Library Branch Info:

Fairfax County, Virginia

CONTACT INFORMATION: —Open 6 Days (hours vary)—

703-437-8855
TTY 711

768 Center St
Herndon VA 20170-4640

Amanda T. Post,
Branch Manager

Herndon Fortnightly Library

 

Herndon Fortnightly Library

Community Branch Hours:
Community branch hours are: Monday - Tuesday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Wednesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

703-437-8855 | TTY: 711

The Herndon Fortnightly Library is located in the heart of the Town of Herndon—on the Town Green adjacent to the Municipal Center and the W&OD bicycle trail. The library offers a blend of small-town hospitality and large, cosmopolitan County resources. Come and enjoy reading the local newspapers, finding just the right book to read, attending a community meeting or children's storytime, using the resources of the Internet and talking about books with the staff.

Branch Contacts

Branch Manager: Amanda T. Post
Board Trustee Member: Darren Ewing - Dranesville District
Volunteer Coordinator: Tania Ebrahimian (find volunteer opportunities at Herndon Fortnightly)
Friends Group President: Rick Fox

Available Facilities

Access Services: One computer with ZoomText software

Display Cases: One

Book Sales: Ongoing and Annual

Special Collections: Spanish language collection: adult and children's material

Meeting Areas

Reservations can be made for regular hours and extended hours.
(Number of chairs limited, call branch to check availability)
Meeting Room: capacity 95
Conference Room : 20
Quiet Study Room: Yes

Branch Services

Internet Access: 9 Internet stations with Microsoft Office plus wireless access is available.

Parking: 116 parking spaces
7 handicapped

Languages Spoken

Please call the library to see when the foreign language speaker is available. Spanish, Korean, Italian

Phone Menu

703-437-8855
1: Hours and location
2: Renew books, account information, overdue or lost books
3: Confirm items on hold
4: Program information and signup
5: Reference information and homework, place a hold or a shelf check
6: Repeat the menu

For other information, to speak to a specific person, or if you have a rotary phone, please stay on the line.

Library-Affiliated Organizations

Friends of the Herndon Fortnightly Library
Fortnightly Club

Architect

Hughes Group

How Herndon Fortnightly Got Its Name

Herndon Fortnightly Library had its beginnings as a club library. In 1889, eleven women in the village of Herndon formed a study club dedicated to "the mutual improvement of its members in literature, art, science and the vital interests of the day." They called it the Fortnightly Club because they decided to meet once every two weeks.

Members and friends gathered a basic collection of 40 books to use for research. By 1900, the club opened its library of over 1,000 books to the public in a rented room in the downtown area. The club broadened its scope by becoming affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs in 1912, although its primary focus was providing library service to Herndon. The town and the Fortnightly Library suffered a setback in 1917 when much of Herndon, including the library's collection, was destroyed by fire. However, less than a year later, the club once again had 1,000 books on its shelves.

In 1926, years of fund-raising efforts built up a library building fund which resulted in the construction of a cream-colored brick library at 660 Spring Street in 1927. The library was staffed by Fortnightly Club volunteers, funded by donations, fund-raisers, and fees for library cards. This building is pictured in the painting that hangs over the elevator door on the current library's second floor.

The Fairfax County Public Library was established in 1939, and began a relationship with the Fortnightly Library and other small community libraries by sending rotating collections of books. Following community requests to establish a branch in Herndon, the Fairfax County Public Library took over the operation of the Herndon library. The Fortnightly Club offered to lease the library building to the county. A deal was struck, and on March 7, 1972, the Herndon Fortnightly Library opened.

In 1989, Fairfax County voters approved a $39.1 million capital improvement bond referendum which included funding for new libraries in Centreville, Chantilly, Great Falls, and Herndon. The new Herndon Fortnightly Library on Center Street opened in May 1995, the "Fortnightly" name being kept in honor of the many years the Club operated the library with a volunteer staff. Members of the Fortnightly Club continue to maintain a close relationship with the library and its staff, supporting the library and its services with volunteer labor, gifts, and donations. The Fortnightly Club is a sponsor of the library's annual Open House, a tradition dating back to the branch's Spring Street days, as well as other library activities throughout the year.

For More Information:

Fortnightly Club and Library Association of Herndon, Virginia. The Fortnightly Club and Library Association of Herndon: The First Hundred Years, 1889-1989. Herndon, Virginia: The Fortnightly Club, 1989.

Netherton, Nan. Books and Beyond: Fairfax County Public Library's First Fifty Years. Fairfax, Virginia: Fairfax County Public Library, 1989.

Herndon Fortnightly Library Events   
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