Research in Our Collections

Best Sources for Virginia Research by Time Period

Research Guides | Bibliographies - detailed guides to parts of our collections

The Library's collections of books, periodicals, government publications, and microforms totals 1,783,287 items, including 41,462 reels of newspaper microfilm and 651,524 federal government publications.  

The Library's Archival Collections now total 61,216 cubic feet, or approximately 91.8 million items. The Archival Collection also includes 36,525 reels of microfilm, an estimated 67,468 maps, and 9,046 architectural plans and drawings. 

The Library's Special Collections include the Rare Books, Fine Art and Prints and Photographs Collections, which consists of books dating as far back as the 15th century and collected over the past 175 years; paintings and sculptures located largely in buildings in the Capitol Square area, such as the Library, State Capitol, Executive Mansion and Supreme Court; and more than 240,000 prints, photographs, postcards, posters and ephemera.