The UncommonWealth – Voices from The Library of Virginia

Archives Education & Programming Newspapers

“Call us men and brethren, and all the tears shed in the past will be forgotten”

Riddle me this. What is the connection between an African American sheriff and postmaster in Essex County, Virginia, a Freedmen's Bureau teacher in Tappahannock, and…

Lee Ann TimreckJuly 15, 2026

Public Libraries

A Purr-fect Library Program: From Seven Cats to 1,800 Votes

What happens when a group of cat-loving librarians starts wishing for a library cat? In Alexandria, Virginia, they turn that simple idea into a beloved…

Your Local Public LibrarianJuly 13, 2026

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

A Smoking Gun: Library of Virginia Documents Shed Light on A Murder

It was a bloody, excruciating ending for the amiable 22-year-old merchant. Walter Henry Pleasants was shot January 30, 1838, in his room at Richmond’s Columbian…

Guest ContributorJuly 8, 2026

Archives The Stacks

Birth of a Record Group: The Inauguration of Patrick Henry

Needless to say, there was a lot going on in Virginia during the summer of 1776. The fifth and, ultimately, final Virginia Revolutionary Convention met…

Vince BrooksJuly 6, 2026

The Seal of Virginia

Between August 1774 and July 1776, Virginia held five Revolutionary Conventions. These conventions selected and instructed the Virginia delegates to Congress, organized military preparation, arranged…

Brent TarterJuly 1, 2026

The Stacks Virginia Authors

New Books – June 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 Rooms are open Tuesday-Friday, 9:00…