Arlington County Library – Cherrydale Branch

i lovelovelove cherrydale library. it has been my local library for over 20 years. sure, it is smaller than central, so it doesn’t have everything — but you just order it online and send it to cherrydale. voila! the librarians are so friendly and helpful — it is a genuine pleasure to walk in and say hello. when my kids were small, it was just the right size to make them feel comfortable and not overwhelmed. lots of great programs here — paws to read was a favorite. cherrydale library is such a critical part of our community. i hope it will always be there.

I came here a few times in the early ‘90s, while the main Arlington library underwent that big renovation. It had exactly the kind of nice, quiet atmosphere you want in a library. I also remember the staff then having a cool sense of humor– at the front counter, they had a little display of two toy dinosaurs «eating» a little Gonzo figurine, as an homage to «Jurassic Park».

Nostalgia review here: I used to come here on Wednesdays in the late ‘80s for story hour and crafts. I brought home many a craft, including a bubble blower made of a Styrofoam cup, washcloth, rubber band, straw and Palmolive. My little brother drank it by accident. Thank goodness he didn’t eat the construction paper pig I made! We also had summer reading challenges on which we dutifully recorded the books we read on a poster and turned the poster in at the end of the summer for Pizza Hut coupons.
Now, my favorite haunt is the Central Library when I’m back to visit… it’s more spacious, has more parking and has more resources, but Cherrydale always holds a special place in my heart.

This is a small library with a small selection of books however the staff that works there was so sweet. They have a great DVD section that was a pleasant surprise.
Very good section for kids and lots of DVDs for them to choose from.

Cherrydale is one of my favorite branch libraries. I’m usually in and out, as I put items on hold for pick up here. Since it’s one of the older and smaller branches, the on-​site selection isn’t great — for books, and especially for DVD movies. Westover and Central have much larger DVD sections. However, for items not at Cherrydale, it’s easy (and free!) to logon to
and place items on hold. Holds are easy to find — the shelf is directly in front of you as you enter the library. Items are arranged alphabetically by last name. Find your item and bring it out the check out desk. In addition, the staff are very efficient. One time I was waiting in line behind someone with a card problem. When another librarian shelving books saw how long it was taking, she immediately offered to check out my books. Great service!
I have not used these services personally, but Cherrydale also offers wireless for laptops, print services (printing pages from the internet), a book discussion group (7:30 p.m., on the second Monday of each month), kids activities, a meeting room for reserve (15-​person capacity), and volunteer opportunities. Check out the website for more details.
A few changes are coming to this branch. The library hours will change on July 1, 2010 and the check out system will soon be self-​service only. The new July 1^st hours will be as follows:
Monday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 1 p.m.-9 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED
As much as I love Cherrydale, it isn’t perfect. Here are a few drawbacks:
–The biggest drawback: a small parking lot/​difficult parking situation. Since I’m just picking up items, I park across the street or, if I’m lucky, in a spot right in front of the library. The best spots are not always available, so sometimes I end up parking far down the street. Cars come down Military Road fast, so be careful if you do a U-​turn to get back onto Lee Highway.
–Sound carries in a small space. On the weekend, there are lots of kids here and they aren’t always quiet. Not saying this as a complaint, just something to be aware of if you are planning to work in this branch library.
–Not many public computer terminals. Worth mentioning along with the point above. You’re much better off working at Central Library or Westover if you need to use a public computer. (Fyi — I hear Westover also has the noisy kids issue.)
–A smaller branch. I’ve seen parents and kids come in here to write reports/​do research only to find that materials they need are at Central Library.