Pictured
during the Senate presentation are (left
to right) Lieutenant Governor of
Virginia Winsome Earle-Sears, Librarian
of Virginia Dr. Sandra G. Treadway,
Library of Virginia Board Chair C. Paul
Brockwell Jr., Library of Virginia
Foundation President Lucia Anna “Pia”
Trigiani and Senator Jennifer
McClellan.
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General
Assembly Resolutions Commemorate
Library’s
Bicentennial
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In honor of our 200th anniversary, the
Senate of Virginia and the House of
Delegates commemorated the Library with
resolutions and presentations on the floor
of each chamber on our founding date, Jan.
24. Both Senate Joint Resolution
No. 259 and House Joint Resolution
No. 493 commended the Library of
Virginia in "an expression of the General
Assembly’s admiration for the institution’s
work to preserve the history and heritage of
the Commonwealth and contributions to state
government, education, and library science.”
To
watch the resolution presentation in the
House chamber, click on the button below.
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200
Years, 200 Stories
Exhibition Now Open
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Our bicentennial exhibition, 200 Years,
200 Stories, opened on Jan. 24, the
200th anniversary of the Library’s founding
by the General Assembly. Running through
Oct. 28, 2023, the exhibition and multimedia
experience celebrate 200 Virginians whose
fascinating narratives are housed in the
Library’s collections and together reflect
the stories of Virginia. Visit www.lva.virginia.gov/200
for more anniversary events and information.
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Feb.
23 Panel Discussion Explores
Virginia’s First Black
Legislators
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Join us at the Library on Thursday, Feb. 23,
at 6:00 p.m. for a panel discussion on The
First Civil Rights: Black Political Activism
After Claiming Freedom. This Black History
Month event celebrates the completion of a
signature project from the Library of
Virginia, Virginia Humanities and the Martin
Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission to
document the lives and achievements of
Virginia's first Black legislators. Their
stories are now part of the collective
digital story of our state thanks to a
collaboration with Encyclopedia
Virginia, a rich online
resource.
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Panelists for the program, moderated by
Virginia Humanities executive director
Matthew Gibson, include the Honorable Viola
Baskerville, one of the founders of the
project; public historian and University of
Richmond adjunct assistant professor
Lauranett Lee; Ajena Rogers, supervisory
park ranger at the National Park Service's
Maggie L. Walker Historic Site and a
descendant of Black legislator James A.
Fields; and historian and author Brent
Tarter, a retired editor with the Library of
Virginia. Visit www.lva.virginia.gov/200
for more anniversary events and information.
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Library
Honors Black History Month with
Display of Richmond City
Records
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Visit the Library this month to view “I
have this day committed to jail”:
Records of Free and Enslaved Citizens
from the City of Richmond Hustings
Court, an exhibition in our Lobby
and Pre-function Hall. Historic records from
the City of Richmond Hustings Court document
the complex dynamics between white, free
Black and enslaved people in Virginia’s
capital city.
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As the populations of both enslaved and free
Black people grew throughout the early 19th
century, Virginia lawmakers enacted
increasingly restrictive legislation to
police the lives of Black Virginians. The
results are captured in a variety of
document types from the Hustings Court,
including court papers of criminal trials,
free registration certificates, petitions of
free Black Virginians requesting permission
to remain in Virginia and jail records of
free Black and enslaved people traveling at
large.
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Circuit
Court Records Preservation Program
Grants Awarded
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The Circuit Court Records Preservation
Program Grant Review Board met last month at
the Library of Virginia to consider records
preservation grant requests from circuit
courts across the commonwealth. Clerks of
the circuit courts are eligible to apply for
funds to conserve, secure and increase
access to circuit court records. In all, 99
localities submitted 125 grant applications.
The board approved 106 grant projects
totaling $4,100,706.02. The approved
applications covered professional
conservation treatment, records
reformatting, back-indexing, storage and
security systems. Since 1992, the CCRP has
awarded over 2,000 preservation grants
totaling more than $30 million dollars.
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Quarterly
First Fridays Series at the Library
Begins March 3
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Venture east from Richmond’s Arts District
for quarterly First Fridays at the Library
of Virginia! Join us to enjoy refreshments
and view works by Virginia artists and the
stories that go with them, listen to open
mic entertainment and take part in a
creative activity. Our 200 Years, 200
Stories exhibition will also be
open for viewing.
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March’s theme is Collections Show and Tell.
Browse a display of original items from the
Library’s collection and then use copies of
collection resources to create your own
collage. Learn about archival preservation
and bring your own photos, books or family
documents to discuss preserving your family
stories with the Library’s conservator,
Leslie Courtois. Visit www.lva.virginia.gov/200
for more anniversary events.
Artist Call for Entries
The Library is accepting artwork submissions
for “First Fridays Exhibitions – Virginia
Stories.” Works should explore Virginia
experiences, communities or culture and
submissions must include a paragraph
describing the Virginia story told by the
artwork. Virginia artists of all ages and
skill levels are eligible to enter.
Submissions are open through Oct. 15, 2023.
Find more information
here.
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DID
YOU KNOW?
The Library Has an
Additional Location: The State
Records Center
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The Library of Virginia has a separate
building that stores inactive, nonpermanent
records belonging to state agencies and
local governments. The State Records Center
at 1998 Charles City Road in Richmond holds
approximately 206,000 cubic feet of
materials in its Records Pod and more than
90,000 cubic feet of materials in its
Archives Annex. The SRC is an
environmentally (temperature and humidity)
controlled, secure facility with fire
detection and suppression and intrusion
protection that is monitored around the
clock.
State Records Center
services include storage of inactive records
until disposal, records retrieval and
delivery service within the Richmond area,
disposal of records in storage at the end of
their retention period, confidential
shredding of records, environmentally
friendly treatment of records damaged by
pests or water and advice and guidance on
records storage systems.
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Interior view
of the Library of Virginia's State
Records Center.
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Treat
Yourself at Can Can
Café
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Join us for breakfast or lunch at Can Can
Café at the Library of Virginia! Find free
parking in our underground garage. Hours are
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy
fresh-baked pastries, soup, salad,
sandwiches, desserts and other items. Cold
brew coffee is now available. Follow the
Café's Instagram to see the
latest news and specials.
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