Library of Virginia

United States

District of Columbia

Archives and Libraries

Library of Virginia

Library of Virginia Collection Description The Library was founded in 1823 and is the most comprehensive resource in the world for the study of Virginia history, culture, and government. The collections include books, periodicals, government records (state depository library), maps, newspapers, archival records, architectural drawings and plans, manuscripts, rare books, prints and photographs, ephemera, and fine art. Contact Information Library of Virginia 800 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 Telephone: 804-692-3500 Library Reference: 804-692-3777 Archives Reference: 804-692-3888 Fax: 804-692-3556 Hours Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. by appointment only. Holidays Please check our News & Events Calendar for any changes to our regular hours due to holiday closings, special events, or inclement weather. The Library is closed often during a given month for various reasons. Planning Your Visit Please see our Visitors Guide for everything you need to know before coming to the Library including directions, parking, collection access policies, use of microfilm scanners, and more. Website and Catalog Library of Virginia Home. Online catalog Databases & eBooks All visitors to the Library have access to an extensive collection of research databases. The Library of Virginia is a FamilySearch affiliate library which enables onsite users to have access to 400 million digitized records that are otherwise only available at LDS Church family history centers. Virginia residents can register for an online library account to access many databases from home. Digital Collections Digital collections in the catalog include: land records; vital records; Virginia Death Indexing; Henley Marriage/Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers; Marriage and Obituary Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor; Petersburg Public Library Newspaper Index; Probate Records; Index to Wills and Administrations; Church Records; Bristol Church and Family Cemeteries Index; Military Records; Virginia Colonial Records Project; Coats of Arms; Index to Sources on Family Coats of Arms; Biographies; WPA Life Histories Collection. Additional digital collections are available on the Library's Virginia Memory website including the Chancery Records Index, Virginia Chronicle (newspapers), Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative. Guides & Indexes The Library provides a collection of research guides for our print, newspaper, manuscript, and archival collections. InterLibrary Loan The Library provides an excellent free interlibrary loan service and sends materials to libraries worldwide. Many Virginia county and city records on microfilm are available via interlibrary loan. Tips Many digitized items in the Library's collections are displayed as Tiff images.  Your computer will need to recognize and handle the .tif images properly.  How to configure your computer for Tiff files. Ordering Materials. Pre-paid service fee required. Orders can be placed online, by mail, by telephone, or by fax. Additional Resources John S. Salmon, comp.. A Guide to State Records in the Archives Branch. (Richmond, Virginia: Virginia State Library, 1985). FHL book 975.5 A3sj Suzanne Smith Ray, A Preliminary Guide to Pre- 1904 County Records in the Archives Branch, Virginia State Library and Archives. (Richmond, Virginia: Library and Archives, [1988?]). FHL book 975.5 A3r Lyndon H. Hart, A Preliminary Guide to Pre-1904 Municipal Records in the Archives Branch, Virginia State Library and Archives. (Richmond, Virginia Library and Archives, [1988?]). FHL book 975.5 A3h) Virginia State Library. Archives and Records Division. Annual Reports of Archival Accessions. (Richmond, Virginia: Library and Archives, 1971–). FHL book 975.5 A35v Other Repositories Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Richmond, VA - A major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history. The Valentine, Richmond, VA - Museum dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond's history. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT - Library has 450 computers, 3,400 databases, 3.1 million microforms, 4,500 periodicals, 310,000 books of worldwide family and local histories, civil, church, immigration, ethnic, military, and records pertaining to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN - Premier genealogical periodical collection, genealogies, local histories, databases, military records, census records, directories, and passenger lists. National Archives I, Washington, DC - Census, pre-WWI military service & pensions, passenger lists, naturalizations, passports, federal bounty land, homesteads, bankruptcy, ethnic sources, prisons, and federal employees. Daughters of the American Revolution Library, Washington DC - Revolutionary War and colonial period, including family and local histories, cemetery transcriptions, Bible records, 15,000 genealogical membership applications. Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD - Census, court, church, vital, military, probate, land, tax, immigration, and naturalizations.