[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 82 (Thursday, May 11, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE GREAT FALLS LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM

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                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the commemoration of 
the Great Falls Library Community Room in honor of Marge Gersic and 
also to recognize her tremendous contributions to not only the Great 
Falls Community Library, but the entire 10th District of Virginia over 
the course of her 20 years of public service.
  Growing up as the child of two German immigrants in Queens, New York, 
Ms. Gersic often found herself in her local library, reading books 
written in English. There she not only gained an appreciation for 
books, but she also learned about the impact libraries can have on a 
community. Ms. Gersic began her work in the Great Falls community after 
moving to the area in 1971 with her husband and then newborn son. As 
both a member of the Library Board and as President of the Great Falls 
Citizens Association, she was instrumental in placing a library in 
Great Falls and also in preserving it throughout the years.
  In both 1989 and 1996, as a skilled and dedicated public organizer, 
Ms. Gersic led community movements to keep the Great Falls mini-library 
open amidst budget cuts that would have eliminated numerous mini-
libraries across Fairfax County. By organizing drives, collecting 
signatures, and leading these movements, she was able to keep the local 
mini-library open. In fact, during the 1996 budget cuts, four mini-
libraries across Fairfax closed, but due to her initiatives the Great 
Falls library remained open. In addition to her efforts to preserve the 
library throughout the years, as a member of the Fairfax County Library 
Board, Gersic was also integral in the funding and the eventual 
expansion of the library to its current location, which opened in 
October of 2000.
  Honoring the life of Ms. Gersic with a room in the library, which she 
worked so hard to maintain and expand is only fitting, and I am 
thankful for the Great Falls Citizens Association's dedication to 
preserving her legacy. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring Marge Gersic and the commemoration of the Great Falls Library 
Community Room, which will serve as a permanent reminder of all her 
contributions to both the library and the community at large.

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