Our vast and varied collections of government documents, photographs, business records, and manuscripts help to add depth and complexity to investigations of history, social science, government, and civics. The staff continually mines the Library’s collections to develop new offerings in the form of classroom resources that can bring Virginia’s history alive for citizens of all ages.

Lesson Plans
We offer a series of lesson plans correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and based on primary source documents in our collections.

Shaping the Constitution
We now offer "Shaping the Constitution," a web portal featuring important primary source documents and artwork from the Library of Virginia and the Library of Congress. This educational resource is essential for teachers and students exploring the beginnings of the U.S. government and Virginia's connections to those events.

Please visit Virginia Memory to explore these valuable classroom resources.

The Library of Virginia periodically offers special programs for school-aged audiences that allow youth to explore our exhibitions and to learn more about the many functions of the Library of Virginia. Annual events like our Family Day program use history as a basis of hands-on activities and entertainment for hours of enriching fun for parents and children alike.

We also offer youth programs in conjunction with our exhibitions, in which we allow for an age-appropriate interpretation of the exhibition content. These sometimes take the form of contests for students grades K-12, giving them an opportunity to explore Virginia’s past and to display their unique talents.

Additionally, each year we offer educational resources in the form of our Virginia Women in History and African American Trailblazers in Virginia History, programs which include posters, biographical profiles, and additional educational resources for use in the classroom.

In the Spotlight:

“Eight Ways to Accelerate Your Leadership Odyssey” by Dr. Christopher Howard

Thursday, February 25, 2010
11:00 am–noon

This lecture for high school groups is free, but reservations are required. Seating is limited. Call 804.371.2126 or e-mail tameka.hobbs@lva.virginia.gov by January 22 to RSVP. Dr. Christopher Howard, president of Hampden-Sydney College and a 2010 Trailblazer honoree, will offer advice applicable to all ages on how to live and to lead in an ever-changing world through personal stories, observations, anecdotes, and keen insight. Sponsored by Capital One. 

The goal of the program is to enhance knowledge and training in history and social science instruction in the commonwealth of Virginia by providing educators with an opportunity for in-depth study and the development of teaching materials in collaboration with both teaching colleagues and members of the Library of Virginia’s professional staff. The program is designed to allow Virginia educators the opportunity to research and study a specific aspect of Virginia history and produce educational materials. Over the course of two weeks during the summer and consultations throughout the year, the Brown Fellows will work with staff members of the Library of Virginia to pursue research on the year's selected topic.

2010 RESEARCH FOCUS: For the purposes of the 2010 Brown Fellowship award, the Library of Virginia is particularly interested in candidates who are willing to explore our rich collection of Virginia maps.

The Brown Teacher Research Fellowship includes:

• A stipend of $2,000 for each recipient;
• Up to $500 reimbursement for travel to an approved conference as a presenter.

Eligible candidates for the Brown Teacher Research Fellowship must:

• Be residents of Virginia;
• Have a minimum of three years of teaching experience in history and/or social science, two of which must be in 4–12 education;
• Exhibit the use of creative and engaging teaching techniques in the classroom;
• Demonstrate a commitment to the use of primary sources as a part of classroom instruction; and,
• Be available to complete two consecutive weeks of research between June and September 2010.

The application deadline is Friday, May 7, 2010

More information on applying for the 2010 Anne and Ryland Brown Teacher Research Fellowship

Learn more about the 2009 Brown Research Fellows

Learn more about Anne and Ryland Brown

The Library of Virginia hosts tours of our public facilities and exhibition gallery and conducts workshops for educators and students. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the Library’s rich history and mission, as well as to explore documents in our collection that can be used for teaching geography, social studies, civics, and government.

Your group can start your tour with an orientation video that gives an overview of our history and collections. You also may arrange a visit to our Special Collections department to learn about some of the rarest and oldest items in our holdings. We encourage visits by groups of older students who may be interested in using the Library’s collections for research projects. Please note that these options are limited by the availability of staff, by space in the facility, and by the rules and policies governing research and access to materials, which are outlined in our Visitors' Guide.

Please contact us for more information.