New Online Catalog: Improved Searching Starts June 5

The Library of Virginia will begin using a new online catalog and collection discovery system this month. The new system will require some changes to our registration and library card processes. All accounts must be renewed starting June 5, 2019. Thank you for your patience as we improve our user experience!

Voting Runs Through June 30 for the People’s Choice Awards

Cast your vote for the Library of Virginia's 16th Annual People's Choice Awards, part of our annual Literary Awards Celebration.

The Library Launches a New Meetup Group: Sharing the Table with #NewVirginians

In conjunction with our exhibition New Virginians: 1619–2019 & Beyond, which examines the state's increasing diversity, the Library is hosting a new Meetup around culinary and cultural exploration. Join us to enjoy fabulous food and learn about the culture and experiences of our newer neighbors.

Summer Reading

Program: It’s Showtime

at Your Library!

Summer reading equals summer learning. The Library of Virginia supports our public libraries in these endeavors by encouraging children and teens to improve their skills over the summer by reading and using their public libraries. This summer’s theme, “It’s Showtime at Your Library!,” features images of all types of performance—from movies and theater to puppetry, dance, poetry, videos, and more.

Plan for Street Closures Near the Library in June

The Virginia Department of General Services is beginning work on a pedestrian tunnel under 9th Street as part of the General Assembly Building project. The work will impact travel on a section of the street through part of the summer. All lanes of 9th Street between Grace and Broad Streets will be closed to traffic through at least the end of June.

Support the Library of Virginia Foundation’s Fiscal Year Wrap-Up

Help the Library of Virginia Foundation finish the fiscal year strong on June 30, 2019! Your gift provides vital support for the Library and its programs. Donations starting at $50 provide all the benefits that come with membership.

Visit the “Sidewalk” Sale at the Virginia Shop

Enjoy up to 60 percent off at the Virginia Shop’s “Sidewalk” Sale all month long. Non-sale items will be 20 percent off June 17–21, 2019.

Visit the Shop

From the Library's Blog:

The Man Who Killed Richard Whichello:

A Henrico County Legend

At the end of the 1962 John Ford classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, a reporter remarks, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” The legend of Richard Whichello’s murder in April 1850 persists today, but it is precisely that, a legend. The persistent tale raises questions about collective memory and how stories color our recollection of the past. Like Ford’s archetypal Western, this tale also includes a horse, but let us begin at the beginning.