Changing Lives Through Literature in the Public Library

The past quarter-century has brought enormous changes to public libraries, transforming them from stand-alone places people went to within designated buildings to resources and networks that extend throughout the community. Although we, as public library professionals, often fall into the familiar measures of what we provide directly to individuals, all that networking across our communities has actually become a two-way street. Public libraries become part of the needs, issues, and challenges in our communities. If there are solutions to community problems, we are ideally poised to add our strengths as community centers and change agents working alongside other organizations. The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) has been particularly fortunate to find itself in a community structure that agrees it can be a part of those solutions.