Contact Us

Plan Your Visit

We have a lot of good information for users planning a visit to the Library of Virginia in downtown Richmond. Hours of operation, directions, parking, and information on using the collections will help you make the most of your research trip.

Order Materials

Copies of many items in our collections are available for a pre-paid fee. Orders may be placed by mail, by telephone, or by fax. In certain instances, you must request and receive permission for certain uses of our materials, such as for publication or exhibition. Check our forms cabinet for more information on obtaining permission.

Research Guides & Indexes

Not sure where to start your research? Our research guides provide search strategies and recommended resources to help you successfully navigate the Library of Virginia's collections.

Donate Materials

The Library of Virginia's incredible collection of Virginia literature, history and culture has been a work in progress since the founding of the Library in 1823. From the very beginning we have collected books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, broadsides, photographs, portraits, and other items that chronicle the history of the commonwealth. Many of our greatest treasures are the result of gifts from generous donors.

Agency Personnel

Know exactly whom you need to contact? This is where you can find staff members by department or name and learn a little about the responsibilities of each work unit. Information on our many boards and advisory groups is also included.

Social Media

Curated Content

Flickr Collections Images

"Look What We Got" Tumblr

"Curious Catalog" Tumblr

HistoryPin

Google Arts and Culture

Pinterest

Blogs

Uncommonwealth

The UncommonWealth shares what we do at the Library of Virginia. Learn about what we do, why we do it, and how our efforts relate to current issues and events. In addition to our intriguing collections and groundbreaking projects, we'll spotlight public libraries, staff members,and specialized professions. Visit uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com to catch up with the Voices from the Library of Virginia.

Multiple Exposure

With more than 500,000 items, the Prints and Photographs Collection at the Library of Virginia provides an astonishing visual account of the commonwealth-from its beginnings to the present-through single items, such as one-of-a-kind daguerreotypes, to sprawling collections with many thousands of photos and related documentation, and everything in between: 19th- and 20th-century family albums, posters, scrapbooks, mixed ephemera, bookplates, postcards, lithographs, etchings, engravings, drawings, all manner of photographic prints, film and glass-plate negatives, 35mm slides, and images digitally inscribed onto compact discs.