I was at the Library of Virginia yesterday and I’ll be there again tomorrow. Let me tell you why.
First of all, you need to understand what this institution is. Its website is worth exploring, but here’s a preview of how the library describes itself.
With more than 130 million items in its collections, the Library is the primary global resource for exploring Virginia’s history, culture and government. We’re proud to be a highly regarded source among the national and international research communities and among everyday citizens seeking their stories within our rich archives. A part of the Library’s responsibility is to preserve and provide access to Virginia’s incomparable stories. While serving as the official state archives, we also support the records management and preservation needs of other state and public agencies and administer funding and consultation to public libraries across the commonwealth.
So why am I hanging out at this library? First, I kinda like libraries and this is an interesting one. Second, it is the repository for a whole bunch of records that help with genealogical research. I’ve known that for a long time, but I haven’t spent much time there. As I get more deeply involved in the Tidewater Genealogical Society and the Williamsburg Area Genealogy Society, I find myself recommending the Library of Virginia (LVA) to other researchers, but I don’t feel like I can do it justice without spending more time there.
About six weeks ago, I was on the LVA website and saw an announcement that they were looking for volunteers. Richmond is not next door, but it’s not too far away. I go there once a month to have lunch with my sister, so I know it’s doable. I don’t mind driving – I listen to podcasts or audiobooks while I’m driving, so I sometimes seek out opportunities to drive so I can catch up on my “reading.”
I completed the paperwork, passed the background check, and had an interview with the volunteer coordinator last week. On Monday of this week (after I had lunch with my sister) I went to the state government office to get my ID badge.
The office where I got my ID badge was in the Oliver Hill Building in the Richmond governmental complex. Oliver Hill was a Virginia Civil Rights attorney who died in 2007 (at the age of 100) after a career fighting alongside fellow Howard Law School graduate Thurgood Marshall. I enjoy these little brushes with history.
My first shift is Wednesday (tomorrow) afternoon from 1-3 pm. At first, I’ll be stationed in the library lobby alongside the security guards. They’ll do the security check and I’ll answer questions about the library. Generally, that’s going to involve pointing people to the restrooms, the café, the gift shop (all on the first floor), and the library itself (which is upstairs).
Later on, the library expects to ask volunteers to help with various projects, including assisting at various live events, transcribing records, or otherwise being useful. I’m looking forward to those opportunities because they’ll help me achieve my goal of knowing more about the library and encouraging other researchers to make use of its resources.
An LVA project, Virginia Untold — the African-American Narrative, got me interested in knowing more about this library. In recent months, I’ve been trying to help African-American genealogists at the Tidewater Genealogical Society, and I have been using the LVA resources to help me with this area of research that I’m generally unfamiliar with. Click on this link and watch the seven-minute video you’ll see on the page. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Phillip Noland (Noland's Ferry of Loudon County, VA) was my 6th great grandfather in my maternal line. In the 1900s I was visiting the Noland Ferry site in Virginia and the family home was for sale so I got to tour the house.
Good for you, Karen!