© Ansel Olson

We Are Listening

We have been deeply moved by the pain and anguish expressed here in Richmond and across the nation as our fellow citizens cry out for an end to injustices that are deeply rooted in our history. The Library of Virginia strives to collect and share the history of all Virginians, and this work is more important now than ever. We will continue to listen with humility and respect to the voices calling for systemic change and use what we hear to guide us in the days ahead. We hope our efforts will help move us toward a more fair and just society.  

 

© Ansel Olson

We’ve Missed You:

Library of Virginia Reopening Soon

We’ve missed you! We understand how much researchers have missed their direct access to the Library of Virginia’s resources this spring. We’re excited to be putting the finishing touches on our reopening plan, which will welcome researchers back to the building on an appointment basis.

 
 

Summer Reading & Meals Programs Respond to the Times

Like other organizations, Virginia’s public libraries are adapting to new conditions under which to serve their communities and ensure that children keep reading and learning all summer long. This year’s summer reading program theme, “Imagine Your Story,” engages with children by asking them to think about how their own stories would be written, through either imagination or lived experience.

 

Virginians and Their Histories

Historian Brent Tarter’s new work finds the untold stories within Virginia’s records

Virginians and Their Histories, a groundbreaking work of scholarship by the historian and author Brent Tarter, retired senior editor with the Library of Virginia, presents a fresh, new interpretive narrative that incorporates the experiences of all residents of Virginia from the earliest times to the first decades of the 21st century.


 

Help Make the Library's Work Possible: Join or Renew by June 30

Staying connected right now is more important than ever. Even though the Library remains temporarily closed to the public, you can help connect people throughout the commonwealth and beyond to Virginia's past and present through our outstanding digital collections and online tools. Your support is vital to the Library's ability to continue sharing important knowledge and connecting people—both inside our facility and online.

 
 

Spring Cleaning Sale at the Virginia Shop!


Save big while we make room for new items. We’ve got books, puzzles, and games for at-home activities, plus home décor for decorating. Everything on our website is at least 20% off through June. Use promo code Summer2020.

 

From the UncommonWealth blog:

Facing Our History, Forging Our Future 

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Jacob Berryman. Cato. Dinah. Three names from current headlines. Three names from Virginia’s history found in our records.


Their names, whether uttered last week, last month, last year, or over the last 400 years, matter, as do their stories, and the Library of Virginia will do its part to make them heard by all.


As a trusted educational institution that strives to inspire learning and encourage understanding, the Library of Virginia supports Governor Northam’s calls for a more comprehensive examination of our commonwealth’s history. The Library’s extensive collections date from the 17th century to the present day and document not only the admirable moments in Virginia history, but also countless examples of institutional injustice and racial bias that have plagued our state and country since 1619.


 
 
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