Director's Message
Welcome to the Henrico County Public Library. Our mission is to promote reading and lifelong learning, connect people with the information they need, and enrich community life. We do this by serving the public at our nine library locations, through our Mobile Library Service for retirement facilities and day care centers, and online 24-7 via our web site and digital services.
We want to make your library experience the best it can be. We offer many diverse resources to the community. These range from a large and responsive collection of print books, e-books, magazines and DVDs to educational experiences like storytimes, book clubs, teen and adult programs, computer classes, STEAM and digital media creation, and 3-D printing. We provide free wifi at all library locations, and hundreds of public computing stations across the county. We offer homework and tax help and job search assistance. We provide a variety of meeting spaces that can accommodate from two to one hundred people and can be conveniently reserved online. We answer questions in our libraries, over the phone, and online via email, text, and chat. Our staff works hard to accomplish our mission.
We believe libraries are vital to the community. At Henrico County Public Library, we strive to deliver excellent library service through equitable access to a variety of materials, innovative technologies, and attractive facilities. We aim to anticipate and respond to the needs of a diverse community and improve the quality of individual and community life for everyone. We value continuous learning for all, exploring new ideas and creativity, and outstanding customer service.
We encourage you to visit our libraries, sign-up for a card, check out our books and enriching programs, and follow us on social media. Consider joining our Friends of HCPL or volunteering with us. We invite you to see what we at HCPL can do for you and your family. We welcome your feedback and ideas about our services.
Your support makes Henrico a great place to live and learn. Reading changes lives and libraries build community. We are happy you are here with us.
Library Director
Awards
Awarded by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government at VCU Excellence in Virginia Government Awards
Henrico County Public Library's Fairfield Area Library is selected for its innovative, first-of-its-kind “Work and Play Stations."
The Fairfield Area Library is Henrico County’s newest library. It opened with a unique, custom feature, the innovative “Work and Play Stations” which were developed by HCPL staff with the library's design team as a solution to a common problem parents and caregivers experience at the library. The solution was the installation of stations available at some computer areas to allow parents or caregivers to use the computer while their child is safe inside an adjoining playpen-like structure. This is especially helpful for people who use the public computers to search for jobs or who need to do homework or research and do not have access to childcare.
The new Fairfield Area Library was selected to be recognized by a panel of leading industry experts for its outstanding interior design. This award honors excellence in library interior design and promotes examples of extraordinary design reflected through innovative concepts.
Fairfield Area Library was recognized by the Richmond chapter of the American Institute of Architects. AIA Richmond’s design awards recognize outstanding design, both built and unbuilt. Consideration is given to aesthetics, social impact, innovation, context, performance, and stewardship of the natural environment.
HCPL received Four Stars from Library Journal's annual national Star Libraries review. The system is one of only ten library systems nationwide in its expenditure range to receive a four star ranking.
HCPL was recognized as a 5-Star Library by Library Journal for 2020. The Library Journal Index rates U.S. public libraries based on selected per capita output measures. The 2020 Index derives from data recently released by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for FY18. This year, 5,608 U.S. public libraries qualified to be rated in the Index. In this edition, there are 262 Star Libraries, each receiving three-Star, four-Star, or five-Star designations.
LEED
LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. LEED certified buildings save money and resources and have a positive impact on the health of occupants, while promoting renewable, clean energy.
Henrico County Public Library is proud of its five LEED libraries, the Fairfield Area Library, the Gayton Branch Library, Glen Allen Branch Library, Libbie Mill Area Library, and Varina Area Library. Learn more about the environmentally friendly features of these buildings on the pages listed below.
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