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Click any excerpt below to read the full article. Celebrate Archives Month at the Library of Virginia Please join the Library of Virginia as we celebrate Archives Month and the value of Virginia's historical records. Visit us on October 26 from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM to see displays from the Library's many collections, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the archives stacks and conservation labs, and watch staff demonstrations on using the collections. Staff will be available to talk about their work and collections and share expert tips about archival research and records preservation... Library Board Approves Lowering Age Requirement for Researchers At its October 3 meeting the Library Board approved a staff recommendation to lower the age limit for researchers from 18 to 16. This change will allow younger users to borrow circulating Library materials and use the archival and map collections. The younger users must be residents of Virginia and provide the signature and photo identification of a parent or guardian... Local Records Archivists Offer Presentations on Court Records The Library of Virginia’s local records archivists are on the road these days spreading the word about the valuable information to be found in circuit court records. So far they have been to the Staunton Public Library and have presentations scheduled for Smyrna Baptist Church in Dinwiddie County on October 12, the Tazewell Public Library on October 17, the Scott County Rotary Club on October 18, and the Middlesex County Museum & Historical Society in Saluda on November 20... Exciting Programs Abound During Virginia Literary Festival The second annual Virginia Literary Festival (October 6–15) is offering fans of great writers and books a week's worth of wonderful events celebrating the rich literary culture of Virginia. From a conversation with Earl Hamner (the creator of the iconic television series The Waltons), to a mystery writers’ extravaganza, to a program featuring authors, artists, and art, the Virginia Literary Festival has a great mix of genres and speakers... Citizens Advisory Council and Library to Publish History of Executive Mansion In 2013, Virginia’s Executive Mansion—the oldest occupied governor’s residence in the 50 states—marks its 200th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, the Citizens Advisory Council for Interpreting and Furnishing the Executive Mansion and the Library of Virginia will co-publish an official bicentennial history of Virginia's "First House." This handsome coffee table book, written by historian Mary Miley Theobald with an introduction by novelist David Baldacci and designed by Carol Roper Hoffler of Literati, will chronicle the mansion's important role as... Thomas Kidd to Deliver Annual Governor Henry Lecture Thomas S. Kidd, associate professor of history and senior fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, will deliver the annual Governor Henry Lecture at the Library of Virginia on Tuesday, November 15, at 5:30 PM and at Hampden-Sydney College's Crawley Forum, on Wednesday, November 16, at 7:00 PM. Entitled "Henry, Madison, Jefferson, and the Contest for Religious Liberty in Revolutionary Virginia," the lecture will explore Henry's relationship with dissent and toleration in Virginia... Visit LVA's Wish List on Amazon.com The Library of Virginia Foundation has established a "Wish List" for Library of Virginia acquisitions at Amazon.com. Initially, the list will be used to purchase circulating copies of books the Library already owns. The Library also hopes that a generous donor will purchase the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine for its collection... 2012 Winter Reading Program Features First Dog The 2012 Winter Reading Program, presented by the Library of Virginia, features the cover art of First Dog by J. Patrick Lewis and Beth Zappitello and illustrated by Tim Bowers, a wonderful picture book with adorable illustrations of a Portuguese water dog... The Virginia Shop's 30 for 30 Special for October Features 30% Off All State Seal Merchandise The Great Seal of Virginia was originally approved during Virginia's 1776 Constitutional Convention. The female figure is Virtus, the Roman goddess, dressed as an Amazon. She stands with spear in her right hand and in her left, a sheathed sword over a defeated opponent: a tyrannical foe, his crown cast upon the ground... Library of Virginia Offers Trustee Workshops In Virginia the governance of most public libraries is placed with citizens of the community, organized as a library board of trustees. If you are a new or even a longtime library trustee and want a better understanding of the laws and rules that affect your duties, the Library Development and Networking Division at the Library of Virginia can help... Clay Papers Open to Researchers The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Robert Young Clay Papers. Clay, a former research archivist at the Library of Virginia, passed away on May 6, 2010. The collection includes his extensive research files on the Clay family, especially the lines that descend from Thomas Clay (ca. 1745/6–1812) of Dinwiddie County, Virginia, and the allied families of Ballow, Escue, Kittrell, and Young. There are also records relating to his involvement with the Clay Family Society. Clay’s papers also contain correspondence, general subject files, and many of the speeches and talks he delivered to various genealogical and historical societies around the nation... All events are free and take place from noon until 1 PM in the conference rooms at the Library of Virginia unless otherwise noted. Wednesday, October 12, 2011 Narrative Drive: A Nonfiction Writer’s Workshop Time: 8:30 AM–noon Fee and registration. Questions? 804-692-3900 This half-day of insightful guidance and hands-on instruction is for writers of articles, essays, nonfiction books, or memoirs. Featured writers are Dean King, Charlie Slack, and Ellen Brown. Wednesday, October 12, 2011 Poetry Spotlight: An Evening with Virginia Poets Time: 6:00–7:30 PM Place: Conference Rooms and Lecture Hall The event is free of charge and no advance registration is required. This evening of poetry features Kelly Cherry, Poet Laureate of Virginia, who will be joined by fellow Virginia poets Michael Chitwood, Kathleen Graber, and Lesley Wheeler (all finalists for the 2011 Library of Virginia Literary Award for Poetry) for an evening of readings and discussion. Thursday, October 13, 2011 Whodunit? | A Day of Mystery Madness for Mystery Fans Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Fee and registration for lunch; panels are free of charge but require advance registration. Questions? 804-692-3900 If you're a fan of the genre, don’t miss this event that hosts a dozen of the best mystery writers in the business for a reader-friendly, interactive, and fun day of discussion and insight. There will be break-out panels in the morning and afternoon to enjoy casual conversation and Q&A, and a lunch hosted by the venerable author and People’s Choice Award nominee Donna Andrews. Friday, October 14, 2011 Don't Touch That Dial! Time: 11:30 AM–1:30 PM Place: The Jefferson Hotel, 101 W. Franklin St., Richmond Fee and registration. Please call 804-692-3900 to purchase tickets. The words "goodnight John Boy" serve as more than just a memorable line from a television show—lines like these serve as iconic memories for the baby boomer generation. Writer and native Virginian Earl Hamner will explore the effect that television has had on viewers from a time when it was a relatively new and novel medium. Friday, October 14, 2011 Authors, Artists, & Art Time: 6:30–9:00 PM Place: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Boulevard Fee and registration: www.vmfa.museum This interactive audience-focused discussion about art-based books features panelists Elizabeth Kostova (author of The Swan Thieves and the best-selling The Historian), Mary Lynn Kotz (author of Rauschenberg: Art and Life and the best-selling Upstairs at the White House), Aneta Georgievska-Shine (author of Rubens and the Archaeology of Myth and an independent scholar and lecturer on art for the Smithsonian Associates), and Clarice Smith (painter, art historian, collector, and sponsor of the Clarice Smith Lectures on Art at George Washington University)—moderated by author Katherine Neville. Saturday, October 15, 2011 14th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration Time: 7:00 PM Place: Lobby. FEE. Reservations required. Please call 804-692-3900 to purchase tickets. Best-selling author Adriana Trigiani will host this year's fabulous literary event featuring the best writing about Virginia or by Virginia authors. Awards will be given for best works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Earl Hamner is the recipient of the 2011 literary lifetime achievement award. Tuesday, October 18, 2011 "A Perfect Steel-Trap": Resources at the Library of Virginia Documenting John Brown's Raid R. Thomas Crew Jr., a senior reference archivist at the Library of Virginia, will discuss the extensive archival holdings at the Library documenting John Brown's abortive attempt to capture the U.S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, on October 16, 1859. Monday, October 24, 2011 American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print: A Lecture by Jim Sherraden Time: 4:30–6:00 PM Place: VCU, Grace Street Theatre, 934 West Grace Street. Questions? 804-828-2020 Jim Sherraden, the manager and chief designer of Nashville’s Hatch Show Print and curator of American Letterpress, will speak about Hatch’s work, both new and vintage, as well as the future of printmaking and letterpress. Sherraden, an artist and printmaker as well as the driving force at Hatch, is an entertaining and dynamic speaker. Tuesday, October 25, 2011 Display of the Ordinance of Secession Time: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Place: Lobby The Library of Virginia houses a unique and important document related to Virginia's Civil War history—the Ordinance of Secession. Because of its age and fragile condition, this piece of Virginia history is rarely on public display. Wednesday, October 26, 2011 Celebrating Archives: An Archives Open House Time: 11:00 AM–2:00 PM Join us to see displays from the Library's many collections, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the archives stacks and conservation labs, and watch a demonstration by staff on how to use the collection.

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