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2011 SESSION

11104084D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 905
Offered February 16, 2011
Commending the Sherwood Regional Library.
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Patrons-- Surovell; Senator: Puller
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WHEREAS, in 2011 Sherwood Regional Library, a branch of the Fairfax County Public Library, celebrates 40 years of service to the Mount Vernon community; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library was the first of eight regional libraries in Fairfax County; and

WHEREAS, on its opening day in 1971, Sherwood Regional Library served 250 people who checked out an opening-day record 1,800 books; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library’s starting collection was 35,000 volumes, which has since grown to 153,000 items, with access, via the library’s website, to the entire collection of more than two million, plus e-books, e-audiobooks, and e-videos; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library has served as a focal point of Mount Vernon’s long African American heritage, developing and housing Fairfax County’s black history collection; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library has provided valuable meeting space for many community groups, including the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, AARP Tax Assistance volunteers, and Mount Vernon at Home, and has served as the location of the Mount Vernon Farmers’ Market since its inception; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library continues to serve the community with the help of over 100 volunteers who donated some 9,700 hours in 2010, including homework assistance, computer training, handling materials, working the checkout desk, and running the book sale; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library has met many community needs including providing a Tech Lab with 17 computers for public use; serving as the Access Service location, which met the needs of library customers with disabilities from 1991 to 1995; and being used as temporary office space during the renovation of the office of the Mount Vernon Government Center; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library now serves an average of 1,074 people per day who borrow 1,895 items onsite and other materials online through Sherwood Regional Library’s website and provides Spanish-speaking staff to an increasingly diverse clientele; and

WHEREAS, since 2006, parents of its youngest readers have enjoyed the puzzles and resources of the Read to Me room; and

WHEREAS, The Friends of the Sherwood Library have raised funds to supplement the magazine collection, provide programs, and purchase furniture and equipment for the benefit of all patrons; and

WHEREAS, Sherwood Regional Library supports the mission of the Fairfax County Public Library to enrich individual and community life by providing and encouraging the use of existing library resources and services to meet the evolving educational, recreational, and informational needs of the residents of the Mount Vernon community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Sherwood Regional Library on the occasion of its 40th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Sherwood Regional Library as an expression of the General Assembly’s congratulations and respect for the vital services the Library provides to the community.