Research in Our Collections

Best Sources for Virginia Research by Time Period

Research Guides | Bibliographies - detailed guides to parts of our collections

The Library's collections of books, periodicals, government publications, and microforms totals 1,914,973 items, including 53,989 reels of newspaper microfilm and 689,686 federal government publications. There are currently 10,043 digital state publications available online via the Library of Virginia website.

The Library's Archival Collections now total 80,862 cubic feet, or approximately 121 million items. The Archival Collection also includes 49,532 reels of microfilm, an estimated 68,000 maps, and 16,000 architectural plans and drawings. 

The Library's Special Collections includes 52,805 rare book titles, dating as far back as the 15th century and collected over the past 175 years; Fine Art including paintings and sculptures located largely in buildings in the Capitol Square area, such as the Library, State Capitol, Executive Mansion and Supreme Court; and more than 310,000 prints, photographs, postcards, posters, and ephemera in the Prints and Photographs Collection.