Michael Strom to Join Library as New State Archivist of Virginia
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Strom as the State Archivist of Virginia and director of the Library’s Government Records Services Division. Strom, who will join the Library in mid-March, has served since 2011 as State Archivist of Wyoming, where he successfully implemented a digital archive for state agencies and increased public awareness of and access to Wyoming’s archival collections.
Seven Trailblazers Named 2019 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History
In observance of Black History Month, the Library of Virginia and Dominion Energy celebrated the achievements of seven African American leaders during the seventh annual Strong Men & Women in Virginia History awards program held Thursday, February 7, 2019, at the Richmond Marriott Hotel.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Library Merge Databases of Records about Enslaved Virginians
The Library of Virginia and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture are collaborating to provide greater access to a database of records documenting the lives of enslaved Virginians. In early January of 2019, the Library’s Virginia Untold database (more than 10,000 records) was merged with the VMHC’s Unknown No Longer database (more than 500 documents, and close to 12,000 names), providing researchers with unprecedented access to an expanded collection of resources on the history of enslaved African Americans in Virginia.
Collaboration with Chesterfield County Public Library Improves Access to Genealogical Resources
A new collaboration with Chesterfield County Public Library has not only produced a model program partnership, but has also resulted in new patrons for the Library of Virginia. Ginny Dunn, the Library of Virginia’s archives and library reference services manager, recently spoke to attendees at a beginner genealogy class at Chesterfield County Public Library’s Central Library about research resources (digital and physical) available at the Library of Virginia.
Find Fascinating Virginians on Changemakers Web Page
Students, educators, researchers, and history lovers can now find biographies and images of remarkable Virginians (past and present) on a new web page, Virginia Changemakers (edu.lva.virginia.gov/changemakers). These individuals have been honored through two of the Library of Virginia's signature programs, Strong Men and Women in Virginia History (celebrating Black History Month in February) and Virginia Women in History (celebrating Women's History month in March), and featured in our exhibition New Virginians: 1619–2019 & Beyond (exploring the state's increasing diversity).
Ellen and Orran Brown established the Brown Teacher Enrichment Fund at the Library of Virginia in 2009 in honor of his parents, Anne and Ryland Brown of Forest, Virginia.
Save a Piece of the Past through the “Adopt Virginia’s History” Program
Adopting of a piece of Virginia history is a great way to honor a friend or family member. Your gift helps save a piece of the past by enhancing conservation efforts for the preservation of items from the Library of Virginia's unrivaled collections.
The Musical Million: The Ruebush-Kieffer Company, Singing Schools, and the Birth of Southern Gospel
Ephraim Ruebush and Aldine Silliman Kieffer built a company that was the foremost publisher of sacred shape-note books in the 19th-century South: the Ruebush-Kieffer Company of Singer’s Glen and later Dayton, Virginia, in Rockingham County. To honor that legacy, the Library of Virginia’s Virginia Chronicle website has launched a fully searchable run of the company’s music journal.