Posts – Page 7 – The UncommonWealth

Denied Benefits, Forgotten Heroes: The Hidden Cost of WWII Blue Discharges

In previous blog posts and during events discussing the Virginia WWII Separation Notices collection, I've provided some background on the history of this collection and…

Lauren CaravatiFebruary 19, 2025

Archives Conservation The Stacks

Records Room Road Trips: 2024 Roundup

The previous installment of Circuit Court Records Preservation Program (CCRP) Road Trips pertained to my colleague Eddie Woodward’s autumn travel, so it’s fitting that this…

Tracy HarterFebruary 12, 2025

Public Libraries

A FUN Twist on Movie Night at Fluvanna Library

Who wants to watch a movie when you can be in the movie? Several years ago, while visiting another library’s webpage, I discovered that they…

Guest ContributorFebruary 10, 2025

The Stacks

Service & Segregation: A Look Back

Editor's Note: In recognition of Black History Month, we explored our own history to understand how segregation restricted access to Library of Virginia resources. During…

Lisa WehrmannFebruary 5, 2025

Archives Newspapers

“Ew James, Is That You?”: Water in the River City

In October 1981, many Virginian cities along the James River opened their taps to find water with a “rusty, swampy, generally unpleasant odor.”1 After closing…

Jessi BennettFebruary 3, 2025

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

“You Can Survive an Atomic Attack”: Artifacts of the Nuclear Arms Race

I am a child of the Cold War, and I grew up on TV episodes and movies inspired by the nuclear arms race, from On…

Kenneth ForestJanuary 29, 2025

The Stacks Virginia Authors

New Books – January 2025

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…

Donna PletcherJanuary 27, 2025

Public Libraries

Alexandria’s Black Family Reunion

The Alexandria Library Local History/Special Collections branch has a national reputation concerning Virginia history. Researchers not only use this collection when conducting genealogy and Civil…

Guest ContributorJanuary 24, 2025

Archives Conservation Digital Projects

Hittin’ the Road, Virginia Untold Style

In early December, I traveled to Southwest Virginia to continue our work digitizing “Free Negro Registers” for Virginia Untold. We’ve previously written about our digitization…

Lydia NeurothJanuary 22, 2025

A Richmond City Chancery Cause and 19th Century English Opera, Part 2

Editor's Note: This blog post is part two of two. You can read the first part here. Due to financial complications arising from their usurpation…

Caroline CollinsJanuary 15, 2025

Archives Digital Projects

Winter Magic: Snow Day Photos in Yearbooks

While yearbooks might conjure up thoughts of graduation, summer, and the end of the school year - snow days are a very common topic. The…

Jessi BennettJanuary 13, 2025

A Richmond City Chancery Cause and 19th Century English Opera

While processing Richmond City chancery causes that ended between 1879 and 1881, I stumbled across a suit involving several former members of an English opera…

Caroline CollinsJanuary 8, 2025

Digital Projects Newspapers

What’s New on Virginia Chronicle

Virginia Chronicle, the Library of Virginia’s freely accessible database of historic newspapers, has surpassed the 4.5-million-page mark with new additions spanning over 250 years now…

Kelley EwingJanuary 6, 2025

Norfolk Burning

By February of 1776, the once bustling Borough of Norfolk lay in ruins. After being routed at Great Bridge in early December of 1775, Royal…

Paige NealJanuary 3, 2025

The Stacks Virginia Authors

New Books – December 2024

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…

Donna PletcherDecember 30, 2024