Voorhees Lecture Focuses on "Virginia’s District of Columbia"

The 2016 Alan M. and Nathalie P. Voorhees Lecture on the History of Cartography, entitled "Virginia’s District of Columbia," will be held at the Library of Virginia on Saturday, April 16. Don Hawkins will present "An Unappreciated Gift," illustrating the story of Alexandria's inclusion in 1791 and departure in 1846 from the District of Columbia with contemporary maps and his own cartographic reconstructions of the time period 1791–1865. Dennis Gurtz will discuss several maps of the District in his presentation "The Evolving District of Columbia." The lectures begin at 1:00 PM. An exhibition of maps related to Washington, D.C., will be on display in the Library's conference rooms from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

As part of the Voorhees Lecture, the Library is hosting "Minor Repair Work with Leslie Courtois," a conservation workshop led by the Library's own conservator, at 10:00 AM. This event is free for Fry–Jefferson Map Society members and $15 for nonmembers. Registration is required for the workshop and requested for the lecture and/or tour: https://goo.gl/kxeYVY. Lunches are available for advance order/purchase. For workshop registration or more information about these events, contact the Library of Virginia Foundation at 804-692-3900 or e-mail Dana.Brown@lva.virginia.gov.

—submitted by Cassandra B. Farrell, Collections Access and Management Services

Students Can Get Help with SATs from Credo Homework Help

Through a strategic partnership with Credo Reference, the Library of Virginia provides public libraries throughout the state with video tutorials, training manuals, articles, and presentations for their patrons. Credo connects students, educators, librarians, and publishers to improve collaboration in the knowledge–building process for local library patrons.

Now Virginia public libraries that have been using Credo's Homework Help to assist students with math, science, reading, and writing homework can direct students to Credo Homework Help for SAT support. State–certified teachers provide one–on–one help for students with questions about the SAT. This service is provided at no cost by the Library of Virginia.

March Online Sale at the Virginia Shop

Virginia history is full of women making their mark on the world. Enjoy select items related to women in history for 30% off in March. Visit the Virginia Shop online at www.thevirginiashop.com

Transform Your Ideas about Libraries: Celebrate National Library Week, April 10–16

National Library Week, April 10–16, 2016, will celebrate the dynamic changes that are happening in today's libraries. The Library of Virginia joins libraries in schools, colleges, and communities across Virginia and the United States in celebrating National Library Week, a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians, and library workers.

Libraries today are more about what they do for (and with) library users, as opposed to what they have for patrons. More than just a place of quiet study, libraries are also creative and engaging community centers where people can use a 3-D printer, build a robot, write or illustrate a zine, or just relax. Library services are now accessible online 24/7 with resources ranging from business resources to homework help to talking picture books to popular magazines.

Libraries of all types are evolving to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Libraries are many things to many people. They work with elected officials, small business owners, students, and the public at large to discover and address the needs of their communities. Whether through offering e-books and technology classes, genealogy workshops, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers, or a safe haven in times of crisis, libraries and librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April.

Library Announces Virginia Women in History Essay Contest Winners

The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Virginia Women in History Essay Contest, cosponsored by the Library of Virginia and Encyclopedia Virginia, a publication of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

Ines King, founder and artistic director of the Latin Ballet of Virginia, was the inspiration for the contest questions. King refers to herself and her company as "ambassadors of dance and culture," because along with dance technique, they also teach its history as well as the culture of Latin America. In addition, King has developed educational programs to teach students Spanish and English through dance and to use dance as therapy for children with special needs. King's work has brought access to the arts to many low-income families.

Essay entrants were asked to consider these questions after reading about King and her work. How does Ana Ines King's story inspire you? What are you passionate about, and what does that tell others about you? Do you know of someone who, like Ana Ines King, uses his or her interests and enthusiasm to make your community a better place? Describe the person and how he or she serves others in your community.

In the grade 6–8 division, the winners were Clair Dickinson, a 6th grader at Moody Middle School in Henrico County, who wrote about her grandmother and Isabella Kates, a 6th grader at Albert Hill Middle School in Richmond, who wrote about Mrs. Siddall, a special needs teacher.

In the grade 9–12 division, the winners were Evelyn Garey, a 9th grader at Western Albemarle High School in Albemarle County, who wrote about Allie Haddix, a youth services librarian at the Crozet Library, and Nichole Rychagov, a 9th grader at Cape Henry Collegiate on Virginia Beach, who wrote about Ina Yakubeika, a music teacher.

The four winners each won a Kindle Fire and $250 for their schools. The winning essays will be posted on the Library's website.

The 2016 Virginia Women in History program culminates on March 31 with an inspiring program recognizing the honorees. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 PM, followed at 6:15 PM by an awards ceremony hosted by May-Lily Lee. The reception and program are free and open to the public. For more information, call (804) 692-3592.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the media sponsor for the 2016 Virginia Women in History program. The Virginia Business and Professional Women's Foundation Fund sponsors the Business Leadership Award and programming for Virginia Women in History. To learn more about the program, visit www.lva.virginia.gov/public/vawomen/2016.

WHRO to Spearhead Statewide Initiative for Wall of Faces

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, often simply called the Wall, is one of the most visited attractions in Washington, D.C. For 33 years, it has served as a tribute to the more than 58,000 men and women killed in or missing from the Vietnam War.

Now the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which built the memorial in 1982, is striving to match a face with every name on the Wall through its interactive digital Wall of Faces. Faces have been matched with all but 13,255 of the 58,000 names on the Wall. The ambitious "Faces Never Forgotten" project aims to "put a face and a story to each name on the Wall" at the Vietnam Memorial.

There are 1,307 names of Virginia Vietnam vets listed on the Wall. WHRO, the public media station for southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina, is spearheading a statewide initiative and engaging partners and community individuals to ensure every Virginian listed has a photo. The images will become part of the "Wall of Faces"—a lasting tribute for the Vietnam Memorial Education Center. To learn more about the project and how to help find a photograph for every name, log onto www.whro.org/walloffaces.

April Genealogy Conference to Focus on Library of Virginia Records and Research Strategies

The Friends of the Virginia State Archives and the Virginia Genealogical Society partner in a joint program on Friday and Saturday, April 29–30, 2016, on the theme "Library of Virginia: Records and Research Strategies."

Four Library of Virginia staff members will speak on specialized research topics at the Friends of the Virginia State Archives 24th Annual Straight to the Source program on Friday, April 29. Topics this year include an in-depth discussion of records related to the probate process, an update on the effective use of the Virginia Chronicle Newspaper Database, an explanation of Virginia militia records from the colonial period to World War I, and an introduction to the Library's latest digital project to bring to light the experiences of pre–Civil War African Americans.

On Saturday, April 30, the Virginia Genealogical Society presents professional genealogist and lecturer Sharon Hodges, who will delve into ways to make the most of your research time at the Library of Virginia. Her topics include how to navigate the Library's website, what researchers can find at the State Records Center, how to use outside resources to locate records at the Library, and a "walking tour" of the Library's public research areas.

Pre-registration is required; attendance is limited. There is a late registration fee for those registering after April 8. Program registration begins at 8:30 AM and sessions conclude at 4:00 PM each day.

The cost for a single-day registration is $40 for Friends and VGS members; the cost to members to attend both days is $70. For nonmembers, the cost is $45 for a single-day registration and $80 for both days. Costs include a box lunch. Program and registration information are available at http://vgs.org and you can register online.

For additional information, contact vagensoc@aol.com or (804) 285-8954 (voice mail).

George Mason to Offer Certificate in Digital Public Humanities

The Department of History and Art History at George Mason University, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, has created a fully online graduate certificate in digital public humanities. The program offers training in the digital skills and tools that are increasingly essential to careers in education, public history, libraries, publishing, government, and nonprofit work. This 15-credit program consists of three online courses followed by a remote internship with a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Because it is both online and part-time, students can pursue it while working or attending another graduate program. The certificate can also be combined with George Mason University's history M.A. program.

For more information: http://to.gmu.edu/humanitiesonline.

—submitted by submitted by Brian Platt, George Mason University