Collection Development Statement

In March 2024 a group of ten Library of Virginia (hereafter, Library) staff members began meeting to revise the Library’s Collection Development Statement. The policy was last revised in 2007 and no longer adequately reflected the Library’s organizational structure, changes in format over the past decade, and the subtle differences in collecting, processing, and providing access between each of the collecting areas.

The working group produced a flexible set of guidelines that reflect the current depth and scope of the Library’s varied collections and established clear criteria for the continued growth of collections to support the Library of Virginia’s research, reference, and educational services.

The new guidelines include: 

• A table of contents and three appendices
• Refined collection-scope terminology
• Expanded descriptions of archival, library, and special collections
• Updated language regarding technology and formats
• Revised and expanded statements on collecting architecture, artwork, as well as resourcescreated by the agency or offered through subscriptions to support the Library’s missionand vision.

The review committee included:

• Greg Crawford, State Archivist
• Mary Clark, Director of Acquisitions and Access Management
• Cassandra Farrell, Senior Map Archivist
• Trenton Hizer, Senior Manuscripts Acquisition & Digital Archivist
• Theana Kastens, Communities & Cultures Archivist
• Audrey McElhinney, Senior Manuscripts, Maps & Rare Books Librarian
• John Metz, Deputy State Librarian
• Dale Neighbors, Visual Studies Collection Coordinator
• Alicia Starliper, Visual Studies Collection Registrar
• Chad Underwood, Senior Manuscripts Research & Digital Archivist

The Collection Development Guidelines of the Library of Virginia support the mission and vision statements of the Library and the legal responsibilities mandated by the Code of Virginia (Appendix I), by describing: 

• the audiences served and their access to the collections
• the scope of the collections
• the programs for acquiring and managing the collections
• the types of materials acquired by the Library

Mission Statement

As the Commonwealth's library and archives, the Library of Virginia is a trusted educational institution. We acquire, preserve, and promote access to unique collections of Virginia’s history and culture and advance the development of library and records management services statewide. 

Vision Statement

The Library of Virginia will inspire learning, ignite imagination, create possibilities, encourage understanding, and engage Virginia's past to empower its future. 

The Library and the Code of Virginia 

The Library of Virginia is an educational institution and an institution of learning. Per the Code of Virginia (https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title42.1/chapter1/section42.1-1/), it is the library agency of the commonwealth, the archival agency of the commonwealth, and the reference library at the seat of government. The Code of Virginia outlines the responsibilities of the Library and the Library Board to the citizens of Virginia for the selection and collection of archival and library materials. 

The Code authorizes the Library to purchase, receive through gift, and accept by official transfer collections of books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers and other periodicals, official state and local government records, and state and federal government publications, as well as other research and reference materials for the use of the people of the commonwealth to promote knowledge and maintain an informed citizenry. 

The Code provides additional guidance for the collections of the Library, specifying that the collections of other libraries throughout the state should be considered when collection decisions are made. 

Scope of Collecting 

The collections of the Library of Virginia include print publications, original materials, and electronic resources. Print publications include monographs, serials, government publications, newspapers, ephemera, sheet music, art prints, atlases, and maps. Original materials are unpublished and include government records, manuscripts and private papers, photographs, architectural drawings and plans, and genealogical materials. Electronic resources encompass several types of materials and storage methods, including state government websites and electronic records, digital state government publications, and access to electronic federal government publications. The collections also include legacy/physical format electronic materials such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and floppy disks. 

In selecting items for the collection, Library of Virginia staff considers how well the item fits within the parameters of this Collection Development Statement. In doing so, they consider aspects such as subject area, geographical coverage, cost, maintenance and housing, the physical characteristics of the item, its ongoing need for preservation, and its relationship to other items in the existing collection. 

As well as acquiring physical items to add the collections, the Library provides access to electronic resources to facilitate access and enhance research capabilities for our users both in the Library and beyond. The library subscribes to several online indexes, databases, full text newspaper and journal services, and internet sites. Some are freely accessible throughout the state to all registered library patrons and / or Virginia residents with local library cards. Some databases are restricted through licensing conditions to use within the Library itself. The same principles of selection are followed as for the print collections. In addition, such considerations as cost effectiveness and the appropriateness of licensing conditions are considered. 

Access to Collections 

The Library’s collections are made available in a variety of ways. Collection items may be used at the Library by anyone who is a registered user of the Library. Items that are particularly rare or valuable, in manuscript format, or that are particularly fragile may be subject to use only in certain reading rooms under supervision. In cases where the Library holds an original and reformatted version of a manuscript, newspaper, serial, or monograph, the reformatted version will be made available. 

Books and microfilm may also be lent to other libraries throughout Virginia and out- of-state through interlibrary loan (ILL). Local history, genealogical publications, and regimental histories are not lent to out-of-state libraries through interlibrary loan. Additional restrictions may be considered due to rarity or condition or in the case of Virginia materials where only one copy is held. The Library purchases second copies of Virginia-related materials as often as possible to accommodate both in-person and ILL loans. The Library does not loan periodicals but will make photocopies or digital images when complete citations are provided. Collection items may be copied in accordance with United States copyright law. Reproductions of items in the collection can also be requested. 

The Library of Virginia is a participant in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and by law federal publications must be available for free use by the public (44 U. S. C. §1911), including those in digital format only. The Library cannot require registration to use depository materials or restrict use by age. Approved circulation policies and photocopying policies applied to all library materials may be applied to the federal documents collection. 

All materials acquired for the Library’s collections are cataloged in conformity with acceptable bibliographical standards including Resource Description and Access (RDA), Describing Archives (DACS), Dublin Core, Anglo-American Cataloging rules (AACR2), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Library of Congress Classification. In addition, The Library follows Library of Congress standards for geographic, corporate, and personal names. Other standards, such as Art and Architecture Thesaurus are used with some specialized collections. Technologies including the web, XML and Encoded Archival Description (EAD) are also incorporated in the Library’s cataloging. Bibliographic records are shared with the national database OCLC and EAD records are added to the Archival Resources of the Virginias website. 

To facilitate increased access to The Library’s collections the Library routinely digitizes materials including newspapers, maps, photographs, as well as local and state local government records and private papers collections. These materials are searchable through the Library’s catalogs and available in its digital repository site. The Library also cooperates with corporate entities such as Ancestry to make our materials more accessible. The Library is also using social media sites to make collections available to as wide an audience as possible. 

Professional Standards 

The Library of Virginia is committed to applying the most relevant, reliable, and up-to-date professional standards and guidelines in all descriptive and access practices, as well as in content creation, preservation, and asset management. Professional practices, and technological research and advances promote informed decisions and directions in the long-term preservation and continued access to the resources and materials the agency cares for the citizens, agencies, and institutions of the commonwealth. Decisions regarding format management and conversion are influenced by available technologies, condition of originals, researcher interests and demands, legal responsibilities, and human and financial resources. 

Most of the Library’s collections are created, managed, and served in their original or surrogate print formats. Microfilm is created according to national guidelines and stored in appropriate conditions and will remain stable and accessible for hundreds of years; it is technology neutral, compact and reliable, largely disaster resistant, and may best serve the cultural heritage community over the long term. 

Since the mid-1990s, The Library has provided online access to digital surrogates of many highly used collections. The Library acknowledges that the demand for access to digital images increases daily, even as resources for the responsible creation and management of these assets dwindle. Resource availability – staff, finances, and technology - lags far behind staff project recommendations and user demand. 

To strike a balance between user demand and available resources and to facilitate public access to the Library’s collections regardless of format, the Library’s professional librarians and archivists create collection and item level bibliographic metadata through catalog records, archival finding aids, and databases. This metadata is created according to a variety of national standards. 

Recognizing the need to explore and develop creative avenues to increase access to collections while managing materials responsibly, the Library continues and expands upon national, regional, and local partnerships and resource sharing opportunities. Employing current professional practices, the Library will continue to pursue a varied, meaningful, and responsible approach to providing continuing access to all our collections and fulfilling our statutory and ethical responsibility for the protection of Virginia’s documentary heritage. 

The Library is committed to applying the most relevant, reliable, and up-to-date professional standards and guidelines in all descriptive practices, as well as in content creation, preservation, and asset management. Library, archival, records management, and technological research and advances inform decisions and directions in the long-term preservation and continued access to the resources and materials the agency cares for on behalf of the citizens, agencies, and institutions of the commonwealth. The uneven flow of resources—fiscal, technological, and human—requires the sound management of our collections and this impacts reformatting decisions. Sustainable, long-term goals often rely heavily on periodic shifts in short-term planning to take advantage of times of robust resources, as well as defend against those of dwindling resources. This document is prepared as a general statement of direction and the conditions that influence decision-making regarding overall management of the Library’s collections. 

Access and preservation management of library and archival materials are not mutually exclusive in principle or practice; preservation planning without concern for providing intellectual access to materials is wasteful, while promoting access without regard to the long-term physical viability of materials is equally inappropriate. The Library strives to balance preservation practices with continued public access through descriptive standards, resource sharing, and conservation and reformatting activities, always keeping an eye to the long-term results of decisions and resource availability. Preservation and access are necessarily overlapping and provide the basis through which the Library weighs options and applies resources. Below are several of the considerations that impact staff and agency decision-makers as choices are made on behalf of the collections, as well as present and future users of the Library’s materials. 

Formats 

The Library’s collections are created, managed, and made accessible in a variety of formats. Decisions regarding format management and conversion are influenced by available technologies, condition of originals, researcher interests and demands, legal responsibilities, and human and financial resources. The Library remains committed, however, to balancing these occasionally competing concerns with responsible management practices across all collections regardless of original or surrogate format. 

Paper and print materials 

Most of the Library’s collections are created, managed, and served in their original or surrogate print formats. Library staff regularly monitor environmental conditions in the building and at the State Record Center to ensure that collections are stored at appropriate levels of temperature and humidity. As with all the Library’s collections, policies and procedures are in place, allowing staff to avoid or respond quickly to potential problems such as water leaks, pests or mold. 

Archival quality materials are the standard and collections that are given to the Library are rehoused as soon as possible when storage materials fail to meet accepted standards. Print collections are generally removed from public access after reformatting to eliminate continued handling of fragile or endangered materials. 

Microfilm 

Microfilm has a solid reputation as a preservation medium of choice among library and archival professionals and organizations. In the digital age, microfilm is often considered archaic and cumbersome to use; however, the fact remains that microfilm created according to established guidelines and stored in appropriate conditions, will remain stable and accessible for hundreds of years; it is technology neutral, compact and reliable, and may best serve the cultural heritage community over the long term. The Library actively monitors its microfilm collection for signs of disease or degradation and takes prompt corrective action to address these. In times of fiscal and staff crisis, microfilm also has much potential as a “pre-digital” format while funds for digitization and digital image management are scarce. High quality, lower cost images can be captured on microfilm and then converted from microfilm to digital later. 

Digital 

The Library has a long history of providing online access to digital surrogates of highly used collections. The Library acknowledges that the demand for access to digital images increases daily, even as resources for the responsible creation and management of these assets dwindle. As with all our collections, the Library stays abreast of guidelines and standards for the sound management of our digital assets, even as technology advances and changes, often causing fluctuations and refinements in previously agreed-upon practice. 

The Library also has a legal responsibility to accession and manage in perpetuity the “born electronic” records of state government, specifically those records of the Office of the Governor and his secretariats. These records tend to be more complex and less standardized in creation and management prior to transfer to the Library. Coupled with a lack of fiscal resources to manage this Code mandated responsibility, the management of these records from creator to creator and administration to administration put the long- term preservation and access to this content more at-risk. 

Descriptive Practices 

To facilitate public access to the Library’s collections regardless of format, the Library’s professional librarians and archivists create collection and item level bibliographic metadata. This metadata is created according to a variety of national standards, including MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging), EAD (Encoded Archival Description), DACs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), RDA (Resource Description and Access), AACR2 (Anglo American Cataloging Rules), and Dublin Core. When possible, staff is trained and encouraged to investigate and apply new descriptive practices to their work. Thesauri and standard vocabularies, such as Library of Congress Subject Headings, Art and Architecture Thesaurus, and Thesaurus of Geographic Names are consulted, contributed to, and applied to enhance the effectiveness of their work. 

In support of this, the Library provides where appropriate and feasible, full-text extraction and transcriptions of materials. Source materials for many of these indexes are found in older print publications, card files, unpublished indexes, and microfilm reels. When possible, these sources are converted to electronic databases, including the Library’s OPAC (online catalog), digital asset management system, databases, and other finding aids, which require continual management by staff librarians, archivists, and technologists, as well as fiscal resources to cover licensing, maintenance, and support. 

Resources 

It should come as no surprise that staff project recommendations and user demand far exceed resource availability. As stated previously, resources come in several forms, including staff, technology, and finances. The Library relies upon many different sources to meet its resource needs. Often, certain collection areas are better funded by law or because of grant opportunities or donor interests. These collections, however, may not be those with the highest user demand or in the most perilous condition. The Library works very hard to fill gaps where they exist. 

Recognizing the need to explore and develop creative avenues to increase access to collections while managing materials responsibly, the Library continues and expands upon partnerships and resource sharing opportunities. Examples of this include membership in OCLC, contribution of EAD guides to the Archival Resources of the Virginias, partnerships with the Internet Archive and Lyrasis, working with the Virginia Genealogical Society and volunteers to transcribe historic manuscripts, participate in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), and to administrator of the Circuit Court Records Preservation program (CCRP). The Library also continues to expand and integrate its web presence, participating and collaborating with users of social networking sites and other web 2.0 technologies via blogs, Facebook, RSS feeds, and as a member of the Flickr Commons. 

By engaging in conversations with our users, supporters, funders, and peers– regardless of whether they are genealogists, historians, students, educators, government employees and leaders, or library and archives professionals—the Library intends to continue to pursue a varied, meaningful, and responsible approach to providing continuing access to all our collections. 

Collecting 

The primary description of the Library’s collection is found in § 42.1-10. Code of Virginia: “The Library may from time to time acquire books and other library matter by gift, purchase, exchange or loan. And the Library shall cause to be procured, from time to time, as opportunity may offer, a copy of any book, pamphlet, manuscript, or other library material, relating to the history of Virginia, not now in the Library, which can be obtained on reasonable terms. 

While the Library has a significant number of books dating to the Colonial Council Chamber Library used by the Royal Governor and other colonial leaders prior to 1776, the core of the Library’s holdings date to the Catalogue of the Library of the State of Virginia, 1828. Since that time, the collection has grown substantially. The Library has served as the “reference library at the seat of government,” the public library for the City of Richmond through the 1920s and, in cooperation with the Library’s Library Development division, as the library of last resort for public libraries in the Commonwealth of Virginia from the 1970s through the mid-1990s. 

The current collection focus is materials related to Virginia history, culture, government and to support the archival collections of the Library. To that end, the library seeks to collect, as the Code of Virginia states, any book, pamphlet or other library material relating to Virginia that can be acquired on “reasonable terms.” When possible, the Library seeks to acquire two copies of Virginia related materials, one that is available for check out and one that remains in the Library for research purposes. 

Generally, the Library does not collect in the fields of natural or physical sciences, technology, medicine, or engineering, unless the content of the publication is specifically related to Virginia history and culture. The result is a comprehensive, though not exhaustive, collection of material capable of supporting in-depth research in Virginia history, culture, and government. The Library takes into consideration the collecting intentions of local and regional public libraries, college and university libraries and archives as outlined in their collection development policies, and those of other Virginia institutions with an interest in the collection of Virginia related materials. 

The overriding consideration for the inclusion of an item in the Library’s collection is always the information content of the publication. Material is collected if it is considered to have research value now or in the future. 

The Library endeavors to collect two copies of Virginia related materials, provided there are sufficient funds to do so. This includes indexes and abstracts of archival records, books by Virginia authors, and histories of Virginia published by established publishing houses and those that are self-published by reputable lay experts. The Library also endeavors to collect two copies of those materials published by local historical societies, museums and cultural organizations. Exceptions to the standard of purchasing two copies include hiking and travel guides and brief local guides. 

Collecting Guidelines for Specific Categories of Printed Materials 

The following list is not exhaustive but represents the full range of materials which in the opinion of Library selection staff most need clarification in terms of the Library’s collection intentions. Any category not covered here is taken into the collections if it meets the Library’s collecting statement. While providing an indication of the Library’s general collecting intentions in the areas covered, the guidelines are subject to individual judgment which continues to play an important and desirable part in the selection process. These criteria are applied to the acquisition of material from all sources, whether commercial, private or government. 

Publications about Virginia or Virginia history are acquired primarily in English. Materials can be acquired in various languages and scripts, primarily as gifts. Virginia and United States government publications are acquired in the language of publication. 

Virginia Authors 

The Library endeavors to collect the works of Virginia authors. A Virginia author is defined as a native of the state whose life or work is easily identifiable in relation to Virginia, a long-term resident of Virginia or an author whose works were written while maintaining a permanent address in Virginia, or authors previously identified by the Library as Virginia authors 

These materials are generally published through established presses and cover a variety of genres and subjects, although fiction works predominate. Materials published by college and university researchers outside the subjects of Virginia history, culture and government are not collected. Books by Virginia authors published as textbooks are not collected. 

The evolution of book publishing in the 21st century including self-publishing and digital access will challenge selectors and the Library’s budget limitations. Self- published fiction and non-fiction may be purchased. Preference for purchase of self- published materials will be books for which reviews can be located. Gifts of self- published materials will be considered for the Library’s collection. The extent, content, and scholarship of any work may be considered before purchasing the material or accepting it as a gift. 

Currently, the Library is not capable of storing, accessing and maintaining over time eBooks by Virginia Authors. 

Reference Books and General Interest Databases 

A limited selection of general reference materials is purchased for the use of Library patrons and staff. Much information that previously appeared in printed publications such as guides, directories and bibliographies is readily available on the internet. The Library may provide access to this information in electronic rather than print format. Some general interest databases are made available to the public through the Library’s Library Development division as well as through membership in VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia. 

Family History and Genealogy 

Because of the symbiotic relationship between archival government records and family history, the Library actively collects materials that support the use of the Library’s archival collections 

and represent the results of significant research using archival records. The Library also collects family histories as part of its focus on Virginia culture. Published family histories are acquired primarily as gifts. Genealogical notes and charts are collected by the Archives. Family newsletters that are primarily administrative or are of interest only to current members of the family largely outside of Virginia are not collected. 

Local History 

Publications from local historical societies, religious organizations, and histories of Virginia localities are extensively collected. Sources representing the culture, folk and food ways and representative of the daily lives of Virginians are actively collected. The extent, content, and scholarship of any work may be considered before purchasing the material or accepting it as a gift. 

Other States 

The Library will at times collect local history, abstracts, indexes, and transcripts of government information from contiguous states. Local histories and abstracts, indices, and transcriptions of governmental information of areas of non-contiguous states and foreign countries are collected primarily as gifts and due to their relevance as areas from which Virginians have come or to which Virginians have migrated. Of particular interest are publications related to migration patterns of Virginians, and related to politics, government, history, and cultural exchange. 

State Publications Depository Program 

The State Publications Depository Program is authorized by §42.1 - 92-97 of the Code of Virginia. The Program provides the citizens of the commonwealth with free access to publications produced by state government agencies, boards, commissions and other government entities. The Library collects and distributes publications to designated depository libraries around the state., Since 2009, a moratorium on printing by state government has driven the transition to a primarily digital depository program. Publications are submitted by state government agencies to the Library’s digital repository for preservation. Digital state publications are discovered and accessed through the Library’s website and are available in full text. Full cataloging records exist for all documents, and the cataloging is shared with libraries around the state. 

Federal Depository Library Program 

The Library is a selective depository for federal government information. The Library has been a designated depository since 1910, but the collection pre-dates that time by over 100 years and contains over 699,000 items. Currently the Library selects approximately fifty per cent of the items available. The Government Publishing Office ceased distribution of tangible publications in 2024. Commercially acquired cataloging records accessible at the Library provide access to digital federal publications. The Library does not house or preserve digital federal publications. Areas of concentration include Congress, the Department of Defense historical publications, Department of Commerce, Library of Congress, Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. The Library is an Association of Southeast Research Libraries Center of Excellence for the Department of Commerce Publication Board. 

In support of the Program, the library subscribes to commercial databases that help provide access to government publications. The Library will, from time to time, purchase commercial finding aids or guides to assist in the use of the collection. Occasionally, commercially produced microfilm or full text digital content will be purchased. 

Educational Curriculum Materials 

These materials are not generally collected. Some materials of this type are received through participation in the Federal Depository Library Program and through the administration of the State Publications Depository Program. 

Newspapers 

The Library has an extensive collection of Virginia newspapers. Newspapers provide a unique historical perspective and are primary research materials. 

The Library currently subscribes to 76 Virginia newspapers. For long term preservation and access the Library purchases microfilm copies of newspapers from commercial vendors or subscribes to databases that provide digital access. Those newspapers that are not routinely reformatted to microfilm by commercial vendors are filmed for preservation and access by the Library. Due to the continuing instability of newspaper publishing the Library currently microfilms newspapers for preservation purposes only under the guidance of 17 U.S.C 108. 

The following categories of newspapers are not collected: 

a. Those intended primarily for advertising purposes and consisting mainly of advertisements, including real estate papers; 

b. Newspapers distributed at the suburban and regional levels which consist of generic text that is used for distribution to different communities and towns accompanied by a cover page that localizes the newspaper by containing information relevant only to the particular community or towns; 

c. Newspaper-format publications with national circulation; 

d. Newspapers published in high schools and colleges, although works representing outstanding quality or of historical significance may be acquired. 

The Library’s retrospective collection of newspapers continues to grow. Funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities, Virginia Newspaper Project (1993-2007) cataloged and reformatted to microfilm Virginia newspapers stored in repositories throughout the state. The Library on occasion will purchase Virginia newspapers through dealers and accepts unique Virginia newspapers as gifts. Current newspapers are routinely reformatted to microfilm for preservation and access, and as preparation for future digitization when digitization is financially possible. Once reformatted, 19th-21st century newspapers are discarded except in rare instances. 

In addition to print and microfilm copies of newspapers, the Library subscribes to numerous commercially produced databases of full text newspapers with Virginia content. 

Magazines and Journals 

An extensive, but not comprehensive, selection of magazines and journals with an emphasis on information about the commonwealth of Virginia or representative of localities in all regions of Virginia are collected. Virginia based magazines and journals that publish historical information, significant literary or cultural essays, or poetry are collected. 

A limited number of magazines and journals with national circulation are selected, including historical and genealogical journals, materials related to library and archival practice, and journals publishing research related to the Library’s collections. 

Children’s Materials 

The Library limits its acquisition of children’s literature to that written by an author from Virginia or residing in Virginia as well as stories that take place in Virginia. The Library does not collect works published in association with elementary or high school art or literature. Certain representative examples are on occasion added to the collection. 

Purpose 

The Library collects the permanent archival state government records and other unpublished textual materials which form part of the documentary record of the state government of Virginia. 

Definition 

In the context of archival collections, state government records comprise handwritten, typescript, electronic and other forms of unpublished textual records created by state governmental entities, in all three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial. They are acquired by transfer as directed in either a general retention schedule or an agency specific retention schedule. 

The historical or evidential value of organic collections, which make up a large portion of the Library’s manuscript collection, derives not only from the information contained in the individual items but also from the context, including the physical connections that existed between some or all the items. As state records collections should have an original order, they are kept by the Library as they were used during their active life and arranged and described in this order. Collections may contain a variety of records including pamphlets, issues of journals, leaflets, maps and other printed items and photographs, sound recordings and physical objects. To preserve context, it is important to keep these items together in their original order and relationships. The integrity of the whole collection is more important than the format of the items within it. 

Collecting 

The state records collection currently contains over 70.7 million items (an item being a document or volume), amounting to more than 47,000 cubic feet. They relate to all aspects of Virginia state government – executive office and secretariats, as well as related agencies, legislative bodies, and the judicial branch. 

In addition to original government records, the Library holds over 49,000 reels of microfilm of archival state and local records and manuscripts. They were mostly copies of county and city court records, land grants, census, vital and tax records. They also include materials copied from other research institutions in the both the United States and United Kingdom, that reflect on the history of Virginia and Virginians. 2 

Increasingly, state agencies and officials are creating archives in electronic or audiovisual formats. The Library must accept permanent born electronic records from agencies as required by the retention schedules. These include materials such as emails, electronic documents and databases, and legacy format materials such as cassettes, CDs, videotape and DVDs for which permanent preservation is required. Our current holdings include nearly 18 terabytes of born- digital records, in addition to approximately 2600 DVDs/videotapes, 900 CDs, and 1000 cassettes. 

The collection has been assembled according to the code mandate designating the Library as the official repository for permanent state government records. The primary function is to preserve the official records of the Commonwealth. A collateral use of these records is to meet the needs of historians, genealogists, and other researchers for primary source material relating to Virginia. The bulk of our users is comprised of genealogists, academics, architectural historians, postgraduate students, independent scholars and writers. 

The Library identifies areas within state government which are inadequately documented, due to lack of retention schedules or lack of agency transfers. It tries to remedy those weaknesses by working with records analysts and agency records officers to schedule transfers of permanent records. 

Access to the Collections 

Manuscripts and archival materials are unique and irreplaceable. They are frequently fragile and can be easily damaged. For these reasons, they should only be handled and accessed under conditions designed to ensure their long-term survival and accessibility. 

Provided there are no preservation risks or privacy restrictions, copies of manuscripts can be made for Library patrons. Digital images for personal use may be copied within the agency or from offsite. Copies from microfilm may be made within the Library. Some of the most heavily used or fragile items and collections have been microfilmed and copies of the film can be borrowed by other libraries through ILL. The Library is also digitizing some of its more important archival collections, making them accessible to any users online.

Purpose 

The Library collects the archival local government records and other unpublished textual materials which form part of the documentary record of the county, city, and town governments within the commonwealth of Virginia. 

Definition 

In the context of archival collections, local government records comprise handwritten, typescript, and other forms of unpublished textual records created by the local governmental entities, including the circuit courts, boards of supervisors, sheriffs, and treasurers. They are acquired by transfer at the request of the local circuit court clerk, sometimes accompanied by a court order from the judge, following the guidelines in general retention schedules. These items remain the property of the circuit court clerk. 

The historical or evidential value of organic collections, which make up a large portion of the Library’s manuscript collection, derives not only from the information contained in the individual items but also from the context, including the physical connections that existed between some or all the items. Local government records collections should have an original order, and they are generally kept by the Library as they were used during their active life and arranged and described in this order, with exceptions when collections have become disarranged or when an artificial order is imposed for clarity of use. Collections may contain a variety of records including plats, broadsides, newspapers, architectural drawings, and other printed items and photographs, and physical objects. To preserve context, it is important to keep these items together in their original order and relationships. The integrity of the whole collection is more important than the format of the items within it. 

Collecting 

The local records collection currently contains about 38.1 million items (an item being a document or volume), amounting to more than 25,300 cubic feet. They relate to all aspects of local government in Virginia – circuit court clerks records, including deeds, wills, chancery suits and judgments, as well as related county administrative and law enforcement records among others. The emphasis is on records pre-1913 and regarded as permanent, as reflected in the local records’ general retention schedule [GS-12]. 

Purpose 

Private Papers collects and preserves manuscripts, archival records, and other unpublished textual materials, contributing to the record of Virginia history, culture, and society, endeavoring to meet the documentation, research, publication, and exhibition needs of Virginia-based and Virginia-topical research communities. The collection is curated to serve the needs of historians, genealogists, academics, students, authors, and other researchers interested in Virginia and the Southern states of the United States. The study of Virginia’s history and culture may include the records of the origins of Virginia families and cultural practices in other jurisdictions and the migration of Virginia families to other jurisdictions. 

Definition 

Private Papers are comprised of manuscript collections that are handwritten, typescript, electronic, and other forms of unpublished textual records created by non-local or state governmental entities. These private records shed light on personal experiences and reflect Virginia's social, political, economic, religious, and cultural life. These include Bible records, business records, cemetery records, church records, federal government records, genealogical notes and charts, organization records, and personal papers. These materials serve as valuable resources for research, education, and historical preservation. 

Collecting 

There are two types of archival collections: 

a. Organic collections are records that grows as the result of their creator’s routine activities. Keeping items together is crucial to maintaining contexts and relationships. The integrity of the whole collection is more important than the format of the items within it. 

b. Artificial collections are intentionally acquired documents that collectors obtain due to their research, aesthetic interest, and historical significance. These collections usually do not stem from a specific function and are often organized for ease of description or retrieval rather than in the creator's original order. 

The manuscript collection currently contains 22,000 processed collections with over 9.4 million items (an item being a document or volume), amounting to more than 6,300 cubic feet. Additionally, there is more than 6,000 cubic feet of materials that make up our unprocessed collections. 

Archival collections can be acquired through donor gifts, purchases, loans to make digital and/or physical surrogates or transfers from other repositories. 

The collections are comprised of a diverse range of items, including, but not limited to, correspondence, diaries, ledgers, photographs, sound recordings, and physical objects. Private Papers archivists do not actively acquire pamphlets, journal issues, leaflets, and maps, although some collections may contain these formats, and such items may be collected as printed ephemera. 

Although it does not confine itself to any subject field, there is great strength in many fields, particularly in business, Virginia politics, and those relating to the social life and customs of the citizens of the Commonwealth. The Library makes a concerted effort to collect: 

a. Personal histories and commentaries that will provide insight into the thoughts, actions, and activities of the average citizen of the Commonwealth. 

b. Histories of businesses and organizations that were/are active in Virginia throughout its history. 

c. Papers of Virginians who have achieved prominent statewide or national standing and the records of significant organizations operating at the state level. 

d. The documentation of movements or events of national character as they relate to Virginia and her citizens. 

e. Materials from a broad range of Virginians with the goal of including diverse authorship, various points of view and a range of cultural perspectives. 

Private Papers selects, maintains, and supports access to a range of collections that may encompass diverse perspectives and collectively meet the informational needs of its entire patronage. This includes a range of materials that may meet popular demand, align with community input, and/or fill collection gaps. Collections may be consciously developed in areas where content has been created by and is representative of a broad range of groups in Virginia. 

In addition to original manuscripts, the Library holds over 49,000 reels of microfilm of private manuscripts and archival local and state records. While these reels are primarily copies of county and city court records, land grants, census, vital, and tax records, they also include materials copied from non-governmental entities and private individuals, as well as other research institutions in the United States and the United Kingdom, that reflect on the history of Virginia and Virginians. Private Papers no longer acquires new collections in a microfilm format. 

Private Papers is not restricted to material written by or associated with famous names in collecting manuscripts and archives documenting movements or events of a national character. 

a. An example would be the diaries or letters written by individuals who were either participants or observers of a movement or national event. These individuals may not have been leaders of the movements, but the papers they created are valuable information on the movement and how it was perceived. 

b. In seeking to document major social movements or national events in modern times, the first concern is with the historical value of the papers rather than the fame of the individuals who created them. Papers are sought if they provide extensive documentation of these movements, as reflected in Virginia. 

Private Papers actively seeks to obtain copies of vital records for Virginians from Bibles or other registers kept by individual families. 

a. Vital records were not kept statewide until 1853, and gaps exist in records from 1897 to 1912. Any personally kept information that can fill in these periods is sought to supplement public records. 

b. Reformatted copies of these records, rather than originals, are preferred. 

c. Scans are cataloged and available online through the online catalog. We also seek compilations of family information – manuscript or limited "publication" genealogies of families with a strong Virginia connection. 

Private Papers evaluates the historical significance of the papers and their potential to support extensive research in various fields of study. The specific procedures for evaluating materials are as follows: First, assessing the material's value for academic and independent researchers. Second, giving priority to organizations with significant influence at the state level, such as political parties and interest groups. Third, paying attention to organizational records closely related to existing personal papers. Finally, special consideration is given to the records of defunct organizations or those without staff and resources to care for them. 

Private Papers seeks materials that complement and support areas within Manuscripts and Special Collections (Maps, Rare Books, and Visual Studies). 

Private Papers is selective in accepting born-digital records from private entities, individuals, and organizations. These include materials such as emails, electronic documents and databases, web archiving, and audiovisual records such as cassettes, CDs, videotapes, and DVDs for permanent preservation. 

Private Papers actively seeks to acquire research materials. When original materials are unavailable, reformatted copies serve as suitable alternatives for research and support our commitment to preservation and access. 

Private Papers accepts digital copies of unpublished records with a focus on Virginia-related content in private hands or other archives previously inaccessible to researchers. 

Access to the Collections 

Manuscripts and archival materials are unique and irreplaceable. They are frequently fragile and can be easily damaged. For these reasons, they should only be handled in conditions designed to ensure long-term survival and accessibility. 

Provided no preservation risks or copyright restrictions exist, copies of private manuscripts can be made for personal use. 

Some of the most heavily used or fragile items and collections have been microfilmed or digitized. Digitization is the preferred preservation measure within the Library. Other libraries can borrow copies of microfilm through Interlibrary Loan. Digital images and microfilm may be copied only within the Library. Digitized manuscript collections are accessible to users. 

Relations with other Institutions 

Manuscripts are unique and are often of interest to more than one institution. Private Papers considers the collecting interests of other Virginia archives and historical societies, considering collection strengths, institutional security, access, and the need to maintain the integrity of collections. It also evaluates the potential research value of the collections available, acknowledging that research may be hindered if the gathering of manuscripts is either too centralized or too decentralized. In cases of potential donations, based on our evaluation of the above criteria, we may recommend another institution as a suitable repository for a collection. We also are guided by the above criteria when considering the purchase of collections. 

Purpose 

The Library collects prints, photographs, and drawings which will meet the needs of researchers, publishers and exhibition curators for visual documentation of Virginia history and society. 

Definition 

In collecting images that document Virginia history and society, the Library focuses on people, places and events within current state boundaries. For the period up to the mid-nineteenth century, the geographical focus is broader, encompassing current West Virginia, and to a lesser degree all contiguous jurisdictions. Photographs acquired as part of private papers collections may have a broader geographic focus. 

The Library collects images in a wide range of formats, including: 

a. watercolors, drawings executed by pencil, chalk or crayon, sketchbooks and cartoons; 

b. engravings, etchings, woodcuts, lithographs, aquatints, mezzotints, screen printed posters and other prints; 

c. photographs in black and white or color in all formats, including digital 

Although the Library has collected some three-dimensional objects in the past, they are no longer a major focus of the Library’s collecting. Objects with a high level of visual content, such as board games, are acquired selectively. Other objects are occasionally accepted as part of a multi-format collection, or because they have a strong relationship with material already held by the Library. 

Collecting 

Prints, Photographs and Drawings 

Since its early years the Library has collected images as part of its effort to preserve documentary records of Virginia and its people. The collection of about 350,000 prints, photographs, and drawings mainly dates from the second half of the nineteenth century until the present. 

The Prints, Photographs and Drawings Collection contains many items of great aesthetic value. In selecting for acquisition, however, the Library chooses images primarily for documentary or historical content, rather than purely for artistic merit. Preference is consequently given to images that represent their subject matter with accuracy and detail. The Library prefers the particular to the general, with greater value being placed on works that can be precisely dated and where the people or places that appear in them can be identified. 

Most works acquired are representational, with the overall aim of documenting the major themes, events, and social and environmental changes in Virginia history. Non- representational works may be acquired where: 

a. the works reveal the social, cultural and ideological preconceptions and assumptions of Virginia artists and photographers, especially those who have had some influence on the way that Virginians look at their state or people; 

b. the works represent the viewpoints of significant groups within Virginia society; 

c. the works have been central to an event or public debate: e.g. a manipulated photograph which figured in a state controversy. 

In documenting Virginia history and society, the Library collects images that record the lives and culture of various ethnic or national groups prior to emigration to Virginia, arrival of Europeans in Virginia and their first impressions of Native American peoples. 

Other subjects that the Library seeks to document in images include industry, agriculture and land management, the built environment, transport, technology, working and living conditions, religion, migration, Virginia’s multicultural society, travel, leisure, the performing arts, political and public events. 

In collecting images of the natural environment, the Library focuses on impressions of Virginia landscapes, flora and fauna, and on works that show the changes that have been made to particular landscapes and ecosystems. 

The Library continues to give high priority to portraits, collecting portraits of Virginians of local and regional significance as well as portraits of individuals and groups who are not necessarily well-known but who are representative of different occupations or of various social, racial or cultural aspects of Virginia life. 

In assessing whether the subject of a portrait is of local or regional significance the Library considers the extent to which the subject is known, and the extent to which they are likely to sustain public interest and achieve historical importance. Portraits are preferably dated, and, with major figures, a range of portraits is often sought taken at different times of their lives. Where only one portrait of a subject is collected, preference is given to a portrait that depicts the subject at a significant time during their life and career. Portraits are generally acquired as photographs and should provide an authentic record of the physical appearance of the subject. Portraits in other media, ranging from drawings to cartoons, are acquired where the artist has captured a significant attitude to the subject. 

The Library collects portraits of individuals or groups which represent different aspects of Virginia life, and which contribute to the social record of the time. These portraits indicate something about the lives, attitudes or customs of the individuals portrayed or depict individuals within a context which has social significance. Pictures are collected of members of cultural, ethnic, language, gender, age and occupational groups. In documenting groups, the Library aims to reflect the diversity of Virginia society through selecting pictures of members of smaller groups, such as women in non-traditional occupations, as well as of larger groups, such as older persons. Images of people in groups are particularly valuable where they depict group activities or suggest clues about the social composition and relationships of the groups. 

The Library continues to collect on a highly selective basis pictures relating to people, places and events in other states or countries. In almost all cases they are collected because they directly or indirectly document the activities of Virginians in those locations. 

In selecting images, the Library considers their relationship with other Library of Virginia collections, especially the manuscript collections., and their ability to augment the understanding of the subject and the period represented. 

The Library acquires works for the Prints, Photographs and Drawings Collection through purchase, donation, copying of items with the owner’s permission, and commission. Since the main costs associated with collecting — the costs of cataloguing, digitizing, preserving, storing and retrieving — are independent of the method of acquisition, the Library applies the same level of selectivity to donations as to purchased works. Commissions are given to photographers to record events or themes where pictures are not readily available, or where gaps in the collection are identified. 

In seeking or accepting works, the Library considers the work’s suitability for long- term preservation, and the potential cost of reformatting works that are on unstable media. For these reasons, preference is given to archivally-processed black and white photographic prints rather than color prints; to glass and polyester negatives rather than acetate and nitrate negatives; and to digital files over digitally derived prints. When acquiring images as digital files, the Library gives preference to formats that have sufficient resolution to allow reproduction at publication quality, and that are either uncompressed or have lossless compression. 

In selecting images for acquisition, the Library gives preference to images that are accompanied by captions of sufficient detail to provide researchers with an indication of the topic, place and date of the picture, and the names of significant people. 

The Library undertakes reviews to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of particular parts of the collection and maintains desiderata lists. Based on the findings, efforts are then made to fill important gaps and to strengthen certain areas by seeking pictures held by individuals and organizations, by arranging the copying of works, and by commissioning photographs. 

The Library acquires pictures with the intention of retaining them in perpetuity. Prints, photographs and drawings are de-accessioned only in rare circumstances. For example, photographic negatives from the mid-twentieth century on acetate stock may be de- accessioned if they have degenerated to a state where their content is unrecognizable. Where feasible, a high-quality copy of de-accessioned material is retained. 

Photographic albums (intact unpublished bound material) have been and continue to be among the bound materials acquired by the Prints, Photographs, and Drawings Collection. Photo albums are a collection of photographs created as a record of a family history, a record of a social, business or organization history or whatever the compiler deems important to collect. The Library will continue to acquire photo albums to support various collection areas. Books and folios illustrated with original photographs of documentary or aesthetic interest will be acquired for the Rare Book Collection. 

Printed Ephemera 

Publications of fewer than five pages are generally treated as ephemera and may include booklets, broadsides, leaflets, invitations, trade cards, brochures, posters, programs. Song sheets and sheet music are considered early printed works and part of the Rare Book Collection. Such material forms a documentary record of aspects of Virginia social life and culture that falls outside traditional sources collected by libraries, but which nevertheless significantly enrich a view of the past. 

An item of ephemera that is accepted for acquisition should include factual or descriptive information, significant visual elements such as design, logos, portraiture, etc. or be an outstanding example of its type. 

The major categories and subject areas of ephemera acquired include: 

a. performing arts materials, including sheet music, song sheets, and programs. This is collected in sufficient depth to give a broad, representative coverage of the history of Virginia theater, music, dance and allied performing arts; 

b. state and local political ephemera (federal election ephemera as it applies to Virginia); 

c. material concerned with issues of public debate and associated with groups and movements which characterize current trends in Virginia society; 

d. material associated with specific events of regional significance, e.g. commemorations, fairs and expositions; 

e. trade catalogs and advertising material showing the nature of products and services available in Virginia over a period, especially in the areas of tobacco, transportation, books and publishing, tourism, agriculture and food services. 

Access to the Collections 

The Library gives high priority to making its collections readily accessible. Print, photographs, and drawings collections are made available through the Library’s online catalog and digital repository. 

Relations with other Institutions 

The Library recognizes that some categories of documentary pictures are of special relevance for other Commonwealth collecting institutions. (Example: the Library recognizes that the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Virginia is the prime repository for images of Virginian maritime history, and while the Library has considerable strengths in pictures of ships and shipping in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, it will refer most offers in this subject area to the Mariner’s Museum.) 

Purpose 

The architectural drawings and plans collection at the Library offer a glimpse into the past from a different perspective. This collection looks at history through Virginia’s built environment and answers questions about the structures around us. 

Social historians, students, professional consultants, landscape architects, architectural historians, and architects are among the researchers who use the collection. The material documents the histories of both existing and demolished structures, and contains information useful for restoring historic buildings, researching house histories, nominating properties to state and local historic registers, and charting regional architectural styles. 

The drawings and plans can also assist those researching the men and women responsible for the buildings that surround us today, as well as the designers of never built or demolished structures. 

Definition 

The architectural collections at the Library include plans, drawings, and other forms of architectural documentation. 

A wide variety of associated records often accompany plans and drawings, including correspondence, photographs, models, and maps. Architectural drawings and plans can be found in all three of the major record divisions—state, local, and private papers—at the Library. 

Collecting 

Architectural drawings of structures (including designs related to roads, bridges, streets, furniture, gardens, parks, and built landscapes) situated within Virginia, or designed by a Virginian, should continue to be procured through donations, purchases, and transfers from various state and local agencies. 

The Library’s existing collections of more than 100,000 original architectural drawings and plans significantly distinguish it from peer institutions. 

Copies of architectural drawings, including photographic copies, are also acquired by the Library, and where it is not possible for original drawings to be acquire, the Library will seek permission to photograph material. 

The Library seeks to increase its original architectural drawings and plans to reflect the contributions of all communities to Virginia architecture. 

Architectural models often mark an important point on the evolution of a building design. Consequently, they are an important element in the archival record of a project’s development. Models are therefore acquired by the Library either as stand-alone acquisitions or as part of architectural practice collections. Models present particular storage and conservation problems, and in some cases these can be extreme. In such cases the Library may choose to photograph the model rather that attempt to acquire it. 

There are no chronological or stylistic restrictions on what may potentially be accepted in the architecture collections. The collection includes materials from the eighteenth century to the present, with a particular emphasis from the 1910s to the 1970s. 

Access to the Collections 

Researchers can access the online catalog for detailed bibliographic records of many of the Library’s architectural drawing collections. A number of these collections have accompanying item-level finding aids that can assist researchers. These resources include a detailed history of the creating body, a scope and content statement explaining the breadth and depth of the collection, and an item-by-item listing of each drawing, plan, or related material. 

Due to the complexity and condition of these collections, all original drawings and plans are served in the Special Collections reading room under the supervision of Special Collections staff. 

Purpose 

The Library collects paintings and sculpture that document the history of Virginia through subject, artist, or provenance. Per Executive Memorandum 1-98 (1998, Gov. George Allen), the Library is the official steward of the state-owned art collection and is tasked with its care and management. The Library manages the collection through acquisition, preservation, and conservation, and makes the collection accessible to the public through display, interpretation, and research. 

Definition 

Policies and procedures that support the purpose are set forth in legislation, a collections management statement, and staff guidelines. The following general definitions are intended to clarify certain aspects of care and management of the collection. 

Acquisition: The Library oversees the acquisition of works of art that fulfill the mission of the collection in interpreting Virginia's history and culture. These acquisitions may be through donation, commission, transfer of property from another state agency, or purchase. 

Preservation: The Library’s duty is to keep the collection intact for future generations through proper care and handling; the completion of annual physical inventories to confirm location and condition; monitoring environmental conditions where the collection is displayed and stored; and maintenance of effective security. 

Conservation: The Library is vigilant in monitoring the condition of those objects on display and assessing condition of the collection. When necessary, the Library oversees appropriate conservation treatment and restoration by professional conservators. 

Display and Interpretation: Works of art are on display in public buildings throughout Capitol Square, such as the State Capitol, Executive Mansion and Supreme Court. The Library also oversees loans of the collection to cultural institutions throughout the state for interpretive exhibitions. The Library is committed to interpreting the collection through public exhibition, educational outreach, and online access. 

Scope of the Collection 

The State Art collection contains over 500 works consisting largely of paintings and sculptures predominantly dating from the 19th century to modern day. These works were either created by artists working in Virginia or represent Virginia subjects and people. The subjects are predominately political and military figures, Supreme Court justices and individuals of historic significance though other subjects are represented. The collection dates to the 1780s, when the first works, the statue of General Washington and the bust of the Marquis de Lafayette, were commissioned by the General Assembly from pre-eminent French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. The collection began to grow in earnest during the 1870’s, after the General Assembly authorized the State Library to begin collecting portraits of governors and other significant Virginians. The collection has continued to grow through the 21st century, with established procedures mandating acquisition of official portraits of Governors, Lt. Governors, House Speakers, and Supreme Court Justices. 

The collection is strongest in portraiture representing individuals of historical significance as identified by Governor, Colonial and Civil War attributes. The collection is also strong in works by Virginia artists as identified by individuals who were either born in Virginia or whose career was defined by working in Virginia. Within the subject of landscapes, the collection is strongest in representation of the Piedmont region of Virginia, particularly, the Shenandoah Valley. 

Collecting

The Library undertakes reviews to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of parts of the collection. Based on the findings, efforts are then made to fill important gaps and to strengthen certain areas through donation, transfer, purchase or commission.

Through various legislative mandates and procedures, the Library collects official portraits of Governors, Lt. Governors, House Speakers, and Supreme Court Justices. Portraits of specific Senators and Delegates are also added to the collection through Acts of Assembly.

The Library collects works of art that reflect discreet collecting initiatives by the Governor or First Lady of Virginia.

Sculpture works in the Capitol Square area are typically approved by the Art and Architectural Review Board and added to the State Art collection per Acts of Assembly.

Virginia artists represent much of the collection, and the Library continues to prioritize works by individuals who were either born in Virginia or whose career was defined by working in Virginia. With regards to demographic information of artists, the Library will seek to include works from a broad range of groups whenever possible.

The Library identifies areas within the collection which are inadequately represented. Subjects of portraiture disproportionately represented are male individuals of governmental or judiciary significance. It tries to remedy the disparity by seeking or commissioning works of diverse individuals that represent or have been prominent figures in additional areas of Virginia history.

In documenting the natural environment of Virginia, landscape paintings featuring views of the Shenandoah Valley are prevalent in the collection. The Library seeks works representing all geographical areas of Virginia, prioritizing Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern regions to balance the collection. 

Access to the Collections 

The Library is responsible for making the art collection of the Commonwealth accessible to the public. Collection items are used in the following ways: 

a. publications: journals, books, films, video, multimedia, and sound recordings 

b. exhibitions: furnished historic structures; outdoor and in-situ exhibits; and online exhibits 

c. research: using both objects and documentation and material analysis 

d. reproductions: facsimile products; reproductions for sale; and preservation, deposit, and security copies (provided as alternatives to the original for use) 

To use collections effectively for these purposes, both physical and intellectual access to collections is necessary. 

Catalog records serve as the primary source to provide intellectual access to the collection through the associated data that describes their significance and provenance. All materials in the collection are cataloged according to American Alliance of Museums best practices and utilizing The Art & Architecture Thesaurus vocabulary developed by the Getty Research Institute. 

The principal means by which the Library provides physical access to the collection is through exhibition and programming in the Executive Mansion, State Capitol, Supreme Court and at the Library itself. The Library strives to balance the needs of care, preservation and security with continued public access. 

Purpose 

The Rare Book collection serves as a resource to several centuries of knowledge and history which started in the 1600s and continues to this day. It also supports genealogical research with early titles on geography, exploration, and ancestry. The Rare Book collection is constantly evolving to meet the research needs of our patrons with new acquisitions and donations added regularly. 

Definition 

Distinct from the Library’s general collections, the Rare Book collection contains rare and unique primary source materials in the same subject areas as the general collection, as well as serves as the origin of our collections before we were established as an agency of the Commonwealth in 1828. The Rare Book collection also includes broadsides, song sheets, and sheet music titles. 

Collecting 

The Library’s rare book collection currently contains 57,000 titles, predominately in the form of monographs, folios, serials, and pamphlets. The collection dates from the 15th century to the present. The collection is not centered on one specific theme, but encompasses a wide range of subjects, including literature, economics, politics, science, theology, agriculture, arts, trades, and history. It has strengths in Virginiana, Civil War and Reconstruction imprints, history, architecture, early European history, geography, politics, natural history, foodways, and agriculture, among others. 

The library gives consideration, on a case-by-case basis, whether to obtain titles either by purchase or by donation that fill a gap, or which otherwise make a substantial contribution to an area of existing strength within the present collection. 

Criteria for Inclusion of Materials in the Rare Book Collection 

In the Library, books are placed into the rare book collection if they conform to one or more of the following categories: 

a. Books that are historically significant to the history of Virginia and, secondarily, to the early history of the United States, then that of the rest of the world. 

b. Books that are historically significant to the history of other communities and cultures represented in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

c. Books that are about Virginia, have a Virginia author, or a work on a Virginia subject or place, that typically also meets one of the other categories listed here. 

d. Books which are valuable by reason of their early imprint date, all monographs published before 1800, and selected monographs published prior to 1890; serials which ceased or where our holdings ceased before 1900. e. Books that were once in the Council Chamber Library – listed as (old) in the Catalogue of the Library of State of Virginia, 1828 (Call No. Z881.V81 C3 1828) and are still relevant to our collecting scope. 

e. Books that were once in the Council Chamber Library – listed as (old) in the Catalogue of the Library of State of Virginia, 1828 (Call No. Z881.V81 C3 1828) and are still relevant to our collecting scope. 

f. Books that were once held by the Library and are listed in the 1828 Catalogue – commonly referred to as a “1828 Library title” and are still relevant to our collecting scope. 

g. Books which are rare because they are unique or irreplaceable, including limited editions, usually of 30 copies or less according to OCLC First Search bibliographic database; works valuable because of content, excellent condition; private press books that are published in limited quantities; important association copies and important works autographed by their authors, illustrators, or printers; significant first editions; and editions of special note, association, and provenance. 

h. Books of aesthetic significance, including fine printing, fore-edge paintings, illustration or binding, and special press books, including artist books. 

i. Books with an unusual or fragile format and/or multiple fold outs, illustrations, maps, vellum pages and bindings, etc. 

j. Books that are overly large (atlases and plate books), or similarly small (miniatures). 

k. Books with significant manuscript or other material laid or tipped in. 

l. Special Collections containing both rare and non-rare material, which need to be retained together to meet some special purpose. 

m. Books of high monetary value. 

n. High quality facsimile editions of important books. 

o. Content that supports another area within Special Collections, such as Maps, Private Papers, or Visual Studies, and/or a general collection subject focus. 

p. Condition, acquisition cost, and current value of material are main considerations for inclusion in the Rare Book Collection. We avoid collecting duplicate titles unless there is some variation in the additional title i.e. a different edition or enlarged, special provenance, excellent condition, or a gap in our editions (for early works). 

Criteria for Inclusion in the Sheet Music collection 

The Sheet Music Collection is comprised of many different formats, including loose sheet music, bound personal volumes of loose sheet music titles, hymn books, shape note volumes, song sheets, and printed and manuscript music titles. Celebratory, humorous, mournful, patriotic, religious, and educational themes are all found on the illustrative cover images and within, in the two-step, college fight song, march, or schottische. 

The bulk of the sheet music collection is made up of individual sheet music titles numbering 5,000, acquired through purchases, donations and gifts. We continue to collect printed and manuscript sheet music titles by a Virginia composer or lyricist on a Virginia-related topic or theme, and/or location, which are individually cataloged. We have related musical works within the Rare Book Collection and song sheets, hymn books, shape note volumes, and personal sheet music collections that have been bound together. 

The Library’s loose sheet music collection focuses on Virginia composers, themes, and locations. Issued as individual titles they are typically 4-8 pages in length, with a cover image and are normally 14 inches tall by 10 inches across. These early printed works are all considered part of the Rare Book Collection. 

Purpose 

The Library collects cartographic materials as part of its effort to preserve the record of Virginia and her people, including their origins. The map collection supports patrons in their study Virginia history through online collections, exhibitions, research guides, articles, blogs, and the digital presentation of historical maps. The Library’s map collection is used by a variety of people for the study of history, genealogy, geography, agriculture, town planning, environmental studies, market research, industry, and for legal and defense purposes. 

Definition 

Cartographic information is held in a range of formats including sheet maps (manuscript and published), microfilmed and microfiche, charts (nautical and oyster), atlases, gazetteers, books, and born-digital maps. 

Collecting 

The Library is the repository for approximately 50,000 maps, which are housed throughout various collections, including those in State Records, Local Records, and Private Papers. 

The Map Collection includes general manuscript, printed, and digital maps of Virginia, topographic quadrangle maps, fire insurance maps, municipalities, counties and state maps, maps of Virginia infrastructure, military maps, and copies of unique and rare maps. 

The Library acquires and accepts donations of cartographic materials, giving preference to our collection strengths and focus, which are: 

a. Manuscript maps 

b. First editions of printed maps 

c. Maps that reflect the development of Virginia, and its variants, from its colonial roots in 1607 to the modern day 

d. Maps of British North America, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states 

e. Maps published before 1900 

f. Modern maps created after 2000 

Access to the Collections 

Users can access the Library’s map collection by utilizing the online catalog and map index, which is frequently updated with digital copies of maps. 

Physical maps are also found in various parts of the Library, including the General Book Collection, Rare Book Collection, Local and State Government records collections, Private Papers collections, and subscription databases. Maps are served in the Special Collections Reading Room and Archives Manuscript Reading Room. 

Preservation, online access, and patron relations are the primary concerns in the management of the Map Collection. In cases where preservation is a concern, original maps may not be served. In its place high resolution scans, ink-jet prints, photocopies, microfiche, or microfilm copies are provided for patron use. 

Information about Virginia and related reference material is published in a variety of electronic formats. 

Definitions 

Physical format electronic resources are those that are published on a physical carrier and include vinyl records, cassettes, videos, hard drives, thumb drives, CD-ROMs, and DVDs 

Electronic resources are available online. They include both “born digital” material that has been produced directly online (e.g. websites, e-journals and databases) and also digitized versions of print resources that have been scanned to create an electronic copy. 

Other resources that are created in electronic formats, such as digital images, email collections, databases, and sound recordings are collected if in scope according to the guidelines for the type of resources outlined in this statement. 

Collection 

The Library acquires archival material in physical electronic format, such as vinyl records, cassettes, videos, hard drives, thumb drives, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. Format obsolescence and the difficulty in reformatting is taken into consideration when evaluating collections for acquisition. 

The Library asks for two courtesy copies of completed works produced by patrons who use images from our collection. Sometimes these are in an alternate format such as a DVD. The Library will not acquire outmoded, discontinued or dated formats. 

The Library collects and preserves, to the best of its ability, all publications of state government agencies, in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Publications distributed to the public in PDF format will be collected and made accessible from the Library’s online catalog. The Library does not capture or preserve deep Web or dynamically generated databases. 

Where required by retention schedules, the Library collects and preserves state agency archives in electronic format. The Virginia Web Archive is a fully text searchable archive of state agency websites made available by the Library. The Virginia Web Archive focuses on Virginia government, political and organization websites and enables Virginia to preserve the Commonwealth’s internet heritage for permanent public access. 

The Library will collect born digital photographs and images if such images are part of a retention schedule or conform to the collection statement. 

The Library is not required to collect locality records and does not collect electronic records from localities. Exceptions will be made according to statute. 

What the Library Creates 

The Library has an active digitization program which focuses on creating and providing access to new and permanent digital copies of collection materials, such as photographs, maps, manuscript items and newspapers. The Library selectively creates research databases for archival collections. 

What the Library Subscribes To 

The Library subscribes to a limited number of commercially produced online reference works and databases providing access to journal articles, digital newspapers, genealogical resources, and other content that meet the guidelines for or complement our print and archival collections. 

THE CODE OF VIRGINIA TITLE § 42.1-1: THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA 

The Library of Virginia is hereby declared an educational institution and an institution of learning. The Library of Virginia shall be the library agency of the Commonwealth, the archival agency of the Commonwealth, and the reference library at the seat of government. It shall have the following powers and duties: 

(1) [Repealed.] 

(2) To accept gifts, bequests and endowments for the purposes which fall within the general legal powers and duties of The Library of Virginia. Unless otherwise specified by the donor or legator, the Library may either expend both the principal and interest of any gift or bequest or may invest such sums as the Board deems advisable, with the consent of the State Treasurer, in securities in which sinking funds may be invested. The Library shall be deemed to be an institution of higher education within the meaning of § 23.1-101.

(3) To purchase and maintain a general collection of books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, films, audiovisual materials and other materials for the use of the people of the Commonwealth as a means for the promotion of knowledge within the Commonwealth. The scope of the Library's collections shall be determined by the Library Board on recommendation of the Librarian of Virginia, and, in making these decisions, the Board and Librarian of Virginia shall consider the book collections of public libraries and college and university libraries throughout the Commonwealth and the availability of such collections to the general public. The Board shall make available for circulation to libraries or to the public such of its materials as it deems advisable; 

(4) To give assistance, advice and counsel to other agencies of the Commonwealth maintaining libraries and special reference collections as to the best means of establishing and administering such libraries and collections. It may establish in The Library of Virginia a union catalogue of all books, pamphlets and other materials owned and used for reference purposes by all other agencies of the Commonwealth and of all books, pamphlets and other materials maintained by libraries in the Commonwealth which are of interest to the people of the whole Commonwealth; 

(5) To fix reasonable penalties for damage to or failure to return any book, periodical or other material owned by the Library, or for violation of any rule or regulation concerning the use of books, periodicals, and other materials in custody of the Library; 

(6) To give direction, assistance and counsel to all libraries in the Commonwealth, to all communities which may propose to establish libraries, and to all persons interested in public libraries, as to means of establishment and administration of such libraries, selection of books, retrieval systems, cataloguing, maintenance, and other details of library management, and to conduct such inspections as are necessary; 

(7) To engage in such activities in aid of city, county, town, regional and other public libraries as will serve to develop the library system of the Commonwealth; 

(8) To administer and distribute state and federal library funds in accordance with law and its own regulations to the city, county, town and regional libraries of the Commonwealth; and 

(9) To enter into contracts with other states or regions or districts for the purpose of providing cooperative library services. 

Wherever in this title and the Code of Virginia the terms "State Library" or "Library" appear, they shall mean The Library of Virginia. 

(Code 1950, § 42-33; 1970, c. 606; 1984, cc. 389, 734; 1986, c. 565; 1987, c. 458; 1994, c. 64; 1998, c. 427.) 

LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA COLLECTION LEVELS 

The Library of Virginia uses the Research Library Group’s (RLG) Conspectus as a basis for attributing context to our collection levels, based on Library of Congress subject headings and call numbers. Although the RLG merged with OCLC in 2006 and there have been no updates to the Conspectus since then, it provides a solid foundation describing collection levels. The Library acknowledges the work of the Library of Congress in articulating the continued usefulness of the Conspectus. 

COLLECTION LEVELS DEFINITIONS 

The levels of collection density and collecting intensity defined below are designed for use in identifying both the extent of existing collections in given subject fields (collection density) and the extent of current collecting activity in the field (collecting intensity). 

A. Comprehensive level. A collection in which, so far as it is reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded knowledge (publications, manuscripts, other forms), in all applicable languages, for a necessarily defined and limited field. This level of collecting intensity is one that maintains a "special collection"; the aim, if not the achievement, is exhaustiveness. Older material is retained for historical research with active preservation efforts. 

B. Research level. A collection at this level supports doctoral and other original research that includes the major published source materials required for dissertation and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers. It is intended to include all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as a very extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstracting services in the field. Pertinent foreign language materials may be included. Older material is usually retained for historical research and actively preserved. 

C. Study level. A collection that is adequate to impart and maintain knowledge about a subject in a systematic way but at a level of less than research intensity. The collection includes a wide range of basic works in appropriate formats, a significant number of classic retrospective materials, complete collections of the works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, access to appropriate machine-readable data files, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographical apparatus pertaining to the subject. 

At the study level, a collection is adequate to support independent study and most learning needs of the clientele of public and special libraries, as well as undergraduate and some graduate instruction. The collection is systematically reviewed for currency of information and to assure that essential and significant information is retained. 

D. Basic level. A basic information level is sufficient to support patrons and libraries attempting to locate general information about these subjects. 

E. Minimal level. A subject area in which few selections are made beyond very basic works. A collection at this level is frequently and systematically reviewed for currency of information. Superseded editions and titles containing outdated information are withdrawn. When collecting at lower levels, preference will be given to those materials which qualify as back-up reference materials. 

For this development statement, the following definitions shall apply: 

1. Southern States: Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. 

2. Contiguous States: Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. 

3. Contiguous Counties: A county that borders Virginia will be regarded as such during the time it touched the border of Virginia. 

4. Land Grant States: Any state in which land was granted to Virginians for military service in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. 

SUBJECT AREAS FOR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT 

Selection of library resources and the subject areas to be included in the collection development levels subject to the following prerequisites: 

• All non-fiction material in any subject which deals with Virginia. 
• Fiction which is about Virginia or Virginians except where the setting or characterizations are a matter of literary convenience. 
• Virginia authors are collected at the comprehensive level. This includes all works by a Virginian and any book written while an author resides in Virginia. A Virginian is defined as a person meeting one or more of the following qualifications: o Native-born Virginian. 
  • A person living in Virginia. Writings by persons working in Virginia, but living elsewhere, will be considered as they fit into other subject areas. 
  • A person whose permanent home address is in Virginia, but who is not presently living in Virginia. 
• Printed materials published by Virginia presses before 1918.