Cherrydale Branch Library
Serving North Arlington since 1922
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Below is the text of a CCL flier distributed at the entrances to Cherrydale Library
on April 20, 2009, after county government staff compared Arlington County's library
system with those of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Loudon County. Using this comparison,
the county government argued that Arlington's system was "facility laden" and could
justifiably be trimmed.
Is Arlington's Library System Unduly Lavish?
Anti-library commentators in the County staff and outside it argue that Arlington's library
system is by far the most lavish in the region and deserves to be cut back. For some reason,
these commentators ignore the District of Columbia in their comparisons, even though the
District
is clearly a neighbor of Arlington County and is the only neighboring jurisdiction that
shares a population
density comparable to Arlington's.
- Arlington's population density is 8,076 persons per square mile. DC’s is 9,378. Loudoun
County, which critics cite as an example to argue that Arlington has too many libraries, has
a population density of some 550 people per square mile.
- Arlington has eight libraries. DC has 25.
- Arlington has one library for every 26,250 citizens. DC has one library for every 23,532.
- Arlington has one library for every 3.25 square miles. DC has one library for every 2.46 square miles.
- Of DC's 25 libraries, 22 are open seven days a week.
Bottom line: Arlington’s library system is not unduly generous or “facility laden” (to quote
one critical group) for a jurisdiction with such a high population density. Nor is it out
of line with the norms of our nearest and most comparable neighboring jurisdiction.
A larger question remains: Should Arlington compete with Fairfax or Loudoun County in a race
for the bottom, to see which county can maintain the region’s lamest library system? If
you think not, please e-mail, write, or phone the County Board.
Arlington County Board Office
2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 228-3130
countyboard@arlingtonva.us
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This site is maintained by Citizens for Cherrydale Library, a grassroots group seeking since 1998 to promote and preserve our most important
neighborhood institution. Contact us at suza1@comcast.net with any questions or comments.