Women’s History

“We Can Do It.”: Women Who Served in World War II

Watch some fireworks and turn on the barbeques, but let’s also celebrate by highlighting Virginia women veterans of World War II, helping protect our country…

Lauren CaravatiJuly 3, 2024

Education & Programming

Justice for Ourselves: Black Virginians Claim Their Freedom After Slavery

In December 1889, James A. Fields took his seat in Virginia's House of Delegates. He had escaped slavery as a young man, attended school behind…

Library of VirginiaJune 7, 2024

Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

“A long step” in the Complicated History of Equal Rights for Women in Virginia

One hundred years ago this month, the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced in Congress. After women had succeeded in their fight for voting rights…

Mari JulienneDecember 8, 2023

Digital Projects Education & Programming The Stacks

Digital Milestone: How the Dictionary of Virginia Biography Learned to Love the Internet

Just like Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1965, the Library of Virginia's Dictionary of Virginia Biography (DVB) went digital more…

Library of VirginiaDecember 6, 2023

Manuscripts & Special Collections Virginia Authors

Rebuilding Hippodrome History

Downtown Richmond seems to be perpetually under construction. The Library of Virginia has had several buildings downtown during its 200-year history and the 800 block…

Library of VirginiaOctober 16, 2023

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

Making Music with Sunshine Sue

The Library of Virginia, one of the oldest state libraries and archives in the nation, is marking its bicentennial in 2023 with a free exhibition—200…

Gregg KimballOctober 11, 2023

Good Witch or a Bad Witch?: The Grace Sherwood Trial and Pardon

Fall is in the air and Pumpkin Spice is everywhere (that includes my coffee). It’s October, the month of Halloween! I loved Halloween as a…

Amanda MorrellOctober 2, 2023

Digital Projects

Dress Codes: The Work of Women in World War II

When Liza Mundy’s book Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II was published in October 2017, one…

Library of VirginiaSeptember 23, 2022

Digital Projects Education & Programming

The Right to Ramble

Next month, the Common Ground History Book Group, LVA’s virtual non-fiction book club, will return for a discussion with Kathryn Miles, author of Trailed: One…

Library of VirginiaAugust 26, 2022

Archives Newspapers Virginia Authors

The Golden Age of Virginia Midwifery?

Globally and locally, whether pregnant women have the right to choose who attends them during pregnancy and birth is a lively and often contentious topic.…

D'Anne GrahamJune 8, 2022

Public Libraries

Work Like a Girl Chesapeake

To celebrate International Women’s Day back on March 8th, the Chesapeake Public Library embarked on their first annual Work Like a Girl Chesapeake program. Work…

Guest ContributorMay 9, 2022

Archives Education & Programming Public Libraries

Newspapers

Men are Spendthrifts, Says 1928 Congresswoman.

Recently, while researching a totally unrelated topic in the Richmond Times Dispatch, I stumbled upon an intriguing article from Dec. 2, 1928 titled, “Ninth Woman…

Kelley EwingMarch 8, 2019