Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL)’s curbside pickup of holds and grab bags began Monday, June 1. Curbside pickup hours at all branches are 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. FCPL’s curbside services are completely contactless — at no point is physical interaction with the library staff necessary.

To pick up holds

• Borrowers should park in the designated area of their library’s lot and call the branch phone number posted on the sign. Branch phone numbers can also be found online on individual branch webpages.
• They should then provide their library card number to staff on the phone and remain in their car until their holds have been deposited on the pickup table and library staff have returned to the building.

In addition to picking up holds, borrowers may request a particular book or a staff-selected grab bag based on reading level and preferences by calling the branch. Contacting the library with requests ahead of time will provide a faster pickup experience.

In addition to keeping pick-ups contactless, other steps FCPL is taking in its curbside pickup process for the safety of patrons and staff include:

• Library staff will wear cloth face masks, and patrons are encouraged to do so as well.
• Books will be packaged in a plastic bag to streamline handling.
• The pickup table will be disinfected regularly.

Returns

FCPL is now accepting returns of borrowed materials. Return borrowed FCPL materials to the book drop of any FCPL branch (except Lorton Library, which is closed for renovation). Borrowers are asked to continue to keep any Interlibrary Loan (ILL) materials.

To help FCPL accommodate the return of the 500,000 items currently on loan, returns will be accepted on a staggered basis according to the first letter of the borrower’s last name:

• On Mondays FCPL will accept returns from borrowers with last names beginning with letters A-H.
• On Wednesdays FCPL will accept returns from borrowers with last names beginning with letters I-Q.
• On Fridays FCPL will accept returns from borrowers with last names beginning with letters R-Z.

Although book drops are always open, FCPL requests that borrowers follow this staggered system to help the system manage the volume of incoming materials. Alternatively, patrons may continue to keep borrowed items, as overdue fines are suspended and due dates for all physical materials will continue to be extended to ensure that no late fees accrue while FCPL branches are closed.

Library patrons should not return library materials to staff or the pickup tables, and should also continue to hang on to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) materials; the ILL department will notify borrowers when it is ready to accept them.

This information as well as answers to frequently asked questions is available online here.