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Vote for the 10th Annual People's Choice Awards
The Library of Virginia is pleased to sponsor the 10th Annual People's Choice Awards. Finalists in fiction and nonfiction were selected by a panel of judges from the books nominated, and winners will be announced at the 16th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards at the Library of Virginia. Awards are given for the best fiction and nonfiction books by Virginia authors; in the case of nonfiction, books on a Virginia subject that have been published in the past year are eligible.
The winners will be chosen by votes from the public from among five finalists in each category. Readers may vote in public libraries or online at the Library of Virginia's website. Voting for the People's Choice Awards runs from May 13 through June 29, 2013.
This year's fiction finalists for the People's Choice Awards are:... |
A Photographic Memory
 Since its introduction in 1839, photography has found its way into almost every corner of society. Beginning this summer, a wonderfully idiosyncratic and compelling series of exhibitions at the Library will survey selected facets of Virginia's photographic heritage.
Each will include photographs assembled around a particular theme and taken by residents and visitors, professionals and amateurs.
The Importance of Being Cute: Pet Photography in Virginia
Whether they bark, meow, or hiss, pets are important parts of their owners' lives and increasingly are recognized as full-fledged family members. The Importance of Being Cute: Pet Photography in Virginia is an exhibition of more than 100 historic and contemporary photographs exploring the complex relationships that have existed between Virginians and their animals since the advent photographs. These timeless images ... |
Now the Library of Virginia Goes Where You Go
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the availability of a mobile app for devices such as iPhones and iPads as well as Android phones and tablets. The Library of Virginia app makes it easy to search the online catalog, explore digital collections, read blogs, and follow the Library on Twitter and Facebook with your mobile device. It's also easy to learn about Library events and find information to help plan your visit.
You can use your mobile phone to find what you want! Go to your mobile phone's Web browser and type in "lva.boopsie.com" to install the Library of Virginia app. If you can't find what you want, you can use... |
Longtime Public Library Directors Set to Retire
Many public libraries in Virginia have been helmed by long-serving directors who embody inventiveness, charisma, and diplomacy in public service. In what is expected to be the first of several large waves of retirement, five longtime directors will be retiring this year.
Trish Ridgeway, director of the Handley Regional Library for the past 20 years, will help celebrate the library's 100th anniversary with various planned events before her October 1 retirement. During her years as director, Ridgeway directed several significant changes—major renovation of the Handley Library in Winchester, construction of the Bowman Library near near Stephens City, and relocating the Clarke County Library from a house to a wing of the new government building in Berryville.
Director of Virginia Beach Public Library for 37 years, Marcy Sims has overseen the library's expansion from three locations to 10, and has greatly increased its collection. She will retire September 1 after ... |
Database Spotlight: Library Express
The Library Express database from LexisNexis provides access to more than 10,000 news, business, and legal resources, which makes it an exciting recent addition to the Library of Virginia's online offerings.With Library Express, users can retrieve full-text articles from more than 2,500 foreign and domestic newspapers including the Daily Mail (UK), Times of India, New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today, as well as from regional titles such as the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Roanoke Times, and Virginian-Pilot. The database also includes magazines and journals; newsletters; wire services; broadcast transcripts from major ... |
The Friends of the Virginia State Archives Honors Two of Its Members
At the Library of Virginia's April board meeting, the Friends of the Virginia State Archives presented a check for $1,000 to the Library of Virginia Foundation in recognition of the longtime service of two Friends board members. The donation will go to support the purchase of a rare Civil War–era pattern map of the Lower Shenandoah Valley by C.W. Oltmanns and to recognize the dedication of Anne Taylor Brown and Harriette Thorne Kent for their contributions in support of the Friends. Brown currently serves as the membership chair of the Friends of the Virginia State Archives, having first joined the Friends board in.... |
Trigonometry Homework Setting You or Your Child Off on a Tangent?
You may never have to define a hypotenuse, explain the Pythagorean identities, or answer any of the myriad homework questions for your child again. Online homework help is now available statewide, Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 PM and on Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM. Students may use this service from a home computer, a laptop, or a computer in a local public library. State-certified teachers assist students in grades K–12 with reading, writing, and math assignments.
Students login by entering first name only, grade level, and subject. They are connected to a teacher in a whiteboard space (like a blackboard in a class room). Students may also upload writing assignments like essays and term papers as well as write, type, or draw on the whiteboard.
This service is brought to you by the Library of Virginia through funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is part of Literati Public, which offers a variety of content and services to students, including:
A core reference collection of more than 400 full-text eBooks from more than 80 publishers. Content includes encyclopedias, handbooks, ...
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"A Book That Shaped Me" Writing Contest Open to Rising 5th and 6th Graders
In conjunction with the 2013 National Book Festival, the Library of Congress is sponsoring "A Book That Shaped Me," a summer writing contest that encourages rising 5th and 6th graders to reflect on a book that has had a personal impact on their lives. The contest is administered through local public library summer reading programs, and top winners will be honored at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in September on the National Mall. Check with your local public library to see if it is participating in the contest.
Students are asked to write a one-page essay about a book—fiction or nonfiction—that has had a personal impact on their lives. Essays will be judged on content, spelling and grammar, and creativity.
The program is designed to affirm the importance of books and reading and to help local public libraries combat the "summer reading slump"...
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Thursday, May 9, 2013
Poetic Principles featuring Lisa Russ Spaar and Kelly Cherry
Time: 6:00–7:00 PM
Place: Conference Rooms
Poetic Principles at the Library of Virginia celebrates the diversity and strength of poetry being written in Virginia. This evening features poetry from central Virginia, in particular—which has been supported by the generosity of Carole Weinstein—with a reading of recent work by Lisa Russ Spaar and Kelly Cherry, the most recent winners of the Carole Weinstein Prize in Poetry. Spaar, the author of three books of poetry, has received fellowships from the Rona Jaffe Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation, among other honors. Her latest book of poetry is Vanitas, Rough. Cherry has authored numerous books of poetry, fiction, and essays, including a new collection of poems, The Life and Death of Poetry, appearing this spring from LSU Press. She has also served as Poet Laureate of Virginia. |
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
 "Books on Broad" featuring Jonathan Coleman
Time: 5:30 PM–7:30 PM
New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Coleman has collaborated with LA Lakers legend Jerry West (whose NBA-logo silhouette is recognizable to millions) to produce a sports memoir like none other. West by West: My Charmed Tormented Life explores West's difficult childhood in West Virginia through his incredible success as general manager of the Lakers. Reception (wine and cheese) 5:30–6:00 PM, book talk 6:00–7:00 PM, and book signing 7:00–7:30 PM. |
Thursday, May 16, 2013
David Baldacci: Researching Law and Justice in a Novel Way
Time: 6:00–7:30 P.M.
Place: Lecture Hall
Since release of Absolute Power in 1996, attorney and best-selling Virginia author David Baldacci has thrilled readers with suspenseful, fast-paced stories of politicians, assassins, and government agents. Baldacci will discuss and answer questions about how he researches and uses contemporary legal issues in his novels. Laws are not perfect and there are occasional breakdowns where justice is not necessarily served, as his novels prove. This program complements the Library's latest exhibition, You Have No Right: Law and Justice in Virginia. Style Weekly is the media sponsor for programming for this exhibition. |
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
 The Feud: The Hatfields and McCoys by Dean King
Time: Noon–1:00 PM
Place: Conference Rooms
Americans have long been fascinated with the story of the Hatfields and McCoys, much of it sensationalized. Dean King's book attempts to set the record straight by using previously unknown or ignored documents. The story begins before the feud and describes the influence the Civil War had on the relationship between these two families. A book signing follows the talk. |
Thursday, June 6, 2013
 Religious Freedom: Jefferson's Legacy
Time: Noon–1:00 PM
Place: Conference Rooms
In Religious Freedom: Jefferson's Legacy, author John Ragosta focuses on the importance of personal religious beliefs in shaping Thomas Jefferson's attitude toward religious freedom. Basing the idea for the First Amendment on Jefferson's vision, Ragosta redefines the views of how and why the amendment was adopted. A book signing follows the talk. |
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
 "Books on Broad" featuring Virginia Pye
Time: 5:30 PM–7:30 PM
This beautiful novel is set in China during the early years of the 20th century and follows a missionary's epic search for his stolen child. Join us as Virginia Pye reads from and discusses River of Dust, her new novel. Reception (wine and cheese) 5:30–6:00 PM, book talk 6:00–7:00 PM, and book signing 7:00–7:30 PM. |
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
 Defending the Old Dominion: Virginia and Its Militia in the War of 1812
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Time: 6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Place: Churchland Branch, Portsmouth Public Library Portsmouth, Virginia, Free, call 757-686-2538 for details.
Stuart L. Butler will discuss the effects of Virginia's politics and military on the War of 1812 within the commonwealth and the United States. Defending the Old Dominion examines the role of Virginia's militia in the War of 1812, outlining the militia's lack of preparedness, lack of adequate ordnance and arms, and how that affected its ability to defend the state against the British during the war. The author also will share the fascinating story of nearly 2,000 former slaves who fled to British ships to fight in Virginia with British forces. |
Thursday, June 20, 2013
 Mr. and Mrs. Dog: Our Travels, Trials, Adventures, and Epiphanies
Time: Noon–1:00 PM
Place: Conference Rooms
Although Donald McCaig is a noted fiction author, his latest book, Mr. and Mrs. Dog, features the adventures of his beloved sheepdogs, June and Luke. McCaig draws on 25 years of experience raising sheepdogs to vividly describe his—and his dogs'—unlikely progress toward and participation in the World Sheepdog Trials in Wales. As always, McCaig will share more than dog training tips. He will offer vivid recollections of cross-country trips with his first dog and stories of relocating from New York City to Bath County. Above all, he'll show the powerful connection between humans and their animal companions. A book signing follows the talk. |
Through Saturday, May 18, 2013
 You Have No Right: Law & Justice
Time:9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Place: Exhibition Hall
Using Virginia cases—and the stories of the people behind them—You Have No Right: Law and Justice demonstrates how the law affects individuals directly and how people have used the law to achieve political and social goals. |
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