The Library of Virginia – The 4th Library “Visit”

A little more than a week ago, I had the opportunity to speak with the Library of Virginia’s senior reference librarian, Ms. Becky Schneider. Our conversation gave me some insight into some of the workings of the library, on top of Ms. Schneider’s responsibilities. I had thought of reaching out to her for some more insight into the library on a more personal level, but time ended up getting away from me. Luckily, the website did give me access to a wealth of information that I feel like gives me a good picture of what goes on there.

The Website

From the Library of Virginia’s about page, Ms. Sandra Gioia Treadway shares the statement:

“This web site is a perfect starting place to learn about what we have and what we do, to search our online catalog, to find out about upcoming programs and events, and to discover the many special services and resources we offer for government officials, state employees, librarians, records managers, educators, researchers, and more. Here you will also find a link to our Virginia Memory site, an exciting portal that makes it easy to use our online collections, view our electronic exhibits, and explore our rich historical content” (Treadway, 2019).

The LVA’s website homepage—https://www.lva.virginia.gov/—features white to light gray text against a nearly black background; the high-contrast visuals allows for relatively easy viewing, for me, but the small text might make it less legible for visitors with weaker vision. The homepage sorts its other pages into four categories: LVA resources for researchers, visitors, for educators and other libraries, and for localities and state agencies. Researchers are free to browse the LVA’s catalog, and access the online indexes and databases, among other things. For visitors, the “About Us” and “Visitors’ Guide” lay out the library’s history, hourly availability of study rooms, and what to do to prepare for one’s next visit. I felt that I was closest to the Researcher and Visitor categories, so I stuck to exploring them rather than the other two.

Within the library’s online databases, visitors can view print artifacts related to the history of Virginia, stretching back even before its founding. Visitors can also see the selection of ebooks available for reading, but naturally, one must be a member of the Library of Virginia in order to check them out. The way in which its catalog is laid out is identical to how Old Dominion University’s library’s online catalog is formatted; it wouldn’t surprise me if they were both constructed with the same program.

Ms. Schneider mentioned that many of the programs hosted by the library can be viewed live, virtually. Press releases advertising upcoming and past events also make mention that people can livestream footage of these programs through the library’s social media pages, namely Facebook and YouTube. From my interview with Ms. Scheider, I learned that this is a relatively new development. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, most if not all events hosted by the library could only be attended in-person. It’s my opinion that the introduction to live streaming was an inevitability, but lockdowns caused by the pandemic likely made such an introduction come much sooner than they might have otherwise come.

The Building, Inside and Out

Exterior of the Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA (2020, The History Mom).

The Library of Virginia is based in Richmond, Virginia. The building is massive and constructed in a sleeker, more modern style, like many of the structures in the Richmond area. Photos of the front area reminds me of a museum lobby, with banners advertising current exhibitions of note. Inside, tall windows shine light into some reading areas, and brown wooden shelves, desks and chairs add some warmth and color to the interior. The library has archival research rooms that are open to the public, but they do have different hours of operation compared to the rest of the main library. Reading rooms are open from Tuesday through Friday, but only by appointment. Ms. Schneider mentioned that the acoustics inside the building leave something to be desired; the high ceilings, she’d said, can make things difficult for patrons to hear each other, and they can be especially tough on those who are hard of hearing.

Inside lobby of the Library of Virginia (2020, Architecture Richmond).

Programs and Services

The Library of Virginia hosts an Annual Literary Awards ceremony. This event is to honor “authors, publishers, and those who enjoy the written word” (LVA, n.d.), to highlight their accomplishments and to help individuals and organizations form new connections. The LVA’s programs page mentions Book Talk events, where Virginia-based authors are invited to discuss aspects of their research with library members. Other programs include workshops—a Genealogy Workshop being highlighted—and portals directing to virtual collections such as “Virginia Memory,” “Strong Men & Women in Virginia History,” and “Virginia Women in History.” As Ms. Schneider mentioned, many of these programs are streamable through the library’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Visitors have access to computer workstations and wireless printing, as well.

Many programs and exhibitions revolve around the BIPOC communities that inhabit Virginia from its foundation to today. Currently, the library is working with prominent Native American figures to create an exhibition showing off the cultures of the many indigenous nations within Virginia. Such a thing can no doubt do wonders for making BIPOC patrons feel welcome and included, and can help break down the library field’s white-centric reputation.

Collections

The Library of Virginia is a research library that specializes in Virginia history and culture, though some items in the catalog also reflect US history, as a whole. The LVA lists its available guides and indexes on the website (https://lva-virginia.libguides.com/). These indexes include, but are not limited to journals, business records, tax records, maps, and newspapers. Visitors can access microfilm scanners as well, though only by appointment. These topics have a number of portals that lead to more specific collections, which then lead visitors to a list of keywords in alphabetical order to choose from. These direct to scans of library catalog cards that correspond to the related information. It’s a pretty far cry from what I’m used to seeing at my library; most of the time, I go by the online catalog that the patrons use.

The databases listed on the LVA’s website have varying exclusivity. Some are only accessible within the library itself; some require an account with the library; and others are available to Virginia residents, regardless of whether or not they’re library members. The latter category of databases revolve around general Virginia-based knowledge such as job search and genealogy resources.

Conclusion

Something that I appreciated from my discussion with Ms. Schneider was her admission, in no uncertain terms, that there is always room for improvement on the library’s part. Action is being taken all the time to fight against the institutional oppression of marginalized voices within the library field that Ettarh mentioned in her 2018 article surrounding the “vocational awe” of librarianship. But more work can still be done. Ms. Schneider lamented the fact that bureaucracy often limits what can be done to improve the library, and I hope that such positive changes can be implemented sooner rather than later.

I’m personally intrigued by archives; I love the idea of finding artifacts that provide insight into the lives of the people who lived long before us, whether they’re pieces of pottery or photographs of a beloved pet. I want to try to make time to visit the Library of Virginia in the near future, and hopefully I’ll be able to cross paths with Ms. Schneider then, as well.

Resources:

The Library of Virginia About Us. (n.d.). https://www.lva.virginia.gov/about/default.asp.

Ettarh, F. (2018, January 10). Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves – In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/.

History Mom (2020), Untitled [photograph] https://thehistorymom.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/img_0706.jpeg?w=1100.

Architecture Richmond (2020), Untitled [photograph] https://architecturerichmond.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/img_1393.jpg.