Fairfax Library Advocates Meet with Delegate Tom Rust

The Fairfax Library Advocates met this morning with Delegate Tom Rust of the 86th District.  The Advocates discussed the perilous state the Fairfax Library system is in and while acknowledging that this is primarily a County rather than a State issue, they noted that there is a positive and supportive role the State can play.  Specifically, the State can designate libraries as essential services, similar to what other states have done.  Kathy Kaplan noted that Delegate Mark Keam has agreed to sponsor legislation to effect this change.   Delegate Rust, a strong supporter of public libraries, agreed to look into the legislative procedures necessary to move such legislation forward.  The Advocates also again noted that State support for public libraries was based on each county's population but that support for Fairfax was unduly limited because of a cap on allocations that considers Fairfax to have only 600,000 people rather than the more than 1.1 million who actually live here.  Dennis Hays stated that libraries are not a partisan issue and that it is our intention to work with representatives of both parties and from all sections of the State.  

Delegate Tom Rust 86th District

 Shelli Brosh of Chantilly, Delegate Tom Rust, Ambassador Dennis Hays and John Ball, 

President, Friends of Tysons-Pimmit Library

Delegate Rust and John Ball