Manassas City Library marked its fifth anniversary this year, showcasing progress as it enters year three of its strategic plan.
During her State of the Library presentation at aManassas City Council meeting, Senior Library Manager Lena Gonzalez Berrios highlighted three core focus areas: partnership development, growing programs and outreach, and making the branch more inviting and accessible to all residents.
The library has strengthened ties with city agencies, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations to deliver meaningful, sustainable services both inside and outside its walls. A standout initiative was last fall’s staff development day, which included a walking tour of historic Old Town Manassas, visits to Jirani Coffee House and Dabble Creative Reuse Center, and a lunch-and-learn session with partners from Manassas City Public Schools and the School Board, Social Services, Police Department, Boys & Girls Club, Friends of the Library, and neighbor Georgetown South.
These connections have already produced tangible results. The library now offers neighborhood library time for kids from Georgetown South in partnership with Rotary Impact.
Children’s librarians visit every elementary school at least twice per year to share stories and resources. The branch participates in the Parent E3 series with the Manassas City Police Department and collaborates with the Friends of the Library on book giveaways at community events like the city’s Spring Egg Extravaganza.
Literacy remains at the heart of the library’s mission. Popular story times in both English and Spanish continue to draw families, while the long-standing 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program equips parents as their children’s first teachers.
This school year introduced the new K-12 “Level Up Your Reading” incentive, challenging students to log 4,000 minutes by high school graduation. Teens benefit from a vibrant lineup of programs designed with their input.
The annual teen poetry contest celebrates young writers, and monthly Art Happening events feature local artists. The “Leisure at Your Library” drop-in area invites teens and adults to relax with Lego kits, origami, puzzles, games, and reading materials.
Participatory activities have proven especially popular—teens have made custom dice from molds and resin, tackled a Taylor Swift-themed escape room, and learned practical skills like pancake-making from a 4-H teen instructor. An exhibit of Baldwin Elementary student artwork drew over 100 attendees last year, filling the space with excitement.
Responding to feedback from the Teen Advisory Group (TAG) and summer volunteers, the library will soon install new furnishings that will double the capacity of the teen area, including dry-erase tables to spark creativity and collaboration. Teens also contribute by helping prepare programs for younger children and sharing ideas to make the space more engaging.
Adult services emphasize workforce development and life skills. Gonzalez Berrios personally leads the system-wide Career Online High School, a fully online adult high school completion program open to patrons age 20 and older in Prince William County or the City of Manassas.
City residents currently account for 10% of enrollments, with seven graduates and three more in progress. Across the Prince William Public Libraries system, 52 students have graduated since 2020.
The program awards about 20 scholarships per year at roughly $1,300 each, funded through grants, sponsorships, and donations. With approximately $67,000 invested so far, the initiative has generated an estimated lifetime taxpayer ROI of $15.184 million, based on a Northwestern University study showing average lifetime taxpayer savings of $292,000 per graduate.
High school graduates in the program earn about $10,000 more per year on average, enabling them to start businesses, secure better jobs, or pursue college. Gonzalez Berrios noted that the economic impact will continue to grow exponentially, benefiting the entire region.
Accessibility and invitation improvements make the library welcoming for patrons of all ages. Recent enhancements include Dewey Decimal shelf dividers for young readers, an expanded and relocated large print section closer to the front door, and the Thousand Books Before Kindergarten Wall of Fame bulletin board celebrating young readers.
A seed library, developed with Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, helps combat food insecurity. An incubator with 14 chicks (now happily on a local farm) drew crowds eager to learn about chicken development stages. Construction projects with the Manassas City Women’s Club and a participatory Art Happening canvas where visitors left their mark further demonstrate the branch’s community spirit.
The library also produces its own podcast, “Important Library Stuff,” with a recent episode focusing on joy in the library during National Library Week. Attendees received a handy 2025 highlights handout offering a calendar-year overview of programs and successes.
Councilman Tom Osina praised one particularly memorable partnership: the fire truck reading hour with Station 21. Young children crawled over the truck, tooted the horn, and explored books about firefighters, building early trust with public safety personnel.
Gonzalez Berrios thanked the fire department for sending two trucks instead of one, calling it “an overabundance of joy and excitement” filled with important lessons. She expressed gratitude to the Friends of the Library, introducing Vice President Jill Spall and Treasurer Bob Keller, who stood to be recognized for their dedicated volunteer support.
The library team has grown to 11 members, temporarily bolstered by two additional staff while Chinn Park Library undergoes renovation. Gonzalez Berrios closed her presentation with an inspiring message that captured the evening’s spirit: “Together, we are planting seeds, growing readers, cultivating partnerships, and strengthening our community.”
Manassas residents are encouraged to stop by the library to experience these programs firsthand, explore the new teen area once furnished, or pick up the 2025 highlights handout for a full overview of the branch’s achievements. The Manassas City Library continues to prove itself as a vital community hub—fostering literacy, building connections, and delivering impressive returns on investment that benefit families, teens, adults, and the entire city for years to come.
