August 2019 Newsletter

Library of Virginia Foundation Names New Executive Director

We are pleased to announce that Scott Dodson, CFRE, will join the Library of Virginia Foundation on September 3, 2019, as executive director.

Dodson is a results-driven fundraising professional with more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit cultural organizations. He currently serves as the director of advancement and patron communications for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, where he has spearheaded a successful effort to increase revenue and annual giving, launched an ambitious capital campaign, and guided the organization's first coordinated digital marketing and fundraising work.

Prior to moving to Richmond, Dodson headed up development and marketing efforts for the West Virginia Symphony and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. He holds a bachelor's degree from James Madison University and a master's in arts management from American University. He is a member of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and the American Marketing Association and is president-elect of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Central Virginia.

Finalists and Featured Speaker Announced for the 22nd Annual Literary Awards

The Library of Virginia has announced the finalists and speaker for the 22nd Annual Literary Awards Celebration to take place on Saturday, October 19, 2019. Congratulations to the 2019 Library of Virginia Literary Award finalists:

FICTION FINALISTS
JAMES A. MCLAUGHLIN | Bearskin
JON PINEDA | Let's No One Get Hurt
TIM POLAND | Yellow Stonefly

NONFICTION FINALISTS
MARGARET EDDS | We Face the Dawn
CATHERINE KERRISON | Jefferson's Daughters
BETH MACY | Dopesick

POETRY FINALISTS
MICHAEL CHITWOOD | Search & Rescue
CLAUDIA EMERSON | Claude Before Time and Space
BOB HICOK | Hold
ERIKA MEITNER | Holy Moly Carry Me

The evening's featured speaker will spotlight Virginia's culinary traditions, which can be seen in the Library's impressive collection of cookbooks and related ephemera. Brian Noyes, noted cookbook author, owner of Red Truck Bakery, and former Washington Post art director, has recently released the Red Truck Bakery Cookbook, offering 85 nostalgic recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, and more to make every day delicious—from breakfast to dessert. The Red Truck Bakery opened in Warrenton, Virginia, in 2009, and outstanding reviews from national publications soon followed. Saveur magazine saluted the bakery in its Top 100 issue, Travel + Leisure called the Red Truck "one of the best small-town bakeries in America," and Condé Nast Traveler named it one of "America's 13 Sweetest Bakery Destinations."

For sponsorship or ticket information for the 22nd Annual Library of Virginia Awards Celebration Honoring Virginia Authors & Friends, please call 804.692.3813 or visit www.thevirginiashop.org/LiteraryAwardsEvents.aspx.

For a complete list of the 2019 finalists, see www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/press.htm.

Virginia Family History Day Conference Explores the Genealogical Impact of Migration

The third annual Virginia Family History Day Conference, held Saturday, September 14, 2019, at the Library of Virginia, addresses the topic "Searching for Your Ancestors: The Genealogical Impact of Forced & Voluntary Virginia Migrations." Attendees can learn more about the historical context of their family history stories and shed light on their ancestors' journeys. This event features a presentation from educator, historian, and award-winning author Ric Murphy on "The 400th Commemoration of the First Documented Africans in English North America."

The 1619 arrival of Africans marked a pivotal moment in Virginia's history and eventually caused major shifts in its economy and culture. The 400th anniversary of this seminal event invites us to examine its influence on the practice of family history as well as the impact of subsequent migrations to, from, and within the commonwealth.

Many American families have ancestors who migrated through Virginia, crisscrossing the map within historical migration routes. Africans and African Americans suffered the harshest experience of all migrants, experiencing the horrors of slave ships and having their families forcibly separated in the routine transactions of the American slave trade to which Virginia was essential. Famines, land clearings, poverty, and religious persecution pushed British and European souls out of the Old World to find a new life and new land in Virginia and beyond, whether as indentured servants or willing immigrants. In the process, Native people lost much of their land to the colonizers through warfare and forced resettlement.

The Library hosts this conference in collaboration with the Virginia chapters of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc., the Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society, and the Richmond-area congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with support from FamilySearch.

A free, optional open house on Friday, September 13, offers computer lab sessions on topics such as newspapers and maps, one-on-one "Ask an Expert" sessions, and a tour of the Library. (Reservations are required for the "Ask an Expert" sessions. To schedule one, contact Ashley Ramey at ashley.ramey@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3001.)

Registration and tickets are required for the conference. Visit: searchingforyourancestors.eventbrite.com. The cost is $35 ($14 for optional lunch). Spaces are limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Ashley Ramey at ashley.ramey@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3001.

"Finding Your Virginia Roots" Facebook Group Connects Family History Fans

Let's talk! The Library has launched a new Facebook genealogy group, Finding Your Virginia Roots, to facilitate conversations on genealogy and share information and resources. The page encourages family historians and professional genealogists to interact with each other and with Library staff members. Launched in mid-July, it already has close to 500 members. A Facebook group is where you "connect with new people, share knowledge, or get support," according to the site.

"The goal is to form a helpful community," said Ashley Ramey, the Library's community outreach specialist. "We're hoping to engage with people beyond central Virginia and in other states who are unable to attend our genealogy workshops."

Library staff members will share information about collections, promote upcoming events, offer tips on genealogical research, and answer brief questions on these topics. The Library will moderate the group page to make sure that members respect each other and our comments policy.

Join the group and see what family history researchers are talking about.

1,000 Things Before Kindergarten Project Promotes School Readiness

Learning 1,000 things before kindergarten may sound like a lot, but research demonstrates the value of children participating in school readiness activities before entering formal schooling. To accomplish that, the Library of Virginia has collaborated with the Soho Center and 17 public libraries across the commonwealth to promote school readiness. Additional libraries will join over the next several years until all Virginia libraries are participating.

The 1,000 Things Before Kindergarten project (1KTB4K) is derived from the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten effort, which focuses solely on reading. However, 1KTB4K expands the concept to include STEAM topics (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and social and emotional behaviors, such as singing songs and nursery rhymes, playing peekaboo, dancing to music, playing with blocks, and counting aloud. Books and activities may be repeated as many times as the child is interested, since repetition is a valuable learning tool.

Participants receive a folder of materials including reading log sheets, activity suggestions, and information referring caregivers to sites like www.kidsliteracy.org and www.DaybyDayVA.org, which provide suggestions for activities and books. By tracking progress with log sheets, participants can earn a free book, donated by the Soho Center, for every 100 books read or activities completed.

Virginia Commonwealth University digital arts students created the project's art, which features animal residents of Virginia such as box turtles, cardinals, and turkeys. All associated costs are funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Library of Virginia.

Become a Member or Renew Your Support

Millions of people from across the country and around the world use the Library's collections for research. Did you know that the Library has a membership program that helps support its programs, events, and exhibitions? Our members provide the necessary support needed to share and enrich the Library's collections.

Donations starting at $50 provide all the benefits that come with membership, including an annual print subscription to Broadside, our quarterly magazine; 10 percent off all purchases at the Virginia Shops; and invitations to special members-only events and programs.

Whether it's time for you to renew or you want to join us for the first time, it's easy to donate. You can print and mail the form located on the Library's website, visit us online at www.thevirginiashop.org/foundation-membership.aspx, or call Dawn Greggs at 804.692.3813.