Member profiles and locations
To view member profiles click on a numbered dot to see the information or select from a list by expanding the side panel (upper left corner). The map can be expanded to a full page by clicking in the upper right corner. Or view the profiles below.
Need to update your member profile? Email: arvasarchives@gmail.com
Interested in joining?
Membership is free to libraries, museums, colleges, universities, and other cultural institutions that have archival holdings that they wish to share.
Point of Contact:
Phone: (434) 296-1492
Email: library@albemarlehistory.org
Physical Address: 200 Second Street, NE
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Primary Collection Area: Albemarle County and City of Charlottesville history
Description: The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society studies and preserves the history of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, and surrounding jurisdictions in Central Virginia. The Society collects and preserves manuscripts, printed materials and other physical objects pertaining to the history of the area.
Point of Contact: Patricia Walker, Branch Manager
Phone: (703) 746-1719
Email: pwalker@alexlibraryva.org
Physical Address: 717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Primary Collecting Areas: Alexandria history, Virginia history, Genealogy, U.S. Civil War
Description: As one of the core research institutions in Alexandria, the Local History and Special Collections Branch (LHSC) is focused on documenting Alexandria from its colonial era to its modern life as a vibrant community of immigrants and cultural attractions.
Point of Contact:
Phone: (703) 228-5966
Email: localhistory@arlingtonva.us
Physical Address: 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22201
Primary Collecting Areas: Materials in the Center's collections are a great resource for teachers, scholars, students, and anyone interested in the rich and vibrant history of Arlington County. Library patrons can find information on individuals, neighborhoods, events, and places in Arlington's past and present. Resources available to the public consist of both physical and digital materials; they include, but are not limited to:
- Oral Histories
- Photographs
- Archival Records
- Local Newspapers
- Digital Collections
- Maps
- Genealogical Materials
Description: The Center for Local History's Community Archives at the Arlington Public Library collects and preserves materials that illustrate the history and culture of Arlington County. The Center's continually expanding collections house diverse and historically valuable materials from Arlington's residents, businesses, institutions, organizations, and local associations.
Point of Contact: Archivist Team
Phone: (540) 248-4151
Email: archivist@augustacountyhs.org
Physical address: 20 S. New Street, Staunton, VA 24401
Primary Collecting Areas: Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, Shenandoah Valley
Description: The Augusta County Historical Society, founded in 1965, is located in Staunton, Virginia, and is a repository, research center, and publisher of greater Augusta County history.
Point of Contact: Patrick Wasley
Phone: (434) 791-5695
Email: pwasley@averett.edu
Physical Address: 344 West Main St.
Danville, VA 24541
Point of Contact: Stephanie S. Gardner
Phone: (540) 828-8018
Email: sgardner@bridgewater.edu
Physical Address: Forrer Learning Commons,
402 E. College St.
Bridgewater, Va, 22812
Primary Collecting Areas: Bridgewater College, Church of the Brethren, Shenandoah Valley history
Description: Special Collections documents the history of Bridgewater College and supports the curriculum by providing access to primary, reference, and historical sources. Examples of our specialized collections include:
- Extensive Virginia history and culture reference library
- Regional genealogy references
- Regional Civil War soldiers' letters
- John W. Wayland's papers, maps, and publications
- Historical photographs and records of Bridgewater College
- Regional 19th-20th century diaries and daybooks
- Historic local imprints
- The Reuel B. Pritchett Museum Collection contains some of our most notable artifacts, including:
- Late medieval manuscripts
- Elder John Kline artifacts and manuscripts
- Papers of Brethren Missionaries to India and China and Indian and Chinese antiquities
- Civil War artifacts
- A collection of Bibles from the Christopher Sauer Press
- Incunabula Bible printed in Venice, 1482
Point of Contact: Roger Lawson
Email:contact@crhcarchives.org
Physical Address: 900 Barton Street, Suite #111
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Primary Collecting Areas: Materials related to the history of the City of Fredericksburg and Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties.
Description:The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center, located in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization whose mission is to preserve historically valuable material from the Fredericksburg region and make it available to the public for research. The Center holds more than 85,000 collection records, including photographs and original documents dating from the early 1700s. We collect and maintain records from the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. In addition, the center has many personal and family letters and documents, local business records, church and civic organization records, school records, documents on slavery, genealogy records, bound newspapers, books, maps, postcards, and photographs, including thousands of scanned images that can be viewed online.
Point of Contact: Nancy Phaup
Phone: (804) 652-1516
Email: rmbowmanhistory@charlescityva.us
Physical Address: 10790 Courthouse Rd., Charles City, VA, 23030
Primary Collecting Area: Our collection focuses on historical and genealogical resources associated with persons from Charles City County, Virginia, including oral histories that record the life stories of Charles City County peoples.
Description: The History Center is a county-owned archive and reference center, named after the late Richard M. Bowman, a civic leader and avid student of history. Our mission is to engage and
inspire large and diverse audiences by providing equal access to our historical and genealogical collections for any and all persons interested in Charles City County. The collection includes books, microfilm, newspapers, manuscripts, maps, pictures, oral histories and other items pertaining to Charles City and the surrounding region.
Point of Contact: Jenny Nehrt
Phone: (540) 808-5398
Email: CIMA@christiansburginstitute.com
Physical Address: 125 Arrowhead Trail, Suite F, Christiansburg, VA 24073
Primary Collecting Area: African American history; Appalachia; Southwest Virginia; education; Reconstruction; Jim Crow; school segregation
Description: Christiansburg Institute, Inc., is a grassroots African American cultural heritage and historic preservation nonprofit with a mission of community education, intergenerational empowerment, and the equitable stewardship of African American history, stories, and culture.
Christiansburg Institute Museum & Archives (CIMA) holds letters, diaries, photos, and other material (digital or paper) that communicate vital and unique information about CII's and pay witness to the history of black struggle and triumph throughout Emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and desegregation.
Point of Contact: Matthew Shelley
Phone: (757) 594-7133
Email: matt.shelley@cnu.edu
Physical Address: 1 Avenue of the Arts
Newport News, Va. 23606
Primary Collecting Areas: Christopher Newport College/University documents and publications; student newspapers; rare books related to the university and the local area; sheet music; local history including the Hampton Roads Oral History Project.
Description: The Special Collections and University Archives at Trible Library house records related to the founding and administration of Christopher Newport University as well as campus life since 1960. Other collections include a group of rare books from local authors and the Josephine L. Hughes Collection comprised of 5,000+ rare pieces of American sheet music.
Point of Contact: Jessica Newell
Phone: (757) 457-7204
Email: jessica.newell@edgarcayce.org
Physical Address: 215 S. 67th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Primary Collecting Area: The records of Edgar Cayce and his family; the organizational records of the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Atlantic University, and the Edgar Cayce Foundation.
Description: During Edgar Cayce's lifetime, the records of his psychic readings were his personal property. After his death, they became the property of his sons, Hugh Lynn Cayce and Edgar Evans Cayce, and his secretary, Gladys Davis Turner. They were stored in the Cayce home and office.
Mission: In February 1948, the E.C.F. was chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia and provides permanent legal and physical custody of historical resources including:
- The original Edgar Cayce readings as well as microfilm and digital copies
- Supplemental material to the readings, such as original stenographer notebooks, appointment books, research
- studies and reports on the readings, reports of preservation activities, photographs, sound and video recordings, etc.
- Correspondence, business papers, and files of Hugh Lynn Cayce, Gladys Davis Turner, and other early staff members
- Cayce Family papers and photographs
- Personal papers of early A.R.E. members
- Author contracts, unpublished manuscripts, and archival copies of most books and other materials published by
- A.R.E. Press and the Edgar Cayce Foundation
- Official historical and business records for the A.R.E., E.C.F., and Atlantic University.
Point of Contact: Georgia Brown
Phone: (703) 246-4168
Email: Georgia.Brown@fairfaxcounty.gov
Physical Address: 4000 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 1600
Fairfax, VA 22030
Primary Collecting Areas: Fairfax County, Alexandria, northern Virginia, genealogy, public records, court records, county records, U. S. Civil War, George Washington, George Mason
Description: The mission of the Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center is to preserve and make available to the public the historic records of the Fairfax Circuit Court. Under §42.1-76 of the Code of Virginia (Virginia Public Records Act), public records created earlier than 1913 are considered historic and are to be maintained in perpetuity by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center (HRC) holds court records documenting the societal and cultural changes in Fairfax County from its founding in 1742, through the colonial era, Civil War and Reconstruction, to the early 1900s.
Point of Contact: Chris Barbuschak
Phone: (703) 293-2142
Email: christopher.barbuschak@fairfaxcounty.gov
Physical Address: City of Fairfax Regional Library
10360 North Street
Fairfax, VA 22030-2514
Primary Collecting Areas: Fairfax County, Virginia and Northern Virginia History
Description: The Virginia Room of Fairfax County Public Library houses a special collection of history and genealogy resources. Staff collect the historical record of the people, associations, events, and places of Fairfax County, Virginia.
Point of Contact: Amy Dobrinen
Phone: (540) 361-4098
Email: adobrinen@vacourts.gov
Physical Address: Fredericksburg Circuit Court Archives
701 Princess Anne Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Primary Collecting Area: The Fredericksburg Circuit Court Archive, located within the Clerk's Office of the Fredericksburg courthouse, provides rich genealogical and historical research materials from loose papers attached to cases tried at Fredericksburg, Virginia as well as bound volumes. Since Fredericksburg served as an important transportation hub from early colonial days, several courts sat here, and served a large geographical area from Virginia's Tidewater to lands once part of the Commonwealth as far west as the Mississippi River. These records survived destruction during the Civil War, and thus offer an unusually complete record of local and regional history as well as America's movement west.
Description: The Clerk of the Circuit Court is one of five constitutional officers elected by the citizens of Fredericksburg. In Virginia, the office dates from 1619. The Code of Virginia provides for over 800 responsibilities for the Clerk of the Circuit Court, but his or her chief responsibilities include serving as recorder of deeds, deciding certain issues of probate, issuing marriage licenses, creating court records, and certifying and archiving all records of the Circuit Courts and other records as provided by law.
Point of Contact: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Email: speccoll@gmu.edu
Physical Address: 2400 Fenwick Library
Mailing Address: Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, Va. 22030
Primary Collecting Areas: SCRC collects materials related to George Mason University, Northern Virginia, performing arts, transportation and planning, and photography. SCRC collects oral histories pertaining to Northern Virginia; the Federal Theatre Project; Reston, Virginia; and George Mason University's history. It currently conducts an active oral history program.
Description: Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) is the unit within the University Libraries charged with acquiring, documenting, preserving, and providing access to primary research collections and documents. SCRC also manages the non-current and archival records of George Mason University, is responsible for the preservation and access to the University's theses and dissertations, and undertakes, through its Oral History program, the creation of audiovisual documentary resources. SCRC services, collections, and programs support the teaching and research activities of George Mason University and also serve the community at large.
Point of Contact:
Phone: (434) 223-6302
Email: reference@hsc.edu
Physical Address: 257 Via Sacra, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943
Mailing Address: Walter M. Bortz III Library
P.O. Box 7
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
Primary Collecting Areas: US History
Description: Hampden-Sydney College Archives & Special Collections contains a variety of primary source documents, photographs, blueprints, maps, rare books, and other one-of-a-kind materials reflective of the nearly 250 year history of the institution and its surroundings.
Point of Contact: Isabel Folck
Phone: (540) 362-6237
Email: lvilelle@hollins.edu
Physical Address: Wyndham Robertson Library
7950 E. Campus Drive
Roanoke, VA 24020
Mailing Address: Wyndham Robertson Library, Dept. of
Special Collections
POB 9000
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA 24020
Primary Collecting Areas: University Archives, Hollins Authors Collection, Rare Books & Materials, Modern Manuscripts.
Description: The university archives collects materials created by Hollins University as well as materials related to its alumni, faculty, and board. Such records include but are not limited to: minutes, reports, correspondence, diaries, photographs, maps, textiles, scrapbooks, video & sound recordings, and artifacts. Materials date from the late 18th century to the present.
The Rare Books & Materials collection strengths are juvenile literature, English & American literature, incunabula, and book arts. Materials date from 2100 B.C. to the 21st century.
Point of Contact: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Email: coletw@jmu.edu
Physical Address: Carrier Library Second Floor
Room 203, MSC 1704
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Primary Collecting Areas: JMU History, Local history, Shenandoah Living Archive, Shenandoah National Park Oral Histories, Pulp Fiction Collection, Artists' Book Collection, Juvenile Collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Description: JMU Special Collections documents the central Shenandoah Valley region as well as the history of James Madison University. Special Collections includes strong collections of Pulp Fiction magazines, Artists' Books, and a Juvenile Literature collection created in support of JMU's history as a teacher's college. Special Collections collaborates with faculty, alumni, liaison librarians, and community members in identifying and collecting rare and historic materials for use in instruction and research.
Point of Contact: Douglas Mayo
Phone: (757) 565-8521
Email: dmayo@cwf.org
Physical Address: John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
313 First Street
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Mailing Address: John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
PO Box 1776
Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776
Primary Collecting Areas: A. Lawrence Kocher Collection, Donald Streeter Collection, Francis, Nicholson Papers, John Norton and Sons Papers, Major-Marable Family Papers, Richard Corbin Papers, Robert Anderson Papers, Singleton P. Moorehead Collection, William Blathwayt Papers, 18th century Williamsburg imprints, 18th century Virginia manuscripts, 18th century Music, Early trade manuals
British legislation regarding the American colonies, Visual works depicting Williamsburg
Description: The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library is dedicated to advancing knowledge of colonial British America, the American Revolution, the early United States, and the history of the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Unique to the library is the body of research on the buildings, people, trades, and material culture of 18th-century Williamsburg.
Point of Contact: Deborah Smith
Phone: (434) 846-0501
Email: director@jmlibrary.org
Physical Address: 2311 Memorial Drive
Lynchburg, VA 24501
Primary Collecting Areas: Central Virginia history and genealogy; Lynchburg News & Advance archives; Lynchburg architectural archive
Description: Jones Memorial Library specializes in genealogy and local history. Although the library's primary focus is on the central Virginia area, the collection includes a wide variety of materials covering the State of Virginia as well as the surrounding states, including county histories and court records, family histories and genealogies, general works on the Civil War, county land tax and personal property tax records, and census records. Materials of local interest include microfilmed copies of the Lynchburg newspapers, microfilmed copies of funeral home burial files, architectural archives, city directories, indexes of marriage and death notices, and microfilmed church records. The Library also houses over 300 manuscript collections, including personal family papers and correspondence, records of clubs and organizations, and business records.
Point of Contact: Abigail Sattler
Phone: (434) 582-2220
Email: arsattler@liberty.edu
Physical Address: 1971 University Boulevard
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Primary Collecting Areas: Liberty University, Moral Majority, Jerry Falwell Sr., Civil War History, Christian Fiction, Hymnals
Description: Liberty University is an accredited four year institution that offers graduate degrees. The Archives & Special Collections department preserves historical materials of Liberty University and related entities.
Point of Contact: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov
Physical Address: 800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Primary Collecting Areas: State and local government records
Private Papers, including family records, personal papers, business, and organizational records.
Prints & photographs, maps, architectural drawings & plans, state artwork, rare books.
Description: The Library of Virginia is one of the oldest agencies of Virginia government, founded in 1823 to preserve and provide access to the state's incomparable printed and manuscript holdings. Our collection, which has grown steadily through the years, is the most comprehensive resource in the world for the study of Virginia history, culture, and government.
Point of Contact: Archives and Special Collections
Phone: (434) 395-2432
Email: ask@longwood.libanswers.com
Physical Address: 401 Redford Street
Farmville, VA 23909
Primary Collecting Areas: University Archives, Public Education, Prince Edward County and Local History, Civil Rights in Education.
Description: The Greenwood Library Archives and Special Collections collects and makes accessible records of historical importance to the university, region, and state. We celebrate curiosity and encourage the exploration of new ideas by engaging with our unique collections.
The Greenwood Library Archives and Special Collections serve as the repository for the Farmville Prince Edward County Historical Society and the Moton Museum.
Point of Contact: Peter Sullivan
Phone: (703) 248-5030
Email: psullivan@fallschurchva.gov
Physical Address: 120 North Virginia Avenue
Falls Church, VA 22046
Primary Collecting Areas: The mission of the Falls Church History Room is to collect, preserve, and promote materials with historical significance concerning the inhabitants, government, institutions, and environment of the City of Falls Church. This includes manuscripts, maps, newspapers, sound recordings and ephemera.
Description: We are the public library for the City of Falls Church with over 26,000 card holders for the city and metropolitan area. Our library features a Falls Church History Room which we are seeking to further publicize and describe online to make our archival collections more accessible.
Phone: (540) 382-5760
Physical Address: Montgomery County Circuit Court
55 East Main Street, Suite 1
Christiansburg, VA 24073
Point of Contact: Reference services
Phone: (703) 780-3600
Email: fws@mountvernon.org
Physical Address: 3600 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy
Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121-8000
Primary Collecting Areas: George and Martha Washington, Mount Vernon, Founding Era and Early Republic, Historic preservation, Decorative arts, Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
Description: The Fred W. Smith National Library includes general collections, special collections and archives as a resource for scholars, students, and those interested in George Washington, colonial America and the Revolutionary and founding eras.
The library's general collections include secondary source materials on the Washington and Custis families, and the colonial and founding eras.
The Special Collections materials highlight the lives of George and Martha Washington as well as their descendants through correspondence, financial materials, and original books from George and Martha Washington's library.
The archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association holds the historic institutional records of the organization dating back to its founding in 1853.
Point of Contact: Kathy Martin, Executive Director
Phone: (757) 336-6117
Email: museumofci@gmail.com
Physical Address: 7125 Maddox Blvd, Chincoteague, VA 23336
Website: https://chincoteaguemuseum.com/
Primary Collecting Areas: History of Chincoteague & Assateague Islands
Description: The Museum of Chincoteague Island is a non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring, preserving, and exhibiting objects of historical or cultural value to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. Our mission is to document and provide education to promote the Islands’ people, culture and heritage while striving to be the authority of knowledge and preservation for both Islands, engaging a diverse audience by presenting objects and experiences designed to evoke wonder, stimulate curiosity, educate, and inform residents, visitors, and partners to shape the future of the islands.
Point of Contact: Jessica Ritchie
Phone: (757) 683-4483
Email: jhritchi@odu.edu
Physical Address: 3023 Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library
Norfolk, VA 23529
Primary Collecting Areas: Key collecting areas include: 1. University Archives 2. Manuscripts --strengths in such subjects as the Civil War, Virginia politics, military history, local news & media, African-American history, Norfolk urban redevelopment, women's history, and local history. 3. Rare books and printed material: strengths include Virginia and Tidewater History, poetry and literature, military history, art books 4. Music special collections: strengths in contemporary/post-World War II composers and historical recordings.
Description: The goal of Special Collections and University Archives is to preserve and make accessible collections and records of historical importance to the university, region, state, and nation. The department functions as a "learning lab" where students, faculty, and researchers can create and explore original ideas through engagement with our unique collections.
Point of Contact: Jayne Blair
Phone: (540) 672-5366
Email: info@orangecovahist.org
Physical Address: 130 Caroline Street
Orange, VA 22960
Primary Collecting Areas: Materials related to Orange County, VA and the surrounding area.
Description: The Orange County Historical Society, founded in 1965 is a research, archival, and educational organization dedicated to the discovery, preservation, and dissemination of the history of the people, places, organizations, and events of Orange County and the surrounding area. The Society's reference library contains over 2,000 volumes, and there are over 1,300 files with information on families, historic buildings, events and sites, plus a map and photograph collection.
Point of Contact: Bud Bennett
Phone: (540) 831-5694
Email: brbennet@radford.edu
Physical Address: Radford University
McConnell Library
801 E. Main St.
Radford, VA 24142
Mailing Address: PO Box 6881
Radford, VA 24142
Primary Collecting Areas: Institutional Archives, Appalachian Collections, Regional History Collections
Description: The McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections supports the teaching, research and public service missions of McConnell Library by collecting, preserving, organizing, and making accessible unique primary source materials that document the history of Radford University, Southwest Virginia, and Appalachia.
Point of Contact: Laurie Preston
Phone: (804) 752-4718
Email: lpreston@rmc.edu
Physical Address: 305 Henry Street
Ashland, VA 23005
Mailing Address: McGraw-Page Library
P.O. Box 5005
Ashland, VA 23005-5505
Primary Collecting Areas: History of Randolph-Macon College and Methodist educational institutions in Virginia; Methodism in Virginia and the South; Casanoviana; local and regional history
Description: The Flavia Reed Owen Special Collections and Archives in the McGraw‐Page Library at Randolph‐Macon College houses significant historical and literary collections that include the history of the oldest chartered Methodist college as well as the history of the Methodist church in Virginia; one of the largest collections of Casanova in the world; the local newspaper photo archive and other local history
materials; a collection of rare volumes pertaining to the Intellectual Life of the Colonial South; and World War I codebreaking and ciphering materials.
Point of Contact:
Phone: (540) 375-2490
Email:
Physical Address: Fintel Library
220 High Street
Salem, VA 24153-3794
Point of Contact: Tish Wiggs
Phone: (304) 876-5702
Email: mwiggs@shepherd.edu
Physical Address: Shepherd University, 213 N. King Street
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
Mailing Address: Shepherd University PO Box 5000
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
Primary Collecting Areas: Congressional records produced by members from West Virginia. The largest founding collection is the Robert C. Byrd Papers.
Description: Founded as a repository for the papers of Sen. Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving senator in history, the Byrd Center provides public access to Sen. Byrd’s vast collection along with the collections of several other 20th century members of the state’s Congressional delegation. The Byrd Center supplements these collections by conducting oral histories with the delegates and key staffers. We encourage use of our collections by scholars, community members, and students.
Point of Contact: Megan Pullen
Phone: (540) 564-3379
Email: mpullen@rockinghamcountyva.gov
Physical Address: 80 Court Square Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Mailing Address:
Primary Collecting Areas: Court Records, Rockingham County, City of Harrisonburg, Shenandoah Valley, Public Records, County Records, Genealogy
Description: Rockingham County Clerk of Circuit Court, Chaz W. Haywood preserves, protects, and provides public access to the historic records of the Circuit Court of Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg. Established in 1778, the Rockingham County Circuit Court has preserved centuries of legal and historical records that document the region’s development.
The Clerk’s Office is responsible for over 800 duties as outlined in the Code of Virginia, including recording deeds, processing probate matters, issuing marriage licenses, maintaining court records, and ensuring the certification and preservation of historic documents.
The Rockingham County Circuit Court Historic Archives safeguards these records, which reflect the legal, social, and cultural history of the Shenandoah Valley. From land grants and freedom suits to criminal trials and business transactions, these documents provide insight into the lives of those who shaped the county’s past. The Archives is committed to making these records accessible for public research, education, and historical preservation.
Point of Contact: Susan Mitchem
Phone: (703) 684-5529
Email: archives@usn.salvationarmy.org
Physical Address: 615 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA 22313
Primary Collecting Areas: The Salvation Army; social records; religion; Booth Family; World War I
Description: The Salvation Army National Archives is a non-profit social and religious organization.
Point of Contact: Troy Valos, Special Collections Librarian
Phone: (757) 431-7429
Email: localhistory@norfolk.gov
Physical Address: 235 East Plume Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
Primary Collecting Areas: Hampton Roads regional archives and special collections specializing in local history and genealogy
Description: The establishment of the Sargeant Memorial Collection (SMC) began in 1927 with only a small assortment of books and historical papers collected by William H. Sargeant, the first Librarian to be hired by the City of Norfolk in 1897. He felt very strongly that Norfolk should have a history collection devoted to her history and her people. The SMC has moved well beyond Sargeant's vision of a collection of newspapers and city directories to transform into a respected regional archives and special collections of more than 24,000 books, 10,500 microforms, 150,000 photographs, and 2,500 linear feet of archives and manuscript collections. The non-circulating collection includes a variety of books and periodicals covering genealogical topics and local history, as well as maps, photographs, high school yearbooks, and city directories for the Hampton Roads region. Nearly 200 years of local and regional newspapers are available on microfilm. The archives and manuscript collections include local organizational records, family papers, and business records. The SMC's genealogy collection encompasses Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and neighboring states, with books, microfilm, and online databases to assist in family research. Today, the Sargeant Memorial Collection is one of Virginia's finest local history and genealogy collections.
Point of Contact: Zachary Hottel
Phone: (540) 984-8200
Email: zhottel@countylib.org
Physical Address: 514 Stoney Creek Blvd.
Edinburg, VA 22824
Primary Collecting Areas: Shenandoah County and the Shenandoah Valley
Description: The Shenandoah County Library’s Truban Archives is committed to collecting, preserving, and interpreting resources related to the culture, history, and life of Shenandoah County. To fulfill this mission, we maintain a large collection of primary sources related to the county and surrounding areas.
Point of Contact: Lorna M. Loring
Phone: (540) 662-9041 ext. 17
Email: archives@handleyregional.org
Physical Address: 100 W. Piccadilly Street
Winchester VA 22601
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 58
Winchester, 22604
Primary Collecting Areas: History of City of Winchester, Frederick County, and Clarke County, Virginia
Description: The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives is a specialized local history and genealogy collection located in Winchester, Virginia. It is jointly operated by Handley Regional Library and Winchester Frederick County Historical Society.
Point of Contact: Alexandra S. Gressitt
Phone: (703) 737-7195
Email: balchlib@leesburgva.gov
Physical Address: Thomas Balch Library
208 W Market St
Leesburg, VA 20176-2709
Primary Collecting Areas: One of the library’s missions is collecting and preserving printed, manuscript, photographic, cartographic and genealogical documentation of Leesburg, Loudoun County and the surrounding region. The library actively seeks and welcomes donations of original business records, diaries, correspondence and photographs documenting life, culture, and history of Leesburg and Loudoun County. Library collections include over thirty-two thousand books and periodicals, maps, visual collections, newspapers, government records, and manuscripts. The library offers lectures on history and genealogy, classes, and exhibits. Group tours and orientations are available on request and books about local history are available for purchase on-site. Please contact us to find out more about donating to the library, joining our mailing list, or scheduling a tour.
Description: Thomas Balch Library is a history and genealogy library owned and operated by the Town of Leesburg. Collections focus on Loudoun County, regional and Virginia history, genealogy, military history with special emphasis on the American Civil War, and ethnic history. It is designated as an Underground Railroad research site.
Thomas Balch Library has a wide variety of traditional and electronic resources to aid researchers, including many unique materials. Our collections include bible records, books, broadsides, business records, cemetery records, census records, county and city government records, deeds and wills, electronic journals and databases, genealogical notes and charts, historic house files, magazines, maps, newspapers, oral histories, organization records, paintings, personal papers, photographs, postcards, posters, rare books, and more
Point of Contact: Sarah Appleby
Phone: (540) 654-2045
Email: archives@umw.edu
Physical Address: Special Collections and University Archives
Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington
1801 College Avenue
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Primary Collecting Areas: The history of the University of Mary Washington
James L. Farmer, Jr., Congress on Racial Equality (CORE), and the early Civil Rights movement
Education of K-12 teachers in Virginia
Description: Special Collections and University Archives collects and makes accessible the history of the University of Mary Washington, serving as the repository for materials from all departments and divisions of the University. Key collections include those of James L. Farmer, Jr., one of the foremost leaders in the Civil Rights movement, and materials related to the early education of teachers in Virginia. The unit also includes a rare books collection of over 1,500 volumes dating from the 16th century to the present and a large collection of WWI posters.
Point of Contact: Lynda Kachurek
Phone: (804) 289-8458
Email: lkachure@richmond.edu
Physical Address: Boatwright Memorial Library
261 Richmond Way
Richmond, VA 23173
Primary Collecting Areas: The University of Richmond's collections are eclectic and wide-ranging, but areas of particular strength include: Richmond and Virginia history; the Civil War; historic children's literature, civil rights, and the history of the book. Also included are collections related to the history of the University of Richmond, including student, faculty, staff, and alumni materials.
Description: The University of Richmond's collections are eclectic and wide-ranging, but areas of particular strength include: Richmond and Virginia history; the Civil War; historic children's literature, civil rights, and the history of the book. Also included are collections related to the history of the University of Richmond, including student, faculty, staff, and alumni materials.
Point of Contact: Amanda Greenwood
Phone: (434) 924-0052
Email: qkv8sr@virginia.edu
Physical Address: 1350 Jefferson Park Avenue
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 800722
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Primary Collecting Areas: History of the University of Virginia Health System, Health Sciences in Virginia and the U.S. South, Anatomy, Yellow Fever, and Public Health
Description: The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library is home to the University of Virginia's collection of rare and unique resources documenting the history of the health sciences.
Point of Contact: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Email: bg9ba@virginia.edu
Physical Address: 160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, VA. 22904
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 400110
Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4110
Primary Collecting Areas: American literature, antiquarian and contemporary, American history (Southeastern United States), Virginiana, British literature, Sporting books and manuscripts, World War I, Bibliography, the book arts, history of the book and typography
Fine press and artist’s books, Pop-up books, Victorian publishers bindings, Typography, Archives of the University of Virginia
Description: The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library administers over 13 million manuscripts, 3.6 million items in the University archives, and 325,000 rare books, as well as approximately 5,000 maps, over 4,000 broadsides; more than 250,000 photographs and small prints; over 8,000 reels of microfilm; and substantial holdings of audio recordings, motion picture films, and ephemera.
The major emphasis of the Department’s collections are American history and literature, with additional substantive collections in Virginiana, British literature, African-American history, book arts, the history of sporting and World War I, among others. In addition, the library serves as the University Archives, holding records of historic significance to UVA.
Point of Contact: Dan Cavanaugh
Phone: (434) 924-3023
Email: dmc7be@virginia.edu
Physical Address: 580 Massie Rd.
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Primary Collecting Areas: Law
Description: Special Collections maintains over 80 manuscript collections on the history of legal thought and legal practice. Our collections are particularly strong in American legal history since 1700, featuring collections of papers from Judges and local law practices. Additionally, our holdings also include large international collections, ranging from 17th-century Italian wills to papers of the United Nations.
Point of Contact: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-9898
Email: libsca@vcu.edu
Physical Address: VCU Health Sciences Library
509 North 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298
Mailing Address: Health Sciences Library
Box 980582
Richmond, VA 23298-0582
Primary Collecting Areas: History of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health fields with a focus on Virginia
Description: Special Collections and Archives collects primary source materials documenting the health sciences and the health care professions in Virginia. Manuscript collections include the personal papers of Virginia nurses, physicians, dentists, and other health care practitioners as well as the records of various professional organizations. Nursing is particularly well represented. The department also holds the historical records for the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College, Medical College of Virginia, and the University College of Medicine as well as the archives for the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Point of Contact: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-1108
Email: libjbcsca@vcu.edu
Physical Address: 901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284-2033
Mailing Address: Box 842033
Richmond, VA 23284-2033
Primary Collecting Areas: book art, comic arts, university archives, and 20th and 21st century Richmond and Central Virginia history, including African-American, gay and lesbian, and women's activist communities; the visual, literary, and performing arts; and architecture and urban planning
Description: Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library collects rare and unique research materials documenting 20th and 21st century Richmond and Central Virginia. Our holdings include manuscripts, personal papers, photograph collections, oral histories, and various institutional records. Books and other published materials include nationally significant special collections of book art and comic arts; rare books and periodicals; late 19th and early 20th-century architecture and decorative arts; and Richmond history, imprints, literature and serial publications from the late 20th century to the present. The historical records of VCU and its Monroe Park Campus predecessor, the Richmond Professional Institute, are found here as well.
Point of Contact: Jeffrey S. Kozak
Phone: (540) 464-7516
Email: archives@vmi.edu
Physical Address: Preston Library
345 Letcher Ave.
Lexington, VA 24450
Primary Collecting Areas: Military history, Civil War, Shenandoah Valley history, Stonewall Jackson Papers, genealogy
Description: The VMI Archives include significant manuscript and Institute records holdings, with a focus on military history and the Civil War. Our extensive digital archives allow for easy online access to many of our collections.
Point of Contact: Laura Stoner
Phone: (804)-342-9662
Email lstoner@VirginiaHistory.org
Physical Address: 428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, Va. 23220
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7311, Richmond, Va. 23221-0311
Primary Collecting Areas: The VMHC collects the history of Virginians.
Description: The VMHC collections consist of a wide range of objects, including books and bound serials, Confederate imprints, sheet music, broadsides, newspapers, family and personal papers, business and organizational records, genealogical materials, maps, paintings, prints, postcards, weapons, militaria, glass plate negatives, and photographs from the nineteenth century to the present.
Point of Contact: Roxanne Winfield
Phone: (804) 340-1497
Email: roxanne.winfield@vmfa.museum
Physical Address: VMFA Archives
Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman Library
200 N Arthur Ashe BlvdRichmond, VA 23220
Primary Collecting Areas: VMFA institutional records, Donor papers, Virginia Artists Archives, Oral histories, Artist subject files, Analog, and digital audiovisual collections
Description: The Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman Library provides access to a wealth of rare and unique primary source materials for scholars, researchers, and the public.
The Archives consists of a diverse and growing collection of permanent materials, covering museum history from its beginnings in the 1930s until today. The Archives includes institutional records from over 25 museum departments, thousands of artist and subject files, as well as donated collections related to the museum and the history of art in Virginia. The Archives also recently launched the Virginia Artists Archives, a collecting initiative that aims to create a rich, diverse, and unprecedented collection of Virginia artists’ papers to increase awareness about the contributions of Virginia artists, both past and present.
Point of Contact: Susan Lawlor
Phone: (757) 825-3530
Email: lawlors@tncc.edu
Physical Address: 99 Thomas Nelson Drive
Hampton, VA 23666
Primary Collecting Areas
Institutional records
Description: The Virginia Peninsula Community College Archives is the official repository of records and materials of historical significance or continuing value for the Virginia Peninsula Community College Community and the guide to its past. Institutional records of historical significance or continuing value will be retained and preserved to document the history and development of the College from its inception to the present day. The aim is to develop an authentic collection of historical materials on all aspects of the College’s significance and impact on its community.
Point of Contact: Dyron Knick
Phone: (540) 853-2073
Email dyron.knick@roanokeva.gov
Physical Address: 706 S. Jefferson St. Roanoke, VA 24016
Primary Collecting Areas: Genealogy and local history
Description: The Virginia Room holds Roanoke Public Library's non-circulating historical and genealogical research resources. The Virginia Room collects materials of the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia and to a lesser degree, materials of states which are closely tied to Virginia and its people by birth, immigration, migration or by boundary divisions.
Point of Contact: Ashley Vavra, Librarian-Archivist
Phone: (804) 225-2739
Email: avavra@vacourts.gov
Physical Address: 100 N. 9th St., Supreme Court Building
Primary Collecting Areas: Virginia appellate court history.
Description: Papers of selected justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia, 1970-2011;
records, photographs, sound and video recordings documenting the administrative history of the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1925-present; video recordings of oral histories of retired judges,justices, lawyers, and court staff, 2007-present.
Point of Contact: Juan-Pablo Gonzalez
Phone: (804) 524-6945
Email: jpgonzalez@vsu.edu
Physical Address: 1 Hayden Drive, Petersburg, VA 23806
Primary Collecting Areas: African American History in Virginia and African American Education
Description: The Virginia State University (VSU) Special Collections and Archives holds information on African American history in Virginia on the subject(s) of the Arts and women’s organizations, literature, agriculture as well as the premier primary sources that chronicle African American education in Virginia from the founding of the University 1882, to the 1960s. Worth mentioning are the Virginia Teachers Association Papers, an organization of African American teachers established in 1887 in Lynchburg VA and managed on the campus of VSU; the Virginia Interscholastic Association Papers, 1954-1969, an association of African American high school records of more than 100 schools representing a student population of over forty thousand; the Prince Edward Free School Papers chronicles the period in Prince Edward County when the public school system was closed and efforts of the Black community to educate African American students through that period; the Archie Richardson Papers which contains photographs of African American rural school houses during the 1930s.
Point of Contact: Special Collections
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Email: specref@vt.edu
Physical Address: Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Primary Collecting Areas: Local/regional history (Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Southwest Virginia, and Appalachian South); the American Civil War; Science and technology history (incl. aerospace, aeronautics, engineering, and speculative fiction); History of women in architecture (incl. the International Archive of Women in Architecture); Culinary history (incl. Virginia and southern cookery, children’s cookbooks and nutrition, food production and technology, and cocktail history); University Archives
Description: Special Collections is located in Carol M. Newman Library at Virginia Tech. Special Collections includes manuscript collections, rare books, and the University Archives, as well as state, local and historical maps and photographs. Our mission is to collect and preserve unique, historical materials and provide access to them in their original form.
Point of Contact: Selicia Allen
Phone: (804) 278-4117
Email: sngregory@vuu.edu
Physical Address: L. Douglas Wilder Library
Virginia Union University
1500 N. Lombardy Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220
Primary Collecting Areas: The Archives collects historical records of the campus, and the Special Collections endeavors to collect the history of African American Richmond. The Archives and Special Collections houses the personal papers of L. Douglas Wilder, Virginia's 66th Governor (1990-1994) and first elected African American governor in the United States.
Description: We are proud of our history as one of the nation's older historically black colleges (HBCUs), founded in 1865. Our library was formerly the William J. Clark Library located in the historic landmark Belgian Friendship Building given to the University by the government of Belgium in 1941.
In 1997 we relocated to a new facility on campus named after Virginia Union's most celebrated alumnus: L. Douglas Wilder, humanitarian, civil rights leader and the first elected African-American governor (1990-1994) in the nation. The library houses The Wilder Collection which is a very popular national and international attraction.
Point of Contact: Tom Camden
Phone: (540) 458-8649
Email: camdent@wlu.edu
Physical Address: James G. Leyburn Library
Washington and Lee University
204 W. Washington St.
Lexington, VA 24450
Primary Collecting Areas: American and Virginia history, regional genealogy, history of propaganda, Southern literature, theater, local and regional portraiture, landscapes and architecture, late 19th-century travel
Description: The Washington and Lee University Special Collections and Archives Department houses over 1,000 unique manuscript collections including those of the Rockbridge Historical Society, The American Shakespeare Center, and the Mountain Valley Preservation Association. These collections vary greatly in size, format, and scope. Subjects covered within the collections are diverse and include concentrations in American and Virginia history, regional genealogy, history of propaganda, Southern literature, and theater.
It also houses over 10,000 photographs and prints. Beyond our photograph and print collections, which include scrapbooks, images can also be found within the manuscript collections and University Archives described above. Our photographic holdings vary greatly in size and include numerous formats representative of the evolution of the photographic process. Strengths are local and regional portraiture, landscapes and architecture, W&L University history, including athletics, and late 19th-century travel.
Point of Contact: Jennifer V. Mitchell
Phone: (540) 458-8969
Email: jmitchell@wlu.edu
Physical Address: 1004 Sydney Lewis Hall
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
Mailing Address: Washington and Lee University
School of Law
1 Denny Circle
Lexington, VA 24450
Primary Collecting Areas: United States law, Virginia law
Description: The Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Archives comprises the Papers of Lewis F. Powell, Jr., other manuscript collections held by the law library, the rare book collection, and the archives of the School of Law. Areas of collecting emphasis include United States law, Virginia law and faculty and alumni of Washington and Lee University School of Law.
Point of Contact: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Email:lori.hostuttler@mail.wvu.edu
Physical Address: 1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Mailing Address: PO Box 6069, Morgantown, WV 26506
Primary Collecting Area: West Virginia and Appalachia History and Culture
Description: The West Virginia & Regional History Center preserves and provides access to the records that document the history and culture of the state and the central Appalachian region. The Center is part of West Virginia University Libraries.
Point of Contact: Chuck Ocheltree, Archives Reference Desk
Phone: (304) 558-0230
Email charles.c.ocheltree@wv.gov
Physical Address: The Culture Center, Building 9
1900 Kanawha Boulevard E.
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Primary Collecting Area: West Virginia Archives and History collects and preserves West Virginia’s public records and historical materials, to make these records available to the public and private sectors.
Description: Founded in 1905, West Virginia Archives and History maintains the Archives and History Library and the West Virginia State Archives; administers the highway marker program to designate historical sites; and provides support services and technical assistance to state, county, and historical organizations, and institutions.
Point of Contact: Special Collections Research Center
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Email: spcoll@wm.edu
Physical Address: Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library
400 Landrum Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Mailing Address: Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Primary Collecting Areas: Williamsburg and surrounding area Virginia; Southern United States; African American life and culture; Hip Hop History; Movies and film studies; Travel, exploration, and adventure;
Veterans papers; Distinguished alumni papers; College of William & Mary; Dogs
Description: The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) houses one of the largest and most significant collections of rare and unique materials of any educational institution of comparable size in the United States. Focused on Virginia history but with nationally and internationally-important collections, the Manuscripts Collection includes letters, diaries, journals, scrapbooks, business records, organizational minutes, and other items that provide evidence of events great and small and the daily lives of Americans of all backgrounds. The Rare Books Collection, with volumes dating from the 15th century to the present, is strong in dogs, Virginia-related items, early Virginia family libraries, gardening and natural history, religion, book arts, printing history, travel, science, and medicine. The University Archives documents the history of William & Mary from 1693 to the present, including a wide range of materials from administrative records, student organization records, and alumni papers to photographs, audio-visual materials, and artifacts.
Point of Contact: Kathryn H. Downing
Phone: (757) 221-1348
Email: khdowning@wm.edu
Physical Address: Wolf Law Library
College of William & Mary
613 S. Henry St.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Mailing Address: Wolf Law Library
College of William & Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Primary Collecting Areas: William & Mary Law School documents and publications; Virginia legal materials; rare books and documents related to George Wythe and his library
Description: From the first printed edition of the earliest English law treatise to presentation volumes inscribed by some of the greatest legal scholars of the twentieth century, the Wolf Law Library's Special Collections includes the Institutes of Justinian, foundational works of the American judicial system, and a re-creation of the library of George Wythe, America's first law professor. It encompasses a broad range of formats, including a pleading prepared and signed by Wythe in 1746, a piece of the "Charter Oak", and the family Bible of Chief Justice John Marshall.
Phone: (540) 885-0897
Physical Address: 20 N Coalter Street
Staunton, VA 24401
Website https://www.woodrowwilson.org/
Phone: (276) 228-6061
Email: wch_library@wytheville.org
Physical Address: 115 West Spiller Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
Point of Contact: George Mattis or William A. “Bill” Veselik
Email/Phone: gmattis@wcc.vccs.edu, (276) 233-4744 and bveselik@wcc.vccs.edu, (276) 223-4876
