The Virginia Room Election Files, 1950-2015

Access and use

Location of collection:
Fairfax County Public Library
Fairfax County Public Library
City of Fairfax Regional Library
Virginia Room
10360 North Street
Fairfax, VA 22030-2514
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Chris Barbuschak
Phone: (703) 293-2142
Phone: (703) 293-6227 ext. 6 (Virginia Room)
Fax: (703) 293-2155

Summary

Extent:
24.0 linear feet
Creator:
Virginia Room staff
Abstract:
The Virginia Room Election Files contain over 950 files of information on the various elections that Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton residents have voted on from 1950 to the present. Coverage is sporadic through the 1950s but files become more consistent beginning in the 1960s. Included are newspaper articles; candidate brochures/pamphlets/booklets/mission statements, etc.; business cards; fans; door tags; stickers; letters and bumper stickers.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Many elections are covered in the collection with the exception of Vice-Presidential and Presidential elections. Elections that are covered in the collection (but do not necessarily exist for every year) include: General election information, Bonds/Amendments/Referendums, Board of Supervisors, City/Town Council, Commissioner of Revenue, Mayor, School Board, Sheriff, Soil & Water Conservation, Treasurer, Attorney General, Commonwealth Attorney, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, VA House of Delegates, VA Senate, US House of Representatives, US Senate, Results and Voters’ Guides. If a file folder does not exist for an election you are looking for then you may want to check to see if the “General” folder exists for that specific year and look in that one for the information. The collection covers town elections for the City of Fairfax (previously known as Fairfax City), Clifton, Herndon and Vienna.

The materials contained in the files include: newspaper articles; candidate brochures/pamphlets/booklets/mission statements, etc.; business cards; fans; door tags; stickers; letters and bumper stickers.

Biographical / historical:

Virginia Room staff intermittently began collecting election materials in the early 1950s. Beginning in 1960, they maintained files for every year although just a limited number of campaigns received coverage. In the early 1970s, the collection expanded to include more campaigns with the arrival of a full-time Virginia Room Librarian. During this time the Virginia Room actively sought out campaign materials by writing candidates every October requesting literature, campaign brochures and policy statements for reference and handout. Staff duplicated whatever they received and any election coverage they had clipped out from newspapers and sent copies to other library branches in what became known as the Voter Service File.

Over the years the election files have come to be seen as a community service and many candidates have come in to look at the files to see what people had promised when they ran. The intent of the collection has evolved from focusing on a handful of elections to covering all elections that Fairfax County citizens vote on with the exception of Vice-Presidential and Presidential elections. Staff refrained from collecting files on these elections since information on them had been more easily accessible than the local elections. The Virginia Room decided at the end of the 2013 election cycle that they would no longer actively seek out items; however, they will continue to add to the collection as items are donated.

Acquisition information:
Collection assembled by Virginia Room staff over a period of years.