The Library of Virginia Newsletter
September 2008


Virginia Press Women Donate Books to LVA

Recently the Board of the Virginia Press Women asked each member to donate two copies of their books to the Library of Virginia.

The Virginia Press Women was founded in 1958 and incorporated in 1973. It is affiliated with the National Federation of Press Women. Both organizations promote the highest ethical standards, foster exchanges of journalistic ideas and experiences, offer continuing-education opportunities to members, and serve the public's right-to-know.

The first donation to the Library was made by VPW member Bonnie Atwood. Atwood donated two copies of her book In the Field of Honor: Stories of Virginia Veterans.

One copy of each donated title will be placed in the Virginia Authors Room. A special bookplate will be placed in each book to acknowledge the VPW and the author's gift.


Roller-Bottimore Foundation Supports Purchase of Online Civil War, Washington, and Freedmen's Bureau Resources


Visitors to the Library of Virginia now have access to three valuable new resources in our reading rooms thanks to the generosity of the Roller-Bottimore Foundation.

ProQuest Civil War Era, a digital collection of comprehensive primary source materials, is now available. The database includes the complete runs of eight newspaper titles, covering 1840-1865, specifically selected for their regional and diverse perspectives. In addition the database contains nearly 2,000 pamphlets on individual perspectives of government officials, the clergy, social reformists, and others. These pamphlets (often 20-40 pages treatises) were the op-ed pieces of their day, providing an outlet for individuals to express their views through an alternative channel.

The Library also has acquired for use in the reading rooms the online, fully searchable edition of The Papers of George Washington. This electronic edition provides the full text and an index for more than 50 volumes of material, with further volumes to be added regularly. It also allows for full searching across all the volumes, significantly advancing research capabilities.

The Library is in the process of acquiring the Virginia Field Office and marriage record rolls from The Freedmen's Bureau microfilm project at the National Archives. The records left by the Freedmen's Bureau through its work between 1865 and 1872 constitute the richest and most extensive documentary source available for investigating the African American experience in the post-Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

In addition to these three major acquisitions, funding from the Roller-Bottimore Foundation will supplement the Library's ongoing purchases of Virginia collections. These materials include small-press, privately published, or organization-sponsored publications-Virginia local history, church records, genealogy, cookbooks, school publications, historic site reports, organization newsletters, and other material that reflects the most recent, and most local, community cultural and historical research.


Governor Reappoints Three to Library Board

John DiYorio of Wythe County, Valerie Jean Mayo of Westmoreland County, and Mark D. Romer of Richmond have been reappointed to a second five-year term on the Library Board by Governor Tim Kaine.

DiYorio is a retired professor from Wytheville Community College who served on the Wythe-Grayson Regional Library Board from 1988 to 1994. Mayo is a partner in the Mayo & Mayo law firm and a former chair of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board of Trustees. She holds a master of library science degree and a juris doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the Library Board's annual meeting in June, Mayo was elected chair of the Library Board. Romer, a graduate of Yale University, is president and part owner of James River Equipment, a John Deere equipment dealership with several locations in Virginia and North Carolina.


Richmond Region Cultural Census Seeks Broad Community Participation

Where do you go for arts and cultural activities in the Richmond region? What's important to you?

Results from this survey will inform the development of the Richmond Regional Cultural Action Plan: an assessment of the impact of arts, culture, history, and heritage on the quality of life in this region; an account of the current environment of arts and culture in Richmond; and a road map for better support of arts and culture in the future. The Cultural Action Plan will build connections to education, support economic development, strengthen awareness and commitment to arts and culture, and cultivate civic pride.

The Cultural Action Plan Task Force, a coalition of community leaders in the arts, government, and corporate sectors, seeks input from a wide base of citizens about individual creative and cultural activities, which could include playing a musical instrument, attending a theatrical performance, or taking a crafts class.

Let your voice be heard! Take the Greater Richmond Cultural Census at http://www.culturalcensus.com The survey is open to adult residents (18+ years old) in the city of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico.


Pamela Duncan Edwards Wins Second Cardozo Award for Children's Literature

Virginia author Pamela Duncan Edwards' The Old House has been selected by the public as the winner of the second annual Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award for Children's Literature. The book is about a lonely old house that is looking for a new family to move in. Its appearance droopy discourages all buyers until one very special family notices its potential.

Pamela Duncan Edwards grew up in England and inherited her love of children's literature from her father who was a children's author. She taught preschool for 11 years in England and worked as a school librarian in McLean, Virginia for 14 years before devoting herself to writing.

The Old House was chosen by children and parents voting at the Library of Virginia, the Children's Museum of Richmond, in public libraries across the state, and online at the Library of Virginia's Web site. The winning book and author will be officially recognized at the 11th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration.


Literary Luncheon Features Women of Mystery
On October 18 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Virginia mystery writers Katherine Neville, Rita Mae Brown, and Ellen Crosby will discuss the craft of writing mysteries. This event complements the Library’s annual literary awards celebration. The luncheon in the elegant ballroom of the Jefferson Hotel will be moderated by May-Lily Lee, host of Virginia Currents on public television's Community Idea Stations. The newest books by the authors will be available for sale and a book signing will follow the event.

Katherine Neville’s books The Eight: A Calculated Risk and The Magic Circle are best sellers in more than 30 languages. Rita Mae Brown is the author oftwo best-selling mystery series—theSister Jane foxhunting mysteries and the Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries—as well as the critically acclaimed Rubyfruit Jungle. Ellen Crosby's mysteries, The Chardonnay Charade, The Merlot Murders, and The Bordeaux Betrayal, are set in the Virginia wine country

Tickets are $50 per person and reservations are required. Seating is limited.