Fairfax County Public Library provides youth outreach opportunities outside the walls of our library branches! FCPL's School-Age and Teen Services Outreach team specializes in delivering library services directly to school-age youth throughout Fairfax County. We offer a variety of dynamic and interesting programs for children ages 5-12 that we can bring directly to your site (interested in opportunities for teens? Visit our Teen Outreach page). For every program, FCPL provides the staff and supplies at no cost to you.
We are working to expand our partnerships with community organizations that share our goal of supporting, engaging and empowering school-age youth. We seek to promote literacy, encourage curiosity and foster a love of lifelong learning by offering the following programs and services:
Pop-Up Libraries: We bring a mini library directly to you! We'll curate a collection of books for your participants to check out and return to us at our next visit. While participants are taking turns browsing our book selections, we offer an engaging craft, STEM, or literacy activity.
Portable Programs: We bring a wide range of educational and engaging programs to your site, including crafts and STEM activities. Additionally, we can provide information about library services and events (including our summer and winter reading challenges), reading lists and other library resources at our visits.
Book Bundles: We deliver a bundle of 20-30 books for our partners to keep on site until they are ready to be checked back in. These bundles can be tailored around a specific theme or topic. We can also offer information about library services, resources and events at these visits.
Presentations and Workshops: Did you know that the library provides resources such as homework help, free tutoring, language learning and more? We provide presentations and skill-building workshops for youth, parents and educators.
Informational Tables: We can set up an informational table at your event. We will provide information about library services and resources, library card registration and more. Additionally, we can distribute crafts-to-go kits for youth.
We serve:
To learn more or to schedule outreach services, email: LibSchoolAge@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Q: What is an outreach visit?
A: Our team visits school-age youth in nonlibrary settings to ensure equitable access to library services and materials. Our goal is to foster positive associations with the library and share information about library resources and services with community members throughout Fairfax County. Outreach visits may include a Pop-Up Library, which allows youth to browse and check out books from a curated selection of titles; developmentally appropriate programs and activities; book bundles that partner organizations can keep on-site; or informational presentations about library programs, events, and resources.
Q: What is required from host sites?
A: Our outreach team will come prepared with all necessary materials and supplies to present any activities we have planned. All that we ask of partner sites is that an adequate number of staff, volunteers and/or caregivers remain in the room to assist with youth supervision.
Q: I checked out a book at a Pop-Up Library - how do I return it to Fairfax County Public Library?
A: You can return your books to the site where the Pop-Up Library occurred at any time and we will collect them during our next visit (please note that items will remain checked out to your account until we physically retrieve them and check them in; however, the library no longer assesses late fees - for more information, visit our Library FAQs page.) Alternatively, you can return the book to any of our 23 library branch locations. For more information about library locations, visit our Library Branches page.
