The UncommonWealth – Voices from The Library of Virginia

New Books – September 2026

The Library of Virginia's first-floor lobby and Exhibition Gallery are open Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The second-floor Reading…

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Cutting Edge Art: Fore-Edge Paintings in Special Collections

Fifteen books in the Library of Virginia’s Special Collections are hiding a secret. Underneath their gilded pages hides a fascinating type of book art: a…

Amanda AllgoodSeptember 23, 2026

Black Lung Still Kills: Pneumoconiosis in the Commonwealth

When I clicked on a recent National Public Radio story about Black Lung disease in Appalachia, I expected the story to profile workers in West…

Vince BrooksSeptember 21, 2026

Education & Programming Newspapers

Who Owns the Story of Lottie Moon?

In the early 1960s, the Girls Auxiliary at First Baptist Church in Virginia Beach was popular with the congregation's parents. A national program founded by…

Leila ChristenburySeptember 16, 2026

Public Libraries

Picturing Where Stories Live: A Look Inside

Founded in 1928, Massanutten Regional Library (MRL) is a seven-branch system that serves over 160,000 residents in the city of Harrisonburg, Page County, and Rockingham…

Your Local Public LibrarianSeptember 14, 2026

The Stacks

Transforming the Future of Libraries & Archives 2026

For college students, summertime is invaluable. This period away from school can take many forms. It’s perfect for catching up on sleep, scheduling those oft-ignored…

Rachel Murphy-WeastSeptember 9, 2026

Archives Digital Projects

Old School Tech

Many school librarians now-a-days take care of more than just books. Some have even been given the title “Media Specialist” (rather than the more traditional…

Jessi BennettSeptember 2, 2026

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