(Image courtesy Burst)

November is National Family Literacy Month, and the month is a great time to get the whole family together to enjoy some reading. Whether snuggled up on the couch, nestled in a high back chair, or sitting at a desk or tabletop, families are invited to open up a good book and read together.

Libraries Serving Springfield Families are Very Important

Reading as a family is important because when parents read to their children, they are offering them fundamental skills for success in their later years in school and life. Reading assists in language development, enhances comprehension, and fosters the joy of discovery. 

Local residents can support family literacy by supporting reading and literacy activities in and around our neighborhoods. And it’s easier than you might imagine to foster a love of literacy in your family.

There are a variety of bookstores in the Springfield and Burke areas where you can find books to read as a family, but did you know there are also 36 libraries located within a ten-mile radius of Springfield?!

These three dozen libraries of the Fairfax County Library system are hopefully familiar to you. They have a great atmosphere and are comfortable places for families to spread book joy and build a positive reading culture in our communities. For those who are new to Springfield and Burke area libraries, they provide a great opportunity for area families to take advantage of the wonderful resources and programming available to provide the foundation for a strong reading community.

The Fairfax County Library system is large, but here are the 10 closest libraries serving Springfield, VA:

Richard Byrd Community Library (0.3 miles)

7250 Commerce Street

Springfield, VA 22150

phone: 703-451-8055

Type: Branch Library

Kingstowne Community Library (3.0 miles)

6500 Landsdowne Centre

Alexandria, VA 22315

phone: 703-339-4610

Type: Branch Library

Geroge Mason Regional Library (3.2 miles)

7001 Little River Turnpike

Fairfax, VA 22030

phone: 703-256-3800

Type: Branch Library

John Marshall Community Library (3.5 miles)

6209 Rose Hill Drive

Alexandria, VA 22310

phone: 703-971-0010

Type: Branch Library

Alexandria Library (4.1 miles)

5005 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22304

phone: 703-746-1701

Type: Library System

Staff: 90.80 Collections: 318,559 Programs: 1,202 Internet Computer: 79

Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (4.1 miles)

5005 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22304

phone: 703-746-1702

Type: Central Library

Talking Books (4.1 miles)

5005 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22304

phone: 703-746-1760

Type: Branch Library

Kings Park Community Library (4.3 miles)

9000 Burke Lake Road

Burke, VA 22015

phone: 703-978-5600

Type: Branch Library

Pohick Regional Library (4.5 miles)

6450 Sydenstricker Road

Burke, VA 22015

phone: 703-644-7333

Type: Branch Library

Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library (5.1 miles)

4701 Seminary Road

Alexandria, VA 22304

phone: 703-746-1704

Type: Branch Library

Here’s How You Can Take Advantage of the Library

If you don’t already have a library card, it is easy to register for one — and if everything is in order, you can even leave the library with a temporary card and book on the same day! Photo ID and proof of address are really all that is needed to complete the application process, and having a library card is the first and easiest way to take advantage of all of the community benefits that a library offers, especially during Family Literacy Month.

Each account in the Fairfax County Library system may have up to 50 total items checked out at one time from the library. And eBooks and eAudiobooks are also available. The variety of reading options makes it possible for all types of readers to take advantage of materials that will foster a love of reading and learning. 

And to make using the library even easier no matter where you are in the area, you may not have known that materials may be returned to any library branch in Fairfax County. Each library has a material return slot that is available 24/7, though general library hours are usually Monday–Wednesday 10 a.m.–9 p.m. and Thursday–Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

The presence of so many libraries and community resources is one of the many reasons why Springfield and Burke area residents love where they live. Sound good to you? Contact LIST WITH ELIZABETH® to help you with that… because if you lived here, this library rich-community would be your community, too!