About

About The Friends of Oakton Library

The Board of Directors meets at Oakton Library on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm unless otherwise stated.

Mission

The mission of the Friends of Oakton Library is to support and enhance library resources and services and to foster a strong connection between the library and the local community. As such we are an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

History

The Friends of the Oakton Library was founded in 2001 in response to community enthusiasm for creation of the new branch. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 8, 2006, and the Oakton Library opened on Sept. 29, 2007.
The Oakton Library is at the center of our community and welcomes over 50,000 users every year. It provides our community with a place to gather, meet and learn both inside and outside. It gives the village of Oakton an identity. If only the 300-year-old oak tree across Hunter Mill Road from the library could talk and tell the area history. Perhaps it can through the books about it in the library.

If you would like to learn more about the story of the library and those who volunteered their efforts to making it happen, you can download that information by clicking here.

Accomplishments

Since the Oakton Library opened, the Friends organization has raised funds through the sale of donated books, membership dues and individual monetary donations. These funds have supported the Oakton Library branch and the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) system as a whole, including contributions toward the following:

Collections including books, eBooks, audio books, CDs, DVDs as well as magazine and newspaper subscriptions
Recognition and celebration of FCPL volunteers
Provision of updated furnishings and interior décor
Youth programming such as the popular Summer Reading Adventure as well as Brain Games, performances, and film screenings
Adult programs, including speakers, educational and entertaining events
Events such as Volunteer Fest, the Oakton Library’s 5th and 10th Anniversaries, Fairfax County Library's 75th Anniversary, annual Holiday Open Houses, Friends' Forums and Fall for the Book
The Fairfax Library Foundation’s Scholarship Fund, Changing Lives Through Literature and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten programs.
Oakton Library’s National Wildlife Federation-certified outdoor habitat, including native and ornamental plants, bird houses and feed, furniture and fixtures. Friends members maintain the habitat year-round.

Book Sale Information

In addition to the ongoing book sale in the library lobby during library hours, two major book sales are held each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. We also host a Pop-Up Book Sale Tent at the annual Greater Oakton Community Association's Oakton Day, typically held the weekend before Labor Day weekend. For the latest information regarding book sales and book donations, refer to the Book Sales and Book Donations page of this site.

Oakton Friends' Newsletter

Our newsletter is emailed monthly to all members of the Friends of Oakton Library. It includes Oakton branch and FCPL event information, news from the Oakton librarians and book/reading-themed articles.

Membership

Membership is open to all. Annual dues are $10 for individuals and $25 for families. To become a Friend of Oakton Library, follow the link on the home page. New members are always welcome! Please consider joining to help fulfill our mission.

Current Friends' Choice Award Recipients

The Friends' Choice Award was established by the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees to recognize the valuable contributions of Library Friends members or volunteers. The award annually spotlights a volunteer whose efforts had a positive impact on the work of each Friends group.

Meeting Dates

Board meetings are generally held on the third Tuesday of most months at 7 p.m. in the Oakton Library meeting room. The annual Membership meeting is held the third Tuesday of January.