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The Library of Virginia e-Newsletter
June 2013

News
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Charles Wright to Receive 2013 Literary Lifetime Achievement Award

This year the Library of Virginia will honor Charles Wright with the 2013 Literary Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the Library's annual gala celebration on October 19, 2013. Past recipients of this prestigious award include Lee Smith, William Styron, Earl Hamner, Rita Dove, Louis Rubin Jr., Tom Wolfe, and Edgar Allan Poe. Wright received one of the Library of Virginia's inaugural literary awards in 1998 for Black Zodiac and won again in 2003 for A Short History of the Shadow. He was a finalist in 2005 with Buffalo Yoga and in 2008 with Littlefoot.

Charles Wright was born in Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, in 1935 and...

Civil War Legacy 150 Project Receives an AASLH Award of Merit

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has named the Civil War Legacy 150 Project a recipient of a 2013 Leadership in History Award of Merit. The Library of Virginia and the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission are partnering in the Civil War 150 Legacy Project to identify and locate original source materials in Virginia that are related to the Civil War and emancipation. Materials included in the project are letters, memoirs, pension materials, military passes, discharge papers, diaries, hand-drawn maps, and selected memorabilia and other Civil War–era manuscripts.

The Library of Virginia has been sending teams of archivists across the state to scan privately held manuscript material for inclusion on the...

The NEW Library of Virginia

Library users today rely on digital information that can be retrieved quickly. They dream of a future when most library holdings will be accessible electronically. They increasingly locate information using smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices that bring the library to them wherever they are. When they do visit a library building, they are looking for something they can't find elsewhere, whether that be specialized content not yet in digital form, a quiet space in which to work, or a stimulating learning experience.

Although the Library of Virginia's current building is relatively new, it was designed in the mid-1990s when information was primarily stored and accessed on paper. Only a small number of books and documents were available digitally when the building opened in 1997. Google had...

Brown Teacher Institute Set for July 22–23, 2013

The Library of Virginia is gearing up for its fourth annual Anne and Ryland Brown Teacher Institute, to be held July 22–23. Titled Picturing the Old Dominion, this year's institute will introduce educators to the vast collection of images housed at the Library of Virginia and demonstrate how images can engage learners. Focusing on several photography exhibitions at the Library, educators will learn about the value of images as historic documents, as well as how they were created and how to engage a classroom of students with a thoughtful analysis of them.

Several guest speakers are on board to lead interesting sessions:
Award-winning editorial cartoonist Steve Artley will present samples of his work and show the progression of his creative progress as he wittily lampoons lawmakers and society. Dr. Anne Canning from the Library of Congress's Teaching with Primary Sources program will guide educators on the use of primary sources, the "building blocks" of...

Database Spotlight: Mergent Online

Mergent Online provides access to business and financial information for thousands of U.S. and international companies. The U.S. Company Data module includes 15,000 U.S. public companies listed on the NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ exchanges with SEC filings (real-time and archived) back to 1993 and a collection of over 40,000 annual reports. The International Company Data module contains information on 20,000 non-U.S. companies including more than 75,000 annual reports.

Mergent FactSheets (available for 1,500 U.S. companies) provide critical investment information, including summaries of recent quarterly results, analyses of future prospects, income statement and balance sheet...

Public Libraries to Receive New Electronic Resources from the Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the availability of two exciting, free electronic resources for public libraries across the Commonwealth of Virginia:

Zinio for Libraries was named Best New Database of 2012 by Library Journal. It is the world's largest newsstand, offering multi-user access to popular publications.

OneClickdigital is an online service that allows patrons to download a wide range of audiobooks, including best sellers, Recorded Books exclusives, classics, selections for children and young adults, and much more.

These two resources are made possible by the Library of Virginia with funding from the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, in partnership with RBdigital from Recorded Books, of Prince...

Shaunna Hunter Wins Modern Archives Institute Scholarship

Shaunna Hunter The Virginia State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) is pleased to announce that Shaunna E. Hunter of Hampden-Sydney College is the winner of its 2013 Modern Archives Institute scholarship. Hunter serves as a public services librarian at the college and oversees the care of its manuscript collections.

The Modern Archives Institute is a two-week course of study offered by the National Archives and Records Administration, in cooperation with the Library of Congress, and is designed to introduce participants to archival theory and practice and the responsibilities of archival work. Hunter will attend the June 3–14 Institute in Washington, DC, and the scholarship will cover the...

The Great Big Teacher Thank You Campaign Launched to Support Virginia's Summer Reading Program

The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce a month-long statewide campaign aimed at honoring teachers through gifts to Virginia's Summer Reading Program.

The Great Big Teacher Thank You campaign lasts through June 21. The campaign offers a streamlined opportunity for students to make a gift to fund Virginia's public library summer reading program with a donation...

Support the Library of Virginia at the Arts and Cultural Xpo!

Join the Library of Virginia at the Arts and Cultural Xpo on June 29 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, located at 403 North Third Street in downtown Richmond. We will be at Booth 98, highlighting the Library and our photography exhibitions, from 10 AM until 5 PM. You can park...
Fun & Free at the Library

Wednesday, June 12, 2013
River of Dust "Books on Broad" featuring Virginia Pye
Time: 5:30 PM–7:30 PM
This beautiful novel is set in China during the early years of the 20th century and follows a missionary's epic search for his stolen child. Join us as Virginia Pye reads from and discusses River of Dust, her new novel. Reception (wine and cheese) 5:30–6:00 PM, book talk 6:00–7:00 PM, and book signing 7:00–7:30 PM.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Book Signing and Reception with author Elizabeth Buhmann
Time: 5:30 PM–7:30 PM
Place: Virginia Shop (Lobby Level of Library of Virginia)
Join us in the Virginia Shop to celebrate the launch of Lay Death at Her Door. Author Elizabeth Buhmann will be on hand to sign copies of her debut novel, which is set in Virginia. A wine and cheese reception will begin at 5:30 PM.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Defending the Old Dominion Defending the Old Dominion: Virginia and Its Militia in the War of 1812
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Time: 6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Place: Churchland Branch, Portsmouth Public Library Portsmouth, Virginia, Free, call 757-686-2538 for details.
Stuart L. Butler will discuss the effects of Virginia's politics and military on the War of 1812 within the commonwealth and the United States. Defending the Old Dominion examines the role of Virginia's militia in the War of 1812, outlining the militia's lack of preparedness, lack of adequate ordnance and arms, and how that affected its ability to defend the state against the British during the war. The author also will share the fascinating story of nearly 2,000 former slaves who fled to British ships to fight in Virginia with British forces.

Thursday, June 20, 2013
Mr. and Mrs. Dog Mr. and Mrs. Dog: Our Travels, Trials, Adventures, and Epiphanies
Time: Noon–1:00 PM
Place: Conference Rooms
Although Donald McCaig is a noted fiction author, his latest book, Mr. and Mrs. Dog, features the adventures of his beloved sheepdogs, June and Luke. McCaig draws on 25 years of experience raising sheepdogs to vividly describe his—and his dogs'—unlikely progress toward and participation in the World Sheepdog Trials in Wales. As always, McCaig will share more than dog training tips. He will offer vivid recollections of cross-country trips with his first dog and stories of relocating from New York City to Bath County. Above all, he'll show the powerful connection between humans and their animal companions. A book signing follows the talk.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013
From a Richmond Streetcar From a Richmond Streetcar: Life Through the Lens of Harris Stilson
Time: Noon–1:00 PM
Place: Conference Rooms
Kitty Snow's book features the work of her great-grandfather Harry Stilson, a streetcar motorman and photographer. Taken from his streetcar, his photographs of the working class in capture a rare view of how the city looked at the beginning of the 20th century.

Monday, July 22, 2013—Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Fourth Annual Anne & Ryland Brown Teacher Institute at the Library of Virginia: Picturing the Old Dominion
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the fourth annual Anne and Ryland Brown Teacher Institute. The goal of the institute is to enhance knowledge of and training in history and social science instruction in the commonwealth of Virginia by providing educators with opportunities for in-depth study and as well as teaching resources. Details: http://edu.lva.virginia.gov/brown/brown-institute

Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Monument Avenue Memories "Books on Broad" featuring Patricia Cecil Hass
Time: 5:30 PM–7:30 PM
Monument Avenue Memories is a compilation of personal memoirs of Richmond residents who grew up on Monument Avenue during the zenith of its prominence in Richmond society. Reception (wine and cheese) 5:30–6:00 PM, book talk 6:00–7:00 PM, and book signing 7:00–7:30 PM. Place: Lecture Hall

Monday, June 10, 2013—Saturday, October 5, 2013
Dark Side Dark Side: Night Photography in Virginia
Time: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Night photography compels viewers to look at the world from a slightly different perspective. Dark Side introduces us to the unique world of darkness and shadows. The exhibition surveys the many ways in which professional and amateur photographers have used their cameras over the past century to create compelling nocturnal images of the commonwealth. While it examines the materials and historic processes that made night photography possible, Dark Side, also introduces several contemporary photographers who are currently using it as an artistic medium.

Monday, June 10, 2013—Saturday, February 22, 2014
The Importance of Being Cute The Importance of Being Cute: Pet Photography in Virginia
Time: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Photographs of animals dominate the web. From the cute to the ridiculous, millions of pet images are viewed and shared each day. The historical precedent for this online phenomenon can be found in The Importance of Being Cute. This entertaining exhibition focuses on the relationships that have existed between Virginians and their pets since the advent of photography. Vintage images from the Library of Virginia's collection allow visitors to explore more than a century and a half of pet photography, including photographs from Victorian cartes de visite, cabinet cards, and original glass plate negatives. Today's visitors will be able to participate by submitting a picture of their furry loved ones to become part of the exhibition.

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