The UncommonWealth – Voices from The Library of Virginia

Archives Digital Projects Education & Programming

A Moment of Reflection for Black History Month

One hundred years ago this month, Dr. Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week which, decades later, became Black History Month. Since 1968, February has…

Lydia NeurothFebruary 25, 2026

The Stacks Virginia Authors

New Books – February 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…

Annie HattonFebruary 23, 2026

Archives The Stacks

Newly-Available Archival Accessions, October 1-December 31, 2025

The Library of Virginia maintains the most comprehensive collection of information about Virginia’s history, culture, and government. We hold more than 200 million manuscript items,…

Trenton HizerFebruary 20, 2026

Unprocessed segregation correspondence boxes.

“Strife, Bitterness, Chaos and Confusion” : Desegregation in Virginia

In June 2024, we shared our experience processing correspondence related to segregation in the Governor Stanley papers. Thousands of letters were mailed to Stanley in…

Library of VirginiaFebruary 18, 2026

Archives Education & Programming Newspapers

Looking Back to Move Forward: Dr. Carter Woodson and the Commemoration of Black History

February 2026 marks the centennial of the first Negro History Week, established by Carter Godwin Woodson. The son of formerly enslaved parents, Woodson was born…

Library of VirginiaFebruary 11, 2026

Public Libraries

Infinite Possibilities for Math and Art at the Library

In November 2025, the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library received an email that stopped us in our tracks: “Congratulations! The ARSL Grant Review Team is…