Library of Virginia

Explore the Library’s World War II collections through "Homefront to Frontline: Virginia's WWII Story," a lobby display, online exhibition and collection of online resources commemorating the war’s 80th anniversary.? ? Archival materials, posters, photographs, letters and other documents bring to life the experiences of those who served in the military as well as those who supported the war effort at home. Visit https://lnkd.in/eabejS7e. ? #archives #VirginiaHistory #WWII #veterans #militaryhistory

More records are now available in Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative! ? Thanks to the hard work of part-time processor Ed Jordan, three new deeds and bills of sale collections have been added to Virginia Untold from Amelia County (1,186) Essex County (22) and Lynchburg City (333).? ? Jordan reviews large property sets from various localities and extracts records related to enslaved people. Before scanning the records, he physically processes each document according to the correct Virginia Untold record type and indexes names of enslaved people and enslavers so each record is keyword-searchable. ? The oldest document from this recently uploaded set of records is a 1714 bill of sale from Essex County! An enslaved girl named Beck, who was listed as only nine years old, was sold to a new enslaver. About 20 Essex County deeds and bills of sale were hiding in a free and enslaved collection that we had not previously scanned. It's important to circle back to collections such as these so we can ensure important details like those of Beck's life can be surfaced through digitization in Virginia Untold.?? ? Learn more about Jordan's work with Virginia Untold in this blog post: https://lnkd.in/esgjpwaW ? In addition to deeds, we've also added more to other types of record collections in Virginia Untold, including: -Apprenticeship indentures from Northampton and Orange counties and Lynchburg City -Certificates of importation from Amherst, Northampton, Wythe counties and Richmond City -Deeds of emancipation from Amelia County and Lynchburg City -"Free Negro" tax records from New Kent County and Petersburg and Richmond cities -Judgments from Richmond City #AmeliaCounty #EssexCountyVA #LynchburgVA #NorthamptonCounty #WytheCounty #KentCounty #PetersburgVA #RVA #RichmondVA #VAUntold #BlackHistory #VirginiaHistory #thisisLVA

Doing a little extra reading with the change of seasons? The Library has two virtual book groups meeting in December. Join in! ? On Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6:00 p.m., our Literary Virginia Book Group will be discussing "Crossing the River Styx: The Memoir of a Death Row Chaplain" by Russ Ford (a Literary Awards People's Choice Nonfiction finalist). Learn more at https://lnkd.in/e2JCfm_u On Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6:00 p.m., the Common Ground Virginia History Book Group will be talking about "The Women Jefferson Loved" by Virginia Scharff. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ecsRns9Q #readVA #literature #thisisLVA #bookclub #bookgroup?

"Just Like the Wind," our CCRP consulting archivists have been roaring through the commonwealth to identify candidates for conservation grants. Read more about some recent Record Room Road Trips in today's The UncommonWealth. https://lnkd.in/eYqtH48M #conservation #preservation #localgovt #courtrecords #grants #grantsprogram #CCRP

The latest issue of Broadside, the magazine of the Library of Virginia, is online and has been sent to subscribers. Read about the "Mapping the Commonwealth" exhibition, highlights from the 2024 Virginia Literary Awards, the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection and more! https://lnkd.in/eh3uQfwG Interested in a subscription? Become a member at https://lnkd.in/eFSn_HJG #VirginiaHistory #MappingTheCommonwealth #thisisLVA

Time to wrangle and fatten up those turkeys! A reminder that Library will be closed from 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 through Saturday, Nov. 30 for the Thanksgiving holiday. This photo, in the Library’s Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Collection, shows an adorable scene from the Rockingham Turkey Festival in Harrisonburg, VA. View more Thanksgiving birds at https://lnkd.in/ePh7ifJn #Holiday #closing #Thanksgiving #gobblegobble??

Thank you to the Richmond Free Press for sharing the topic of a recent Library of Virginia book talk. Learn more about “Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City's Soul," a new book from author Aran Shetterly, in this article. https://lnkd.in/e2jP2Xw3 #nonfiction #BlackHistory

The 2024 Capitol Foundation ornament features Jean-Antoine Houdon’s iconic statue of George Washington, which has stood in the building’s rotunda almost continuously since 1796. The sculptor traveled from France to visit Washington at Mount Vernon in 1785, where he made a plaster mask and detailed measurements of the retired general and future president. The result was considered a remarkable likeness and included symbols that celebrated Washington as statesman, soldier and citizen. Available at the Virginia Shop, this ornament makes a perfect gift! Discover the Virginia Shop’s unique selection of Virginia-themed books and souvenirs, state seal gifts, and much more. Shop in-store at the Library of Virginia, Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at the Virginia State Capitol, Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Or shop online at https://lnkd.in/etSF4dPa.

The Library will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 16 for the Richmond Marathon To see our regular hours and get more information, view our Visitors Guide: https://lnkd.in/e6RHZt7Y

Have you visited the Library of Virginia lately? Two exhibitions are currently on view. "Mapping the Commonwealth, 1816-1826," in the Exhibition Gallery through June 7, 2025, presents examples from 40 manuscript maps that highlight the painstaking task of creating Virginia’s first official state map. Combining art and science, these surveys attest to the dedication, skill and stamina of surveying teams who worked without the benefit of GPS and today’s technology. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ez6A6Tvz. "Homefront to Frontline: Virginia’s WWII Story,” a lobby display, online exhibition and collection of online resources commemorating the 80th anniversary of World War II, uses archival materials, photographs, letters and documents to bring to life the experiences of those who served in the three branches of the military as well as those who supported the war effort at home. View the online exhibition at https://lnkd.in/eabejS7e. #maps #cartography #archives #VirginiaHistory #WWII #veterans #militaryhistory