promotional materials. Though published by Arlington Public Library, ownership rights of the original work will remain with the creator. Not all submissions will be published.

Pumpkin Decorating

  • Maximum File Size 50MB. File name format: Firstname_Lastname.format. Allowed file type extensions: .jpg .jpeg .png .
    Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, pdf, doc, docx, odt.

Access Restored to Library Catalog, Patron Accounts and eCollection

As of 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, access has been restored to the library catalog, patron accounts and the eCollection, including OverDrive and Libby.

If you have related questions about your account, or accessing the eCollection, please contact the Library by phone, live chat or text, so that we can help you in person.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience while we worked to solve this issue.

 

Video: Rachel Snyder, Author of “No Visible Bruises”

Arlington Reads: Rachel Louise Snyder in conversation with Library Director Diane Kresh, Director of Arlington County Human Services Anita Friedman, and Arlington County Board Member Katie Cristol.

Domestic violence crosses all boundaries — class, race and age — and the only community response that can effectively end its deadly cycle is one that crosses boundaries, too. This conversation is for every Arlingtonian who cares about a peaceful, violence-free community.

Recorded August 2020.

Library Operations Fall Update

Since June 15, over 175,000 print books and other library materials have been checked out or renewed and close to 130,000 physical holds have been placed. Impressive!

As we look to the future of Library operations, staff at Arlington Public Library will work closely with the County leadership and the Department of Public Health to determine how to best move forward. Locally, COVID-19 cases remain above target thresholds and Arlington County continues to experience community spread.

Plans for the Fall

We believe it is of paramount importance to protect the safety of Library patrons and staff, and that slowing community spread of the COVID-19 virus is a community-wide effort.

We are in this together.

For now, Arlington Public Library will continue to operate the Holds Pickup service at Central Library and book drops at six branch locations in order to prioritize safety and ensure access to print materials for as many residents as possible.

Over the past six months, we have expanded our digital collections and we continue to offer online storytimes, author talks and book clubs.

We believe this service model best matches the current conditions, and best positions us to meet the expected increase in demand for library materials as the academic year begins.

Looking Forward

We share your belief that the Library is a cornerstone of our community and we acknowledge the hardship it causes to many when our physical Library spaces are inaccessible.

We are eager to reconnect with our beloved community and we plan to reevaluate Library operations in October.

What Can Yo Do?

  • Please be patient – It does take longer to process holds during current conditions.
  • You have five days – You will be contacted when your hold is ready and you have five days to pick up materials once notified.
  • Manage your holds – If you’re going out of town or don’t want to receive a book at this time, don’t forget to freeze your holds.

We understand that Arlington readers love their Library as much as we do. Please continue to send us your feedback, which we use along with staff input and public health data, to inform ongoing planning.

Send Us Your Feedback

If you have a question that requires a response, need help accessing your Library account or placing holds, please contact us by phone, online chat or text.

Moving towards a phased reopening will take all of us working together — responding to a pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint. Thank you for your support of Arlington Public Library.

Stay safe and hopeful,
Your Arlington Public Library Team.

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