Using the Collections
As the commonwealth's library at the seat of government and the state archives, the Library of Virginia's collections of books, periodicals, government publications, newspapers, architectural drawings and plans, manuscripts, archival records, maps, rare books, prints and photographs, and fine art are unsurpassed in depth and scope. These collections document the history, culture, and people of the commonwealth and are available on paper and microfilm, as well as digitally.
Start your Research
Guides and Indexes include bibliographies and descriptive research notes to our print, newspaper, manuscript, and archival collections. Created over many years by staff subject experts and continually updated and added to, these valuable research tools are arranged by topic.
African American and Native American resources
African American Church Histories at the Library of Virginia
African American Newspapers Available from the Library of Virginia
African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870
Brown vs. Board of Education - Fifty Years: Selected Published Materials at the Library of Virginia
Cohabitation Registers (digital collection)
Foresaken: A Digital Bibliography (digital collection)
John Brown's Raid: Records and Resources at the Library of Virginia
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Digital Collection
Native American History Sources, Using
Native Americans: Archival Sources, Resources on
Slavery in Virginia
Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative (digital collection)
Willis M. Carter Digital Collection
African American Newspapers Available from the Library of Virginia
African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870
Brown vs. Board of Education - Fifty Years: Selected Published Materials at the Library of Virginia
Cohabitation Registers (digital collection)
Foresaken: A Digital Bibliography (digital collection)
John Brown's Raid: Records and Resources at the Library of Virginia
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Digital Collection
Native American History Sources, Using
Native Americans: Archival Sources, Resources on
Slavery in Virginia
Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative (digital collection)
Willis M. Carter Digital Collection
Biographical and Genealogical
Ancestry for Virginians
Biographical Research at the Library of Virginia: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Dictionary of Virginia Biography
Family Bible Records
Family Coats of Arms, Index to Sources on
Genealogical Records at the Library of Virginia
Genealogists, Published Materials for
Genealogy - How To Begin
Genealogy Chart (Blank)
Historical Census Records, Using
Michael Miley Studio Collection (digital collection)
Naturalizations, 1657-1776, Virginia
Naturalizations, 1776-1929, Virginia
Researching Virginia Authors
S. Bassett French Biographical Sketches (digital collection)
Sources on Patrick Henry at the Library of Virginia
Virginia Czech and Slovak Folklife Festival (digital collection)
WPA Life Histories Collection (digital collection)
Free access to select Ancestry.com materials from the Library of Virginia's collections. Available for Virginia residents only through Find It Virginia. Requires a valid Library of Virginia or Virginia public library card. GeoIP validation is used where available.
Biographical Research at the Library of Virginia: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Dictionary of Virginia Biography
A classified index to The Dictionary of Virginia Biography (DVB), the first scholarly, comprehensive biographical reference work on Virginia.
Family Bible Records
Family Coats of Arms, Index to Sources on
Genealogical Records at the Library of Virginia
Genealogists, Published Materials for
Genealogy - How To Begin
Genealogy Chart (Blank)
Historical Census Records, Using
Michael Miley Studio Collection (digital collection)
Naturalizations, 1657-1776, Virginia
Naturalizations, 1776-1929, Virginia
Researching Virginia Authors
S. Bassett French Biographical Sketches (digital collection)
Sources on Patrick Henry at the Library of Virginia
Virginia Czech and Slovak Folklife Festival (digital collection)
WPA Life Histories Collection (digital collection)
Births, Deaths, Marriages (Vital Records)
Birth and Marriage (Husband-Wife) Indexes
Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers
Bristol Church and Family Cemeteries Index
Death Certificates, 1912-1939
Death Index / Virginia (DIVA)
Henley Marriage and Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers
Hollywood Cemetery: Selected Resources Available at the Library of Virginia
Marriage Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
Marriage Records, Early Virginia
Marriage Records, Index to
Obituary Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
Vital Records (Virginia) and Ancestry.com
Vital Statistics Records, Using
Wills and Administrations, Index to
See also County and City Research
A guide to the Library's microfilm holdings of indexes to births (1853-1899) and marriages (1853-1935).
Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers
A guide to the Library's microfilm holdings of state vital statistics: births (1853-1896), deaths (1853-1896), and marriages (1853-1935).
Bristol Church and Family Cemeteries Index
Death Certificates, 1912-1939
A guide to the microfilm of the death certificates and related indexes for deaths in Virginia from 1912-1939.
Death Index / Virginia (DIVA)
Henley Marriage and Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers
Hollywood Cemetery: Selected Resources Available at the Library of Virginia
Marriage Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
Marriage Records, Early Virginia
Marriage Records, Index to
Obituary Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
Vital Records (Virginia) and Ancestry.com
Vital Statistics Records, Using
Wills and Administrations, Index to
See also County and City Research
Business and Economics
County and City Research, including Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky
Chancery Records Index (digital collection)
County and City Court Records, Using
County and City Research in Virginia
Kentucky Records at the Library of Virginia
Lost Records Localities Digital Collection
Public Buildings and Grounds Collection (digital collection)
Virginia City Directories at the Library of Virginia
West Virginia Records at the Library of Virginia
See also Births, Deaths, Marriages
County and City Court Records, Using
County and City Research in Virginia
Kentucky Records at the Library of Virginia
Lost Records Localities Digital Collection
Public Buildings and Grounds Collection (digital collection)
Virginia City Directories at the Library of Virginia
West Virginia Records at the Library of Virginia
See also Births, Deaths, Marriages
Early Printed Works
Broadsides Collection (digital collection)
Rare Books (digital collection)
Sheet Music Collection (digital collection)
Rare Books (digital collection)
Sheet Music Collection (digital collection)
General Reference and eBooks
Government Information and Legal Resources
Executive Orders Digital Collection
Federal Documents Depository Program
Government Reform Commission Reports (digital collection)
Legal Resources, Virginia
State Government Publications (digital collection)
Virginia State Documents
Federal Documents Depository Program
Government Reform Commission Reports (digital collection)
Legal Resources, Virginia
State Government Publications (digital collection)
Virginia State Documents
A list of publications currently available from Virginia state agencies
Historic Virginia Government Records
Archival Web Collections (digital collection)
Clemency Records
Election Records: Presidential and Congressional Election Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Records: Published Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Returns: Gubernatorial and State Office Election Results at the Library of Virginia
Electoral College Digital Collection
Governor Mark R. Warner Administration Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Governor’s Records, 1776 - 1998, Using Virginia
Governor's Letters Received, June 1776–November 1784 (digital collection)
Henry Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1776-1778
Jefferson Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1779-1781
Kaine Email Project @ LVA (digital collection)
Legislative Petitions Digital Collection
Legislative Petitions research note
State Artwork Collection (digital collection)
Virginia Legislature Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Other topics that point to historic state government records include Births, Deaths, Marriages; Maps and Architecture, County and City Research, Virginia Land Office, and Tax Records.
Several Historic Virginia Government Records collections, such as the Governors' Letters Received, have been digitized and are available on Virginia Memory.
Clemency Records
Election Records: Presidential and Congressional Election Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Records: Published Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Returns: Gubernatorial and State Office Election Results at the Library of Virginia
Electoral College Digital Collection
Governor Mark R. Warner Administration Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Governor’s Records, 1776 - 1998, Using Virginia
Governor's Letters Received, June 1776–November 1784 (digital collection)
The letters received for Governors Jefferson and Henry have been redigitized and are available separately.
Henry Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1776-1778
Jefferson Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1779-1781
Kaine Email Project @ LVA (digital collection)
Legislative Petitions Digital Collection
Legislative Petitions research note
State Artwork Collection (digital collection)
Virginia Legislature Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Other topics that point to historic state government records include Births, Deaths, Marriages; Maps and Architecture, County and City Research, Virginia Land Office, and Tax Records.
Several Historic Virginia Government Records collections, such as the Governors' Letters Received, have been digitized and are available on Virginia Memory.
Maps and Architecture
A Checklist of Architectural Books in the Special Collections of the Library of Virginia
Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection (digital collection)
Architectural Drawings and Plans at the Library of Virginia
Architecture Sources, Virginia
Benjamin Henry Latrobe Collection (digital collection)
Board of Public Works Inventory
Capital Square Renovation Collection (web archive)
Carneal & Johnston Negative Collection (digital collection)
Charles F. Gillette Virginia Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Civil War Map Project (digital collection)
From Williamsburg To Wills's Creek: The Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia, its Predecessors and Derivatives
Fry–Jefferson Maps, Surveys and Derivatives (digital collection)
Internal Improvement Movement in Virginia: Early Canals, River Navigations, Roads, Turnpikes, Bridges, and Railroads
Landscape Architecture Resources at the Library of Virginia, Bibliography of
Map Books and Periodicals, Many of which Relate to Virginia, Selected Bibliography of
Map Collection in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using the
Map Collection Index
Maps of the District of Columbia
Mutual Assurance Society Records
Researching Virginia Place Names
Richmond Esthetic Survey/Historic Building Survey (digital collection)
Richmond: Evolution of a City as Shown Through Maps at the Library of Virginia
School Buildings Service Photographs (digital collection)
Virginia Capitol: An American Architectural Milestone
Virginia Historical Inventory (digital collection)
Virginia, Discovered and Described: John Smith’s Map of Virginia and Its Derivatives
WPA Historical Houses Drawings Digital Collection
Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection (digital collection)
Architectural Drawings and Plans at the Library of Virginia
Architecture Sources, Virginia
Benjamin Henry Latrobe Collection (digital collection)
Board of Public Works Inventory
A guide to the archival collection illustrating the development of Virginia's roads, canals and railroads during the nineteenth century.
Capital Square Renovation Collection (web archive)
Carneal & Johnston Negative Collection (digital collection)
Charles F. Gillette Virginia Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Civil War Map Project (digital collection)
From Williamsburg To Wills's Creek: The Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia, its Predecessors and Derivatives
Fry–Jefferson Maps, Surveys and Derivatives (digital collection)
Internal Improvement Movement in Virginia: Early Canals, River Navigations, Roads, Turnpikes, Bridges, and Railroads
Landscape Architecture Resources at the Library of Virginia, Bibliography of
Map Books and Periodicals, Many of which Relate to Virginia, Selected Bibliography of
Map Collection in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using the
Map Collection Index
Maps of the District of Columbia
Mutual Assurance Society Records
Researching Virginia Place Names
Richmond Esthetic Survey/Historic Building Survey (digital collection)
Richmond: Evolution of a City as Shown Through Maps at the Library of Virginia
School Buildings Service Photographs (digital collection)
Virginia Capitol: An American Architectural Milestone
Virginia Historical Inventory (digital collection)
Virginia, Discovered and Described: John Smith’s Map of Virginia and Its Derivatives
WPA Historical Houses Drawings Digital Collection
Military Service
Civil War Records in the Archives
Civil War Records, Using Virginia
Civil War Research Guide
Civil War Resources in the Personal Papers and Military Records Collections at the Library of Virginia, Selected
Confederate Disability Applications and Receipts (digital collection)
Confederate Navy Index
Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows (digital collection)
Confederate Rosters, Index to Virginia
Confederate Veteran Magazine, Index to
Culpeper County Classes, 1781
Dunmore's War (Virginia Payrolls/Public Service Claims, 1775)
James I Robertson Jr Civil War Sesquicentennial Legacy Collection (digital collection)
Korean War 1950-1953+, Virginia's Participation in the
Mexican War Soldiers
Military Dead database, Virginia
Persian Gulf War 1990-1991, Virginia's Participation in the
Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Land Office Military Certificates
Revolutionary War Public Service Claims
Revolutionary War Records, Using Virginia
Revolutionary War Rejected Claims (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Virginia State Pensions (digital collection)
Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home Applications for Admission (digital collection)
Soldiers of the War of 1812
Spanish American War, 1898; the Philippine Insurrection, 1899—1901; and the China Relief Expedition, 1900—1901, Virginia’s Participation in the
U.S. Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Vietnam War 1961-1975, Virginia's Participation in the
War of 1812 Bicentennial Collection (digital collection)
War of 1812 Pay Rolls and Muster Rolls, Index to
World War I History Commission Questionnaires (digital collection)
World War I Poster Collection (digital collection)
World War I, Virginia’s Participation in
World War II Poster Collection (digital collection)
See also Maps & Architecture and Women's History for related materials.
Civil War Records, Using Virginia
Civil War Research Guide
Civil War Resources in the Personal Papers and Military Records Collections at the Library of Virginia, Selected
Confederate Disability Applications and Receipts (digital collection)
Confederate Navy Index
Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows (digital collection)
Confederate Rosters, Index to Virginia
Confederate Veteran Magazine, Index to
A fully-searchable index to the personal names of Confederate soldiers as they appear in the Confederate Veteran magazine published between 1893 and 1932.
Culpeper County Classes, 1781
Dunmore's War (Virginia Payrolls/Public Service Claims, 1775)
James I Robertson Jr Civil War Sesquicentennial Legacy Collection (digital collection)
Korean War 1950-1953+, Virginia's Participation in the
Mexican War Soldiers
Military Dead database, Virginia
An ongoing project indexing more than 744 sources and listing approximately 34,402 Virginians who have died in service.
Persian Gulf War 1990-1991, Virginia's Participation in the
Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Land Office Military Certificates
Revolutionary War Public Service Claims
Revolutionary War Records, Using Virginia
Revolutionary War Rejected Claims (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Virginia State Pensions (digital collection)
Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home Applications for Admission (digital collection)
Soldiers of the War of 1812
Spanish American War, 1898; the Philippine Insurrection, 1899—1901; and the China Relief Expedition, 1900—1901, Virginia’s Participation in the
U.S. Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Vietnam War 1961-1975, Virginia's Participation in the
War of 1812 Bicentennial Collection (digital collection)
War of 1812 Pay Rolls and Muster Rolls, Index to
World War I History Commission Questionnaires (digital collection)
World War I Poster Collection (digital collection)
World War I, Virginia’s Participation in
World War II Poster Collection (digital collection)
See also Maps & Architecture and Women's History for related materials.
Newspapers and Magazines
Born in the Wake of Freedom: John Mitchell, Jr., and the Richmond Planet
Civilian Conservation Corps Camps Newspapers
Lewis and Clark : "We send from this place with dispatches."
Magazine Index: Selected Articles on Virginia 1900–1985
Newspaper Index: Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond News Leader 1940's–1985
Newspaper research at the Library of Virginia
Newspapers in Virginia Bibliography
Newspapers, Selected Indexing of Virginia
Petersburg Public Library Newspaper Index
R. M. S. Titanic: 100 Years Later
The Engraver's Art: Newspaper Mastheads
Virginia Cavalcade
Virginia Chronicle (digital collection)
See also African American and Native American Resources; Births, Deaths, and Marriages; Military Service; and Women's History for related materials.
Civilian Conservation Corps Camps Newspapers
A list of newspaper titles published by Virginia's local Civilian Conservation Corps Camps during the New Deal.
Lewis and Clark : "We send from this place with dispatches."
Magazine Index: Selected Articles on Virginia 1900–1985
Newspaper Index: Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond News Leader 1940's–1985
Newspaper research at the Library of Virginia
Newspapers in Virginia Bibliography
A bibliography of American Newspapers cataloged and inventoried by the Virginia Newspaper Project.
Newspapers, Selected Indexing of Virginia
This is a bibliography and guide to newspaper indexes in the collections of the Library of Virginia.
Petersburg Public Library Newspaper Index
A proper name and subject index covering more than 40 newspaper titles primarily published in Petersburg, Va., 1797-1877.
R. M. S. Titanic: 100 Years Later
The Engraver's Art: Newspaper Mastheads
Virginia Cavalcade
An author/subject index for 1951-2002 and the table of contents for all volumes.
Virginia Chronicle (digital collection)
See also African American and Native American Resources; Births, Deaths, and Marriages; Military Service; and Women's History for related materials.
Photograph Collections
Tax Records
Colonial Tithables
Land Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Land Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
Personal Property Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Personal Property Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
See also County and City Research for other holdings related to Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
Land Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Land Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
An index to city and county land tax records on microfilm.
Personal Property Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Personal Property Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
An index to city and county personal property tax records on microfilm.
See also County and City Research for other holdings related to Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
Virginia History and Culture
1939 World's Fair Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Adolph B. Rice Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Callahan Photograph Collection, Eastern Shore Public Library (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (Research Note 7)
Fairfax County Public Library Historical Photographs (digital collection)
Fairfax County Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Hamblin Studio Photograph Collection, Suffolk Public Library (digital collection)
Hampton Public Library/City of Hampton Historical Collection Photographs (digital collection)
Harry C. Mann Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Historic Virginia Documents on the Internet
Hopewell Virginia Locals of United Mine Workers of America Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Jamestown and Seventeenth-Century Colonial Virginia: A Selection of Readings and Web Sites
New Deal in Virginia, The
Newport News Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Organization Records at the Library of Virginia
Portsmouth Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Radford Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Roanoke County Public Library Local History Photographs (digital collection)
Stereograph Collection (digital collection)
Suggested Readings on Virginia History
Tantilla Gardens Poster Collection (digital collection)
Tazewell County Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
Travel Brochures Digital Collection
Virginia Chamber of Commerce Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Waynesboro Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
Adolph B. Rice Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Callahan Photograph Collection, Eastern Shore Public Library (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (Research Note 7)
Research note explaining how to use the Virginia Colonial Records Project database.
Fairfax County Public Library Historical Photographs (digital collection)
Fairfax County Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Hamblin Studio Photograph Collection, Suffolk Public Library (digital collection)
Hampton Public Library/City of Hampton Historical Collection Photographs (digital collection)
Harry C. Mann Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Historic Virginia Documents on the Internet
Hopewell Virginia Locals of United Mine Workers of America Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Jamestown and Seventeenth-Century Colonial Virginia: A Selection of Readings and Web Sites
New Deal in Virginia, The
Newport News Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Organization Records at the Library of Virginia
Portsmouth Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Radford Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Roanoke County Public Library Local History Photographs (digital collection)
Stereograph Collection (digital collection)
Suggested Readings on Virginia History
Tantilla Gardens Poster Collection (digital collection)
Tazewell County Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
Travel Brochures Digital Collection
Virginia Chamber of Commerce Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Waynesboro Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants
Land Office Patents and Grants/Northern Neck Grants and Surveys, Virginia (digital collection)
Land Office, Virginia (Research Note 20)
Northern Neck Land Proprietary Records (Research Note 23)
Land Office, Virginia (Research Note 20)
Northern Neck Land Proprietary Records (Research Note 23)
Women's History
Women and the First World War, Virginia
Women and the Second World War, Virginia
Women's History Resources in the Archives of the Library of Virginia, Using
Women and the Second World War, Virginia
Women's History Resources in the Archives of the Library of Virginia, Using
Databases and eBooks are external resources to which the Library subscribes. They provide access to current and historical newspapers, magazines, and journals, as well as genealogical resources, historical maps, civil war records, encyclopedias and directories, and many other texts.
Biographical and Genealogical
American Founding Era: Papers of George Washington Digital Edition
American Founding Era: Papers of James Madison Digital Edition
American Founding Era: Papers of John Marshall Digital Edition
American Founding Era: Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition
American Founding Era: People of the Founding Era
AncestryInstitution.com (In Library Use Only)
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
HeritageQuest Online
Mountain People: Life and Culture in Appalachia (1700-1950)
Proquest History Vault. Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records (Parts 1 and 2)
See also General Reference (Gale Virtual Reference Library).
Provides the complete Papers released through 2009: the Colonial Series (1748-1775), Revolutionary War Series (1775-1779), Confederation Series (1784-1788), Presidential Series (1788-1795), Retirement Series (1797-1799) and the complete diaries (1748-1799).
American Founding Era: Papers of James Madison Digital Edition
Contains all of the content of the print edition: the Congressional Series (1751-1801), Secretary of State Series (1801-1805), Presidential Series (1809-1815), and Retirement Series (1817-1826).
American Founding Era: Papers of John Marshall Digital Edition
Presents the complete contents of the print edition (1775-1835) in a fully searchable online format.
American Founding Era: Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition
Brings together the 41 volumes of the Papers Main Series (1760-1803), volumes 1-12 of the Retirement Series (1809-1818), and volumes 1 and 2 of the Memorandum Books (a look at the daily life of Jefferson).
American Founding Era: People of the Founding Era
Provides biographical information for 64,000 men and women born between 1713 and 1815, drawn from the digitized papers of the founding fathers and other documentary editions of the American Founding Era collection.
AncestryInstitution.com (In Library Use Only)
Access to thousands of databases which include census records, family trees, vital records, historical maps, immigration records, city directories, military records, and much more. Free remote access to select Ancestry.com materials from the Library of Virginia collections is available to Virginia residents via Ancestry for Virginians, a Find It Virginia (finditva.com) resource.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
An index to reference works containing multiple biographies such as biographical dictionaries, who’s who publications, subject encyclopedias, and literary criticism volumes.
HeritageQuest Online
Searchable U.S. federal census records (1790-1940), full-text access to thousands of local and family history books, Revolutionary War pension and bounty-land-warrant application files, city directories, and Freedman's Bank records (1865-1874).
Mountain People: Life and Culture in Appalachia (1700-1950)
Includes diaries, journals and narratives of explorers, emigrants, military men, Native Americans, and travelers. There are also family histories, folklore, and accounts regarding the development of farming and mining communities. These chronicles provide details regarding the social, political, economic, scientific, religious and agricultural characteristics of the communities in the vast region between Lexington, Kentucky and Winchester, Virginia, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Birmingham, Alabama.
Proquest History Vault. Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records (Parts 1 and 2)
Business records include ledger books, payroll books, cotton ginning books, work rules, account books, and receipts. Personal papers include family correspondence, diaries, and wills. The collection includes items from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida plantations.
See also General Reference (Gale Virtual Reference Library).
Business and Economics
Business Economics and Theory
LexisNexis Library Express
Mergent Online
ReferenceUSA
Small Business Collection
See also General Reference (Gale Virtual Reference Library).
With a strong emphasis on titles covered in the EconLit database, this collection provides academic journals and magazines focusing on topics in economics. Perfect for business classes, users will find more than 150 full-text journals to support their research.
LexisNexis Library Express
Includes corporate profiles and financial data on over 80 million companies.
Mergent Online
U.S. and international company data including annual reports, stock prices, SEC filings, equity and industry reports, and company histories.
ReferenceUSA
U.S. business and residential directory. Allows users to generate lists of businesses by location and other variables such as business type, sales volume, number of employees, and year established. White pages can be used to conduct market research or locate friends and relatives. Search options include name, address, median home value, median home income, phone number, and more.
Small Business Collection
Perfect for business schools and entrepreneurs, this compilation provides insights, tips, strategies and success stories. Users will find over 280 subject-appropriate full-text periodicals.
See also General Reference (Gale Virtual Reference Library).
General Reference and eBooks
Books in Print
eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford Reference Online
See also Newspapers and Magazines (Gale Databases)
Allows users to determine the publication status of U.S. books, ebooks, audio books, video, and multimedia titles. Users can also create lists of titles using various criteria such as awards won, format, audience category, review sources, and much more.
eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
A collection of over 16,000 general interest eBooks (fiction and non-fiction) in PDF and EPUB formats. This is a collection of older works, rather than recent releases. It includes over 1,400 U.S. history-related texts, as well as Virginia-specific selections. There are also classics of literature, language study guides, titles for teens and children, and much more. Compatible eBook readers include the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony eReader. For additional options, please see the full list of compatible devices. For links to the EBSCOhost iOS and Android app and technical assistance, visit the EBSCO eBooks and Audiobooks Support Center.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
The Gale Virtual Reference Library includes encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These texts can be viewed online, but can't be downloaded to eBook readers.
Oxford English Dictionary
Access to the 20-volume Second Edition and 3 Additions Series volumes, as well as OED’s historical thesaurus.
Oxford Reference Online
Over 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works, plus the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.
See also Newspapers and Magazines (Gale Databases)
Government Information and Legal Resources
Proquest Congressional Publications
See also General Reference (Gale Virtual Reference Library).
Use this resource to locate congressional reports, hearings, bills, laws, and much more. Includes full text access to: the Serial Set 1789-1969 (House and Senate documents/reports and maps), bills & laws (1987-present), vote report (1987-present), and the Congressional Record (1985-present). See FDSYS for recent House and Senate documents/reports and hearings. For earlier documents see A Century Of Lawmaking (Library of Congress).
See also General Reference (Gale Virtual Reference Library).
Maps and Architecture
Antique Map Price Record
Historic Map Works Library Edition
Proquest Sanborn Maps Geo Edition (1867-1970)
Includes the most up-to-date information on the antique maps market, compiled from the offerings of hundreds of dealer and auction catalogs. The database currently contains over 80,000 entries, representing thousands of mapmakers, with new listings being routinely added as they become available.
Historic Map Works Library Edition
Provides access to over 1.5 million U.S. cadastral (land ownership) maps from the late 1700’s to the present day and thousands of antiquarian maps covering the world (1400’s-1800’s). Includes geocoded maps which can be overlaid with present day Google map images and a Points of Interest Map Finding Tool to help users locate places and geographical features (e.g., buildings, streams, bridges, etc.). Provides access to over 1,000 city directories and to thousands of map-related images of family residences, buildings, advertisements, and more.
Proquest Sanborn Maps Geo Edition (1867-1970)
Historical Virginia fire insurance maps searchable by address or geographic coordinates. Allows maps from different years to be layered on top of each other and over modern street, satellite, and hybrid images.
Military Service
American Civil War Research Database
Civil War in Words and Deeds
fold3 Library Edition
Military and Intelligence Database
Provides military records for over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, with over 17,000 photographs. Information which can be used for statistical analysis such as soldiers’ methods of entry into and exit from the military, age at enlistment, and the number of prisoners taken and casualties incurred during battles is also provided.
Civil War in Words and Deeds
Regimental histories and first-person accounts compiled in the postwar period and early 20th century which chronicle the highs and lows of army life from 1861 through 1865. These accounts explore the reasons individuals volunteered, the experience of leaving home for the first time and entering camp, the clash of arms, the daily routines of camp life and garrison duty, and the anguish of imprisonment. Soldiers’ attitudes regarding army life, officers and fellow soldiers, the enemy, and the political questions of the war are candidly expressed. This collection comprises, in its entirety, the microfilm collection Travels in the Confederate States, as well as a small number of selected titles from the microfilm collection Travels in the New South I, 1865-1900.
fold3 Library Edition
Military records from the Civil War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican American and Early Indian wars, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Also provides access to some non-military records such as the African American, Native American and U.S. Bureau of Investigation Case File collections.
Military and Intelligence Database
Over 500 titles and more than 7 million articles with links to related sources found in reference books, magazine and newswire articles.
Newspapers and Magazines
American Periodicals
Daily Press Digital Microfilm (2010-present)
Gale Databases
HarpWeek (1857-1912)
JSTOR (In Library Use Only)
LexisNexis Library Express
Newspaper Archive
Newspaper Source Plus
Proquest Civil War Era (1840-1865)
Proquest Historical Newspapers. Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003)
Proquest Historical Newspapers. The Washington Post (1877-2000)
Richmond Times-Dispatch Current (1985-present)
Richmond Times-Dispatch Historical (1903-1986)
U.S. History
Washington Post Digital Microfilm (2008-present)
Searchable digital images of over 1,100 periodicals that first began publishing between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines, and many other historically-significant periodicals.
Daily Press Digital Microfilm (2010-present)
Provides complete issues of the newspaper (including images) which can be retrieved by date. Issues for the current year are added as they become available. Please note: The search function isn't operational and will always return a zero result.
Gale Databases
A one-stop source for articles on many topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature & art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and more.
HarpWeek (1857-1912)
A fully-indexed and keyword searchable electronic archive of the news and literary journal Harper's Weekly.
JSTOR (In Library Use Only)
Full-text archives of over 1,000 leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work. Off-site users can access all JSTOR journal content published prior to 1923 in the United States and prior to 1870 elsewhere via the Early Journal Content program. Additional journal content can be accessed by using the Register & Read program.
LexisNexis Library Express
Provides full-text articles from over 2500 foreign and domestic newspapers including the New York Times (1980-current), Washington Post (1977-current), and USA Today (1989-current). Includes death notices and obituaries. Provides access to popular magazines such as Consumer Reports, as well as academic journals and law reviews. Also includes company profiles and financial data and a broad array of federal and state legal resources. Please note: The legal resources can only be accessed from the Library.
Newspaper Archive
Digital collection of select issues of more than 5,000 national, local, and foreign newspapers, with some content dating back to the 1700's. Virginia titles with extensive coverage include the Bee (Danville, VA), Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Danville Register, Harrisonburg Daily News Record, Progress Index (Petersburg, VA), Pulaski Southwest Times, Radford News Journal, and Winchester Star.
Newspaper Source Plus
Full-text coverage for national and international newspapers, and radio/t.v. program transcripts. Virginia content includes select coverage for the Daily Press (1997-2009; Nov. 2014-), Free Lance-Star (2002-Nov. 2016; May 2017-),Carroll News (2011-), and Virginia Gazette (2009-). Select historical coverage is provided for many titles including the Progress Index (2008-2014), Roanoke Times (1998-2013), and Manassas Journal & Messenger (2007-2009).
Proquest Civil War Era (1840-1865)
A digital collection that includes nearly 2,000 pamphlets and complete runs of eight newspaper titles (including Richmond’s Daily Dispatch from 14 January 1852 through 30 December 1865) which were specifically selected for the regional and diverse perspectives they offer.
Proquest Historical Newspapers. Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003)
Provides full-text access with digital reproductions of pages.
Proquest Historical Newspapers. The Washington Post (1877-2000)
Provides full-text access with digital reproductions of pages.
Richmond Times-Dispatch Current (1985-present)
Provides full-text access (no images).This database includes articles from the Richmond Times-Dispatch from Aug. 19, 1985-present and from the Richmond News Leader from Aug. 19, 1985-May 30, 1992. However, all articles are cited as being from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The Library's Reference Dept. staff can provide assistance in determining which newspaper published a particular article (804) 692-3777 or refdesk@lva.virginia.gov
Richmond Times-Dispatch Historical (1903-1986)
Provides full-text access with digital reproductions of pages.
U.S. History
This collection provides coverage of the current thinking and events in U.S. History, as well as scholarly work being established in the field. This compilation of over 40 journals provides robust and balanced coverage of the field.
Washington Post Digital Microfilm (2008-present)
Provides complete issues of the newspaper (including images) which can be retrieved by date. Issues for the current year are added as they become available. Please note: The search function isn't operational and will always return a zero result.
Student Resources
eLibrary
Kids InfoBits
Research in Context
Student Edition
Full-text magazines, newspapers, pictures, maps, and TV & radio transcripts. Includes select coverage of the Daily Press, Roanoke Times & World News, Washington Post, and Washington Times.
Kids InfoBits
A database developed especially for beginning researchers in Kindergarten through Grade 5. Features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface & curriculum-related, age appropriate content from the best elementary reference sources.
Research in Context
Designed for students in junior high & middle school, this resource gives access to indexed & full-text magazines, newspapers & reference books on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports & more.
Student Edition
This database is designed for high-school students with access to a variety of indexed & full-text magazines, newspapers, podcasts, & reference books covering current events, the arts, science, pop culture, health, government, history, sports & more.
Women's History
View an alphabetical listing of all of the guides, indexes and research databases.
A
A Checklist of Architectural Books in the Special Collections of the Library of Virginia
Adolph B. Rice Photograph Collection (digital collection)
African American Church Histories at the Library of Virginia
African American Newspapers Available from the Library of Virginia
African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870
Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection (digital collection)
American Civil War Research Database
Architecture Sources, Virginia
Archival Web Collections (digital collection)
Adolph B. Rice Photograph Collection (digital collection)
African American Church Histories at the Library of Virginia
African American Newspapers Available from the Library of Virginia
African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870
Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection (digital collection)
American Civil War Research Database
Provides military records for over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, with over 17,000 photographs. Information which can be used for statistical analysis such as soldiers’ methods of entry into and exit from the military, age at enlistment, and the number of prisoners taken and casualties incurred during battles is also provided.
American Founding Era: Papers of George Washington Digital Edition
Provides the complete Papers released through 2009: the Colonial Series (1748-1775), Revolutionary War Series (1775-1779), Confederation Series (1784-1788), Presidential Series (1788-1795), Retirement Series (1797-1799) and the complete diaries (1748-1799).
American Founding Era: Papers of James Madison Digital Edition
Contains all of the content of the print edition: the Congressional Series (1751-1801), Secretary of State Series (1801-1805), Presidential Series (1809-1815), and Retirement Series (1817-1826).
American Founding Era: Papers of John Marshall Digital Edition
Presents the complete contents of the print edition (1775-1835) in a fully searchable online format.
American Founding Era: Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition
Brings together the 41 volumes of the Papers Main Series (1760-1803), volumes 1-12 of the Retirement Series (1809-1818), and volumes 1 and 2 of the Memorandum Books (a look at the daily life of Jefferson).
American Founding Era: People of the Founding Era
Provides biographical information for 64,000 men and women born between 1713 and 1815, drawn from the digitized papers of the founding fathers and other documentary editions of the American Founding Era collection.
American Periodicals
Searchable digital images of over 1,100 periodicals that first began publishing between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines, and many other historically-significant periodicals.
Ancestry for Virginians
Free access to select Ancestry.com materials from the Library of Virginia's collections. Available for Virginia residents only through Find It Virginia. Requires a valid Library of Virginia or Virginia public library card. GeoIP validation is used where available.
AncestryInstitution.com (In Library Use Only)
Access to thousands of databases which include census records, family trees, vital records, historical maps, immigration records, city directories, military records, and much more. Free remote access to select Ancestry.com materials from the Library of Virginia collections is available to Virginia residents via Ancestry for Virginians, a Find It Virginia (finditva.com) resource.
Antique Map Price Record
Includes the most up-to-date information on the antique maps market, compiled from the offerings of hundreds of dealer and auction catalogs. The database currently contains over 80,000 entries, representing thousands of mapmakers, with new listings being routinely added as they become available.
Architectural Drawings and Plans at the Library of Virginia
Architecture Sources, Virginia
Archival Web Collections (digital collection)
B
Benjamin Henry Latrobe Collection (digital collection)
Best Sources for Virginia Research by Time Period
Biographical Research at the Library of Virginia: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Bristol Church and Family Cemeteries Index
Broadsides Collection (digital collection)
Brown vs. Board of Education - Fifty Years: Selected Published Materials at the Library of Virginia
Burned Jurisdiction Database
Business Economics and Theory
Best Sources for Virginia Research by Time Period
Biographical Research at the Library of Virginia: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
An index to reference works containing multiple biographies such as biographical dictionaries, who’s who publications, subject encyclopedias, and literary criticism volumes.
Birth and Marriage (Husband-Wife) Indexes
A guide to the Library's microfilm holdings of indexes to births (1853-1899) and marriages (1853-1935).
Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers
A guide to the Library's microfilm holdings of state vital statistics: births (1853-1896), deaths (1853-1896), and marriages (1853-1935).
Board of Public Works Inventory
A guide to the archival collection illustrating the development of Virginia's roads, canals and railroads during the nineteenth century.
Books in Print
Allows users to determine the publication status of U.S. books, ebooks, audio books, video, and multimedia titles. Users can also create lists of titles using various criteria such as awards won, format, audience category, review sources, and much more.
Born in the Wake of Freedom: John Mitchell, Jr., and the Richmond Planet
Bristol Church and Family Cemeteries Index
Broadsides Collection (digital collection)
Brown vs. Board of Education - Fifty Years: Selected Published Materials at the Library of Virginia
Brown, John (See John Brown's Raid)
Burned Jurisdiction Database
Business Economics and Theory
With a strong emphasis on titles covered in the EconLit database, this collection provides academic journals and magazines focusing on topics in economics. Perfect for business classes, users will find more than 150 full-text journals to support their research.
C
Callahan Photograph Collection, Eastern Shore Public Library (digital collection)
Capital Square Renovation Collection (web archive)
Carneal & Johnston Negative Collection (digital collection)
Chancery Cases Research Note
Charles F. Gillette Virginia Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Civil War in Words and Deeds
Civil War Records in the Archives
Civil War Records, Using Virginia
Civil War Research Guide
Civil War Resources in the Personal Papers and Military Records Collections at the Library of Virginia, Selected
Civilian Conservation Corps Camps Newspapers
Cohabitation Registers (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (Research Note 7)
Company History Sources, Virginia
Confederate Disability Applications and Receipts (digital collection)
Confederate Navy Index
Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows (digital collection)
Confederate Rosters, Index to Virginia
Confederate Veteran Magazine, Index to
County and City Records at the Library of Virginia
County and City Records on Microfilm
County and City Research in Virginia
Culpeper County Classes, 1781
Capital Square Renovation Collection (web archive)
Carneal & Johnston Negative Collection (digital collection)
Chancery Cases Research Note
Describes these rich court records that often contain useful information for biographical, genealogical, and historical research. Chancery cases often address the division of estates, the dissolution of business partnerships, the resolution of land disputes, and divorce. The Chancery Records Index, including digital images for many counties, is available on Virginia Memory
Chancery Records Index (digital collection)
Charles F. Gillette Virginia Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Civil War in Words and Deeds
Regimental histories and first-person accounts compiled in the postwar period and early 20th century which chronicle the highs and lows of army life from 1861 through 1865. These accounts explore the reasons individuals volunteered, the experience of leaving home for the first time and entering camp, the clash of arms, the daily routines of camp life and garrison duty, and the anguish of imprisonment. Soldiers’ attitudes regarding army life, officers and fellow soldiers, the enemy, and the political questions of the war are candidly expressed. This collection comprises, in its entirety, the microfilm collection Travels in the Confederate States, as well as a small number of selected titles from the microfilm collection Travels in the New South I, 1865-1900.
Civil War Map Project (digital collection)
Civil War Records in the Archives
Civil War Records, Using Virginia
Civil War Research Guide
Civil War Resources in the Personal Papers and Military Records Collections at the Library of Virginia, Selected
Civilian Conservation Corps Camps Newspapers
A list of newspaper titles published by Virginia's local Civilian Conservation Corps Camps during the New Deal.
Clemency Records
Cohabitation Registers (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (digital collection)
Colonial Records Project, Virginia (Research Note 7)
Research note explaining how to use the Virginia Colonial Records Project database.
Colonial Tithables
Company History Sources, Virginia
Confederate Disability Applications and Receipts (digital collection)
Confederate Navy Index
Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows (digital collection)
Confederate Rosters, Index to Virginia
Confederate Veteran Magazine, Index to
A fully-searchable index to the personal names of Confederate soldiers as they appear in the Confederate Veteran magazine published between 1893 and 1932.
County and City Court Records, Using
County and City Records at the Library of Virginia
County and City Records on Microfilm
County and City Research in Virginia
Culpeper County Classes, 1781
D
Daily Press Digital Microfilm (2010-present)
Dictionary of Virginia Biography
Provides complete issues of the newspaper (including images) which can be retrieved by date. Issues for the current year are added as they become available. Please note: The search function isn't operational and will always return a zero result.
Death Certificates, 1912-1939
A guide to the microfilm of the death certificates and related indexes for deaths in Virginia from 1912-1939.
Death Index / Virginia (DIVA)
Dictionary of Virginia Biography
A classified index to The Dictionary of Virginia Biography (DVB), the first scholarly, comprehensive biographical reference work on Virginia.
Dunmore's War (Virginia Payrolls/Public Service Claims, 1775)
E
eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
Election Records: Published Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Returns: Gubernatorial and State Office Election Results at the Library of Virginia
Electoral College Digital Collection
eLibrary
A collection of over 16,000 general interest eBooks (fiction and non-fiction) in PDF and EPUB formats. This is a collection of older works, rather than recent releases. It includes over 1,400 U.S. history-related texts, as well as Virginia-specific selections. There are also classics of literature, language study guides, titles for teens and children, and much more. Compatible eBook readers include the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony eReader. For additional options, please see the full list of compatible devices. For links to the EBSCOhost iOS and Android app and technical assistance, visit the EBSCO eBooks and Audiobooks Support Center.
Election Records: Presidential and Congressional Election Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Records: Published Returns at the Library of Virginia
Election Returns: Gubernatorial and State Office Election Results at the Library of Virginia
Electoral College Digital Collection
eLibrary
Full-text magazines, newspapers, pictures, maps, and TV & radio transcripts. Includes select coverage of the Daily Press, Roanoke Times & World News, Washington Post, and Washington Times.
Executive Orders Digital Collection
F
Fairfax County Public Library Historical Photographs (digital collection)
Fairfax County Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Family Bible Records
Family Coats of Arms, Index to Sources on
Federal Documents Depository Program
fold3 Library Edition
From Williamsburg To Wills's Creek: The Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia, its Predecessors and Derivatives
Fry–Jefferson Maps, Surveys and Derivatives (digital collection)
Fairfax County Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Family Bible Records
Family Coats of Arms, Index to Sources on
Federal Documents Depository Program
fold3 Library Edition
Military records from the Civil War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican American and Early Indian wars, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Also provides access to some non-military records such as the African American, Native American and U.S. Bureau of Investigation Case File collections.
Foresaken: A Digital Bibliography (digital collection)
From Williamsburg To Wills's Creek: The Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia, its Predecessors and Derivatives
Fry–Jefferson Maps, Surveys and Derivatives (digital collection)
G
Gale Databases
Genealogists, Published Materials for
Genealogy - How To Begin
Genealogy Chart (Blank)
Government Reform Commission Reports (digital collection)
Governor Mark R. Warner Administration Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Governor’s Records, 1776 - 1998, Using Virginia
Governor's Letters Received, June 1776–November 1784 (digital collection)
A one-stop source for articles on many topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature & art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and more.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
The Gale Virtual Reference Library includes encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These texts can be viewed online, but can't be downloaded to eBook readers.
Genealogical Records at the Library of Virginia
Genealogists, Published Materials for
Genealogy - How To Begin
Genealogy Chart (Blank)
Government Reform Commission Reports (digital collection)
Governor Mark R. Warner Administration Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Governor’s Records, 1776 - 1998, Using Virginia
Governor's Letters Received, June 1776–November 1784 (digital collection)
H
Hamblin Studio Photograph Collection, Suffolk Public Library (digital collection)
Hampton Public Library/City of Hampton Historical Collection Photographs (digital collection)
HarpWeek (1857-1912)
Henley Marriage and Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers
Henry Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1776-1778
HeritageQuest Online
Historical Census Records, Using
Hollywood Cemetery: Selected Resources Available at the Library of Virginia
Hopewell Virginia Locals of United Mine Workers of America Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Hampton Public Library/City of Hampton Historical Collection Photographs (digital collection)
HarpWeek (1857-1912)
A fully-indexed and keyword searchable electronic archive of the news and literary journal Harper's Weekly.
Harry C. Mann Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Henley Marriage and Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers
Henry Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1776-1778
Henry, Patrick (See Sources on Patrick Henry at the Library of Virginia)
HeritageQuest Online
Searchable U.S. federal census records (1790-1940), full-text access to thousands of local and family history books, Revolutionary War pension and bounty-land-warrant application files, city directories, and Freedman's Bank records (1865-1874).
Historic Map Works Library Edition
Provides access to over 1.5 million U.S. cadastral (land ownership) maps from the late 1700’s to the present day and thousands of antiquarian maps covering the world (1400’s-1800’s). Includes geocoded maps which can be overlaid with present day Google map images and a Points of Interest Map Finding Tool to help users locate places and geographical features (e.g., buildings, streams, bridges, etc.). Provides access to over 1,000 city directories and to thousands of map-related images of family residences, buildings, advertisements, and more.
Historic Virginia Documents on the Internet
Historical Census Records, Using
Hollywood Cemetery: Selected Resources Available at the Library of Virginia
Hopewell Virginia Locals of United Mine Workers of America Photograph Collection (digital collection)
I
J
James I Robertson Jr Civil War Sesquicentennial Legacy Collection (digital collection)
Jamestown and Seventeenth-Century Colonial Virginia: A Selection of Readings and Web Sites
Jefferson Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1779-1781
John Brown's Raid: Records and Resources at the Library of Virginia
JSTOR (In Library Use Only)
Jamestown and Seventeenth-Century Colonial Virginia: A Selection of Readings and Web Sites
Jefferson Executive Papers Digital Collection, 1779-1781
Jefferson, Thomas (See American Founding Era: Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition)
John Brown's Raid: Records and Resources at the Library of Virginia
JSTOR (In Library Use Only)
Full-text archives of over 1,000 leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work. Off-site users can access all JSTOR journal content published prior to 1923 in the United States and prior to 1870 elsewhere via the Early Journal Content program. Additional journal content can be accessed by using the Register & Read program.
Judgments
Offer a tremendous amount of research potential, providing a great deal of information concerning the activities and interests of the people who lived in the locality.
K
Kaine Email Project @ LVA (digital collection)
Kentucky Records at the Library of Virginia
Kids InfoBits
Kentucky Records at the Library of Virginia
Kids InfoBits
A database developed especially for beginning researchers in Kindergarten through Grade 5. Features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface & curriculum-related, age appropriate content from the best elementary reference sources.
Korean War 1950-1953+, Virginia's Participation in the
L
Land Office Patents and Grants/Northern Neck Grants and Surveys, Virginia (digital collection)
Land Office, Virginia (Research Note 20)
Land Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Land Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
Legal Resources, Virginia
Legislative Petitions Digital Collection
Legislative Petitions research note
Lewis and Clark : "We send from this place with dispatches."
LexisNexis Library Express
Lost Records Localities Digital Collection
Lost Records Localities: Counties & Cities with Missing Records
Land Office, Virginia (Research Note 20)
Land Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Land Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
An index to city and county land tax records on microfilm.
Landscape Architecture Resources at the Library of Virginia, Bibliography of
Legal Resources, Virginia
Legislative Petitions Digital Collection
Legislative Petitions research note
Lewis and Clark : "We send from this place with dispatches."
LexisNexis Library Express
Includes corporate profiles and financial data on over 80 million companies.
LexisNexis Library Express
Provides full-text articles from over 2500 foreign and domestic newspapers including the New York Times (1980-current), Washington Post (1977-current), and USA Today (1989-current). Includes death notices and obituaries. Provides access to popular magazines such as Consumer Reports, as well as academic journals and law reviews. Also includes company profiles and financial data and a broad array of federal and state legal resources. Please note: The legal resources can only be accessed from the Library.
Lost Records Localities Database
Lost Records Localities Digital Collection
Lost Records Localities: Counties & Cities with Missing Records
M
Madison, James (See American Founding Era: Papers of James Madison Digital Edition)
Magazine Index: Selected Articles on Virginia 1900–1985
Map Books and Periodicals, Many of which Relate to Virginia, Selected Bibliography of
Map Collection in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using the
Map Collection Index
Maps of the District of Columbia
Marriage Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
Marriage Records, Early Virginia
Marriage Records, Index to
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Digital Collection
Mergent Online
U.S. and international company data including annual reports, stock prices, SEC filings, equity and industry reports, and company histories.
Mexican War Soldiers
Michael Miley Studio Collection (digital collection)
Military and Intelligence Database
Over 500 titles and more than 7 million articles with links to related sources found in reference books, magazine and newswire articles.
Military Dead database, Virginia
An ongoing project indexing more than 744 sources and listing approximately 34,402 Virginians who have died in service.
Mountain People: Life and Culture in Appalachia (1700-1950)
Includes diaries, journals and narratives of explorers, emigrants, military men, Native Americans, and travelers. There are also family histories, folklore, and accounts regarding the development of farming and mining communities. These chronicles provide details regarding the social, political, economic, scientific, religious and agricultural characteristics of the communities in the vast region between Lexington, Kentucky and Winchester, Virginia, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Birmingham, Alabama.
Mutual Assurance Society Records
N
Native American History Sources, Using
Native Americans: Archival Sources, Resources on
Naturalizations, 1657-1776, Virginia
Naturalizations, 1776-1929, Virginia
New Deal in Virginia, The
Newport News Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Newspaper Archive
Newspaper research at the Library of Virginia
Newspaper Source Plus
Native Americans: Archival Sources, Resources on
Naturalizations, 1657-1776, Virginia
Naturalizations, 1776-1929, Virginia
New Deal in Virginia, The
Newport News Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Newspaper Archive
Digital collection of select issues of more than 5,000 national, local, and foreign newspapers, with some content dating back to the 1700's. Virginia titles with extensive coverage include the Bee (Danville, VA), Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Danville Register, Harrisonburg Daily News Record, Progress Index (Petersburg, VA), Pulaski Southwest Times, Radford News Journal, and Winchester Star.
Newspaper Index: Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond News Leader 1940's–1985
Newspaper research at the Library of Virginia
Newspaper Source Plus
Full-text coverage for national and international newspapers, and radio/t.v. program transcripts. Virginia content includes select coverage for the Daily Press (1997-2009; Nov. 2014-), Free Lance-Star (2002-Nov. 2016; May 2017-),Carroll News (2011-), and Virginia Gazette (2009-). Select historical coverage is provided for many titles including the Progress Index (2008-2014), Roanoke Times (1998-2013), and Manassas Journal & Messenger (2007-2009).
Newspapers in Virginia Bibliography
A bibliography of American Newspapers cataloged and inventoried by the Virginia Newspaper Project.
Newspapers, Selected Indexing of Virginia
This is a bibliography and guide to newspaper indexes in the collections of the Library of Virginia.
Northern Neck Land Proprietary Records (Research Note 23)
O
Obituary Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
Organization Records at the Library of Virginia
Oxford English Dictionary
Organization Records at the Library of Virginia
Oxford English Dictionary
Access to the 20-volume Second Edition and 3 Additions Series volumes, as well as OED’s historical thesaurus.
Oxford Reference Online
Over 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works, plus the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.
P
Persian Gulf War 1990-1991, Virginia's Participation in the
Personal Property Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Personal Property Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
Portsmouth Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Proquest Civil War Era (1840-1865)
Personal Property Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia, Using Virginia
Personal Property Tax Records on Microfilm, Virginia
An index to city and county personal property tax records on microfilm.
Petersburg Public Library Newspaper Index
A proper name and subject index covering more than 40 newspaper titles primarily published in Petersburg, Va., 1797-1877.
Photograph Collections available on Virginia Memory (digital collections)
Portsmouth Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Proquest Civil War Era (1840-1865)
A digital collection that includes nearly 2,000 pamphlets and complete runs of eight newspaper titles (including Richmond’s Daily Dispatch from 14 January 1852 through 30 December 1865) which were specifically selected for the regional and diverse perspectives they offer.
Proquest Congressional Publications
Use this resource to locate congressional reports, hearings, bills, laws, and much more. Includes full text access to: the Serial Set 1789-1969 (House and Senate documents/reports and maps), bills & laws (1987-present), vote report (1987-present), and the Congressional Record (1985-present). See FDSYS for recent House and Senate documents/reports and hearings. For earlier documents see A Century Of Lawmaking (Library of Congress).
Proquest Historical Newspapers. Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003)
Provides full-text access with digital reproductions of pages.
Proquest Historical Newspapers. The Washington Post (1877-2000)
Provides full-text access with digital reproductions of pages.
Proquest History Vault. Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records (Parts 1 and 2)
Business records include ledger books, payroll books, cotton ginning books, work rules, account books, and receipts. Personal papers include family correspondence, diaries, and wills. The collection includes items from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida plantations.
Proquest Sanborn Maps Geo Edition (1867-1970)
Historical Virginia fire insurance maps searchable by address or geographic coordinates. Allows maps from different years to be layered on top of each other and over modern street, satellite, and hybrid images.
Public Buildings and Grounds Collection (digital collection)
R
R. M. S. Titanic: 100 Years Later
Radford Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Rare Books (digital collection)
ReferenceUSA
Researching Virginia Authors
Researching Virginia Place Names
Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Land Office Military Certificates
Revolutionary War Public Service Claims
Revolutionary War Records, Using Virginia
Revolutionary War Rejected Claims (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Virginia State Pensions (digital collection)
Richmond Esthetic Survey/Historic Building Survey (digital collection)
Richmond Times-Dispatch Current (1985-present)
Roanoke County Public Library Local History Photographs (digital collection)
Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home Applications for Admission (digital collection)
Radford Public Library Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Rare Books (digital collection)
ReferenceUSA
U.S. business and residential directory. Allows users to generate lists of businesses by location and other variables such as business type, sales volume, number of employees, and year established. White pages can be used to conduct market research or locate friends and relatives. Search options include name, address, median home value, median home income, phone number, and more.
Research in Context
Designed for students in junior high & middle school, this resource gives access to indexed & full-text magazines, newspapers & reference books on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports & more.
Researching in the Archives Collections
Researching Virginia Authors
Researching Virginia Place Names
Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Land Office Military Certificates
Revolutionary War Public Service Claims
Revolutionary War Records, Using Virginia
Revolutionary War Rejected Claims (digital collection)
Revolutionary War Virginia State Pensions (digital collection)
Richmond Esthetic Survey/Historic Building Survey (digital collection)
Richmond Times-Dispatch Current (1985-present)
Provides full-text access (no images).This database includes articles from the Richmond Times-Dispatch from Aug. 19, 1985-present and from the Richmond News Leader from Aug. 19, 1985-May 30, 1992. However, all articles are cited as being from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The Library's Reference Dept. staff can provide assistance in determining which newspaper published a particular article (804) 692-3777 or refdesk@lva.virginia.gov
Richmond Times-Dispatch Historical (1903-1986)
Provides full-text access with digital reproductions of pages.
Richmond: Evolution of a City as Shown Through Maps at the Library of Virginia
Roanoke County Public Library Local History Photographs (digital collection)
Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home Applications for Admission (digital collection)
S
S. Bassett French Biographical Sketches (digital collection)
School Buildings Service Photographs (digital collection)
Sheet Music Collection (digital collection)
Slavery in Virginia
Small Business Collection
Sources on Patrick Henry at the Library of Virginia
Spanish American War, 1898; the Philippine Insurrection, 1899—1901; and the China Relief Expedition, 1900—1901, Virginia’s Participation in the
State Artwork Collection (digital collection)
State Government Publications (digital collection)
Stereograph Collection (digital collection)
Student Edition
School Buildings Service Photographs (digital collection)
Sheet Music Collection (digital collection)
Slavery in Virginia
Small Business Collection
Perfect for business schools and entrepreneurs, this compilation provides insights, tips, strategies and success stories. Users will find over 280 subject-appropriate full-text periodicals.
Soldiers of the War of 1812
Sources on Patrick Henry at the Library of Virginia
Spanish American War, 1898; the Philippine Insurrection, 1899—1901; and the China Relief Expedition, 1900—1901, Virginia’s Participation in the
State Artwork Collection (digital collection)
State Government Publications (digital collection)
Stereograph Collection (digital collection)
Student Edition
This database is designed for high-school students with access to a variety of indexed & full-text magazines, newspapers, podcasts, & reference books covering current events, the arts, science, pop culture, health, government, history, sports & more.
Suggested Readings on Virginia History
T
Tantilla Gardens Poster Collection (digital collection)
Tazewell County Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
The Engraver's Art: Newspaper Mastheads
Travel Brochures Digital Collection
Tazewell County Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
The Engraver's Art: Newspaper Mastheads
Travel Brochures Digital Collection
U
U.S. Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection (digital collection)
U.S. History
U.S. History
This collection provides coverage of the current thinking and events in U.S. History, as well as scholarly work being established in the field. This compilation of over 40 journals provides robust and balanced coverage of the field.
V
Vietnam War 1961-1975, Virginia's Participation in the
Virginia Capitol: An American Architectural Milestone
Virginia Cavalcade
Virginia Chronicle (digital collection)
Virginia City Directories at the Library of Virginia
Virginia Czech and Slovak Folklife Festival (digital collection)
Virginia Historical Inventory (digital collection)
Virginia Legislature Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Virginia State Documents
Virginia, Discovered and Described: John Smith’s Map of Virginia and Its Derivatives
Vital Records (Virginia) and Ancestry.com
Vital Statistics Records, Using
Virginia Capitol: An American Architectural Milestone
Virginia Cavalcade
An author/subject index for 1951-2002 and the table of contents for all volumes.
Virginia Chamber of Commerce Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Virginia Chronicle (digital collection)
Virginia City Directories at the Library of Virginia
Virginia Czech and Slovak Folklife Festival (digital collection)
Virginia Historical Inventory (digital collection)
Virginia Legislature Photograph Collection (digital collection)
Virginia State Documents
A list of publications currently available from Virginia state agencies
Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative (digital collection)
Virginia, Discovered and Described: John Smith’s Map of Virginia and Its Derivatives
Vital Records (Virginia) and Ancestry.com
Vital Statistics Records, Using
W
War of 1812 Bicentennial Collection (digital collection)
War of 1812 Pay Rolls and Muster Rolls, Index to
Washington Post Digital Microfilm (2008-present)
Waynesboro Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
West Virginia Records at the Library of Virginia
Willis M. Carter Digital Collection
Wills and Administrations, Index to
Women and the First World War, Virginia
Women and the Second World War, Virginia
Women in History
World War I History Commission Questionnaires (digital collection)
World War I Poster Collection (digital collection)
World War I, Virginia’s Participation in
World War II Poster Collection (digital collection)
WPA Historical Houses Drawings Digital Collection
WPA Life Histories Collection (digital collection)
WRVA Radio Collection
War of 1812 Pay Rolls and Muster Rolls, Index to
Washington Post Digital Microfilm (2008-present)
Provides complete issues of the newspaper (including images) which can be retrieved by date. Issues for the current year are added as they become available. Please note: The search function isn't operational and will always return a zero result.
Washington, George (See American Founding Era: Papers of George Washington Digital Edition)
Waynesboro Public Library Photographs (digital collection)
West Virginia Records at the Library of Virginia
Willis M. Carter Digital Collection
Wills and Administrations, Index to
Women and the First World War, Virginia
Women and the Second World War, Virginia
Women in History
Over 300,000 journal articles on the history of women.
Women's History Resources in the Archives of the Library of Virginia, Using
World War I History Commission Questionnaires (digital collection)
World War I Poster Collection (digital collection)
World War I, Virginia’s Participation in
World War II Poster Collection (digital collection)
WPA Historical Houses Drawings Digital Collection
WPA Life Histories Collection (digital collection)
WRVA Radio Collection
The catalog allows you to search our print, manuscript, and archival collections.
Virginia Memory is the new home of the Library's digital collections.
Additional Resources
What's New in the Collections highlights newly accessioned, recently processed, and notable materials added to the Library's collections.
Find It Virginia offers full text access to a variety of magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, and other reference works. Requires use of a valid library card from a Virginia public library.
TumbleBookLibrary - The Library of Virginia has purchased the TumbleBookLibrary for use by Virginia’s public libraries. The TumbleBookLibrary is a collection of TumbleBooks, animated, talking picture books, suited for elementary school children. TumbleBooks are created from existing picture books, adding sound, animation, music and narration to create an electronic picture book... more information »
Virginia Public Library Directory
Historical and Genealogical Societies in Virginia
Virginia Heritage Project database of finding aids to manuscript and archival collections housed at a variety of Virginia institutions.
Professional researchers specializing in Virginia history and use of the Library's collections.