Loudoun county public library

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Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL), with nearly 200 employees, both professional and paraprofessional, serves the citizens of Loudoun County, Virginia, population over 260,000. There are seven branches with an eighth in the planning stage. The Outreach department offers services to the disabled, elderly, and homebound.

LCPL's mission statement calls the library "the community's information center," which "provides free and equal access to a full variety of library resources and innovative technologies to enhance the quality of life and meet the informational, educational and cultural interests of the entire community."

In 2006 the system came in tenth place for libraries serving a comparably sized population, according to Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR).

1 Branches
2 Special collection
3 Services
4 Trustees & directors
5 See also
6 External links
7 Categories

[edit] Branches

The seven branches range in size from large regional libraries to small neighborhood branches. The library system also has a partnership with Thomas Balch Library, a local history and genealogy library located in Leesburg, Virginia.

Each branch has an advisory board that helps support the library and raise funds. Another source of funding is the huge annual book sale put on by the Loudoun Library Foundation.

[edit] Special collection

In 1999, philanthropist Irwin Uran donated $1 million to the library for the purpose of acquiring items focusing on the Holocaust. LCPL also used the Irwin Uran Fund for items that can help enrich lives, such as videos on learning American Language or Muzzy programs for assisting children with learning foreign languages. Search the library catalog for these and other items.

[edit] Services

Each library branch offers public Internet and wireless access. From home or office as well as inside each branch, users can access licensed databases plus read electronic books or listen to audiobooks.

Each branch offers storytimes for young children as well as a variety of programs for older kids and teens. The library conducts summer reading programs every year. Between the last day of school in June and the middle of August, hundreds of kids sign up to read and win prizes.

There are also numerous events for adults, from their own summer reading program to various musical performances to educational seminars.

Often, the library system will partner with another county organization to offer programs. Organizations such as the Loudoun Youth Initiative and the Small Business Development Center have sponsored programs with the library.