Loudoun County To Turn 2 Libraries Into Child Care Centers

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County officials are turning two libraries in the county into child care centers for the upcoming school year and will allow only curbside library services at the two branches. The branches, Ashburn and Rust, will be limited to curbside pickup service beginning Monday, according to the Loudoun County Public Library.

Patrons will not be able to enter either branch due to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors' decision "to utilize the buildings as childcare facilities for the upcoming school year," the Loudoun library system said in a notice posted on its website Saturday morning.

The proposal to turn the two Loudoun library branches into child care facilities was developed without knowledge or input from the Loudoun County Public Library Board of Trustees or Loudoun County library administrators, according to notes from an emergency meeting held Friday by the library board.

Loudoun County said it had been assessing a number of locations, including libraries, community centers and schools, to serve as child care centers for employees of Loudoun County Public Schools and the county government since the Loudoun County School Board voted in July to start the 2020-21 school year with 100-percent distance learning.

The facilities, including the Rust and Ashburn library branches, were selected based, in part, on their geographic location and other operational requirements that made the two branches the best options, Loudoun County spokesman Glen Barbour said Sunday in an email to Patch.

"All of these sites will be utilized to provide child care services at multiple locations throughout the community," Barbour said.

The child care program at the two libraries and other county facilities will be operated by the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, with some contracted support at certain locations, he said.

According to the notes from the library board meeting on Friday, Loudoun Public Library of Trustees Chairman Denis Cotter first learned of the proposal to use the two libraries from Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall (at-large) and Supervisor Tony Buffington (Blue Ridge) during the weekend of Aug. 23-24.

"Closing two of the busiest libraries in the County would have major impacts on thousands of citizens’ access to library services, especially access to computers, in-person staff assistance, study space, and browsing of library collections," the library board said in its Friday meeting notes.

Cotter found out that the Board of Supervisors had conducted a straw poll to approve the use of Ashburn and Rust libraries as child care centers for the 2020-21 school year while the schools are in virtual or hybrid instruction mode, according to the meeting notes.

"This proposal was developed without knowledge or input by LBOT or Library Administration," the library board said.

WTOP reported Monday that Loudoun County Attorney Leo Rogers sent an email to library officials, saying the Board of Supervisors owns the library building. “There is no restriction on the Board of Supervisors redeploying its real property for another government purpose,” the email said.

During the child care planning process, Barbour said the option of using library branches was reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and in a straw poll by email on Aug. 21, the Board of Supervisors chose to use the Rust and Ashburn library branches, along with other facilities in the county, for the child care program for children of LCPS and county government employees.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to ratify their vote during their Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting, according to Barbour.

At the library level, the Loudoun County library board said it has met with library staff members and determined that curbside-only service could be offered at the two library locations while they are being used as child care centers. Most — and perhaps all — of the employees of both library branches could continue working at Rust and Ashburn, the library board said.

The Loudoun library system operates nine branches, plus a law library in Leesburg. The Ashburn branch is located at 43316 Hay Road in Ashburn and the Rust branch is located at 380 Old Waterford Road NW in Leesburg across from the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center.

While the library branches are closed, patrons will be able to access curbside services at both Ashburn and Rust libraries Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Customers are encouraged to place holds on books and other items through the online catalog or call the Ashburn library at 703-737-8100 or the Rust library at 703-777-0323.

In late June, the Loudoun County Public Library system became one of the first jurisdictions in the region to reopen its libraries beyond providing only curbside services. Among the restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, each branch operates at reduced capacity and requires patrons to wear face coverings.

The Loudoun County School Board voted in late July to implement a 100-percent distance learning model for the return to classes in the fall. Remote instruction is scheduled to start on Tuesday, Sept. 8.