Community
Engage with Literature, History, Maps, and Genealogy through the Library of Virginia’s Fall Virtual Events
Book club meetings, genealogy workshops, map lectures, volunteer “research sprint” opportunities, author talks, and even the annual Literary Awards Celebration have moved online.
From the Library of Virginia.
Fans of cultural events looking for virtual offerings will find plenty of ways to engage with the Library of Virginia this fall. Our book club meetings, genealogy workshops, map lectures, volunteer “research sprint” opportunities, author talks, and even the annual Literary Awards Celebration have moved online. All events except genealogy workshops are free. For more information, registration details, and instructions on how to join virtually, visit the Library’s Events Calendar: https://www.lva.virginia.gov/news/calendar/
Virtual Literary Virginia Book Group
Read and discuss the best of today’s Virginia literature—books by Library of Virginia Literary Award winners and finalists in fiction and nonfiction—on the second Wednesday evening of the month.
- Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom | Wednesday, September 9, 2020 | 6:00–7:30 pm
- The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger | Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 6:00–7:30 pm
- Slay Like a Mother by Katherine Wintsch | Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | 6:00–7:30 pm
- The Substitution Order by Martin Clark | Wednesday, December 9, 2020 | 6:00–7:30 pm
Virtual Genealogy Workshops
The Library’s genealogy workshop series explores our vast collection of materials documenting the lives of Virginians to help you organize your family history research. Cost: $15 ($10 for members)
- Virginia Genealogy to ca. 1850 | Friday, September 18, 2020 | 10:00–11:00 am
- Historic Census Records at the Library of Virginia | Friday, October 16, 2020 | 10:00–11:00 am
Finding Her: Our Female Ancestors | Friday, November 20, 2020 | 10:00–11:00 am
Virginia Humanities Research Fellow Virtual Talk
In the wealthiest country in the world, people still go hungry. The food stamp program was created in the 1960s to ease abundant agricultural surpluses and help feed struggling families who fell through a limited social safety net. Join Virginia Humanities Research Fellow Tracy Roof, PhD, an associate professor of political science at the University of Richmond, as she explores the often contentious politics of the food stamps program.
Addressing Hunger in the Midst of Plenty:
The Political History of Food Stamps
Tracy Roof, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond | Tuesday, September 22, 2020 | 12:00–1:00 pm
Virtual Voorhees Lecture Series on the History of Cartography
Explorations of the Albemarle Sound region and the first English settlements of the Roanoke Islands in the 1580s are the topic of the 17th Annual Alan M. and Nathalie P. Voorhees Lecture on the History of Cartography—this year presented as a series of virtual events. These free online talks are hosted by the Fry-Jefferson Map Society.
Uncharted Territory: How Maps Launched—And Nearly Sank—English Colonization of the New World
Andrew Lawler, Author & Journalist | Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 7:00–8:30 pm
17th-Century Maps of Virginia, Maryland & the Southeast, 1590–1720
Cassandra Britt Farrell, Library of Virginia Senior Map Archivist | Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 7:00–8:30 pm
Virtual Volunteer “Research Sprints”
Volunteer to help uncover history with us! What did Virginia newspapers report about Nazi persecution during the 1930s and 1940s? In partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the Library offers virtual “research sprints” into our newspaper collection. Identify Holocaust-related articles in Virginia newspapers to help us understand what the average Virginian could have known during WWII.
History Unfolded: U.S. Newspapers & the Holocaust
Saturday, September 26, 2020 | 10:00–11:30 am
History Unfolded: U.S. Newspapers & the Holocaust
Saturday, November 21, 2020 | 10:00–11:30 am
Virtual Panel Discussion
Moderated by Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan, this virtual panel discussion with historians Lauranett Lee (a visiting lecturer in the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies) and Megan Taylor-Shockley (an author and former professor of history at Clemson University) explores the struggle for the vote that remained for many citizens after the passage of the 19th Amendment. This event complements the Library’s exhibitions We Demand: Women’s Suffrage in Virginia and Unfinished Business.
Unfinished Business: What the 19th Amendment Didn’t Do
Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 5:00–6:00 pm
23rd Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Virtual Celebration
Celebrate the Library of Virginia Literary Awards virtually this year with a week of author conversations and special events, which will be accessible to the public. This annual event, sponsored by Dominion Energy, attracts library supporters, authors, publishers, and those who enjoy the written word. Award-winning Virginia author Adriana Trigiani will again serve as host on Saturday, October 17 for the awards celebration. Details on how to support and participate in the events are coming soon. The 2020 virtual Literary Awards are sponsored by Dominion Energy. For more information, visit https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards.
- Author Talks & Special Events | Tues–Thurs, October 13–15, 2020
- Art in Literature: The Mary Lynn Kotz Award | Friday, October 16, 2020
- Library of Virginia Literary Awards | Saturday, October 17, 2020
Please visit our website at www.lva.virginia.gov and follow us on social media to find online resources, virtual events, and other ways to engage with the Library.
Community
Reedy Creek Access Could be Limited on Wednesday
Work will start at 9:30 AM and work should continue for a few hours. This will limit your access to Reedy Creek, and there may be periods of zero access.
From James River Parks.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, 3/29) Norfolk Southern is going to be doing repair work on the Reedy Creek Crossing. They will start at 9:30 AM and work should continue for a few hours. This will limit your access to Reedy Creek, and there may be periods of zero access.
Events
Maymont prepares for Dominion Energy Family Easter with call for volunteers
The event, taking place on April 8th from 9 am to 3 pm, is expected to draw in thousands of guests who will enjoy a day filled with activities, games, crafts, live entertainment, and an opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny.
Maymont, Richmond’s beloved Victorian estate, is gearing up for the largest single-day volunteer event of the year, Dominion Energy Family Easter. The event, taking place on April 8th from 9 am to 3 pm, is expected to draw in thousands of guests who will enjoy a day filled with activities, games, crafts, live entertainment, and an opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny.
With an expanded Community Zone featuring local heroes and helpers, three stages for performances, and a mini-tour of the Maymont Mansion, this year’s Dominion Energy Family Easter is bigger and better than ever.
Maymont is calling for volunteers to assist with various tasks throughout the day and make the event a success. Volunteers will work in four-hour shifts starting at 6:30 am, 8 am, 11 am, or 2 pm, either greeting guests or assisting with activities, games, and crafts. Volunteers will also help set up and clean up. Maymont welcomes youth volunteers, but those under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Volunteering as a group is a great opportunity to give back to the community and have fun at the same time. Families or groups of friends are encouraged to volunteer together and help make the day unforgettable for thousands of guests. Those interested in volunteering can sign up here.
Community
Library of Virginia Honors Deaf History Month With a Talk and Exhibition on the History of a Shenandoah County Deaf Village and Shared Signing Community
Between 1740 and 1970, Lantz Mills, Virginia, was home to many families with a mix of hearing and deaf parents and at least one or more deaf siblings.
In honor of April as Deaf History Month, the Library of Virginia will present a talk on April 22 and a traveling panel exhibition running April 1–30 on the history of the Lantz Mills deaf village and shared signing community in Shenandoah County, Virginia. Both are free.
Between 1740 and 1970, Lantz Mills, Virginia, was home to many families with a mix of hearing and deaf parents and at least one or more deaf siblings. When both the hearing and deaf members of a locality use a shared visual language to communicate, that is known as a shared signing community. Those familiar with deaf culture may know that Martha’s Vineyard, the island off Massachusetts, was home to a shared signing community where 25% of the population was deaf. But few know that Virginia had a deaf village and shared signing community in Shenandoah County.
The Lantz Mills Deaf Village panel exhibition has appeared at Shenandoah County Public Library and the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. It will visit the Eastern Shore Public Library in June. The exhibition is available for display at public libraries and other cultural facilities. For more information, contact Barbara Batson at [email protected] or 804.692.3721.
The talk and exhibition are made possible in part with federal funding provided through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information about the commonwealth’s deaf culture, visit the Virginia Deaf Culture Digital Library at https://deaflibva.org.
DEAF HISTORY MONTH TALK | The Lantz Mills Shared Signing Community
Saturday, April 22, 2023 | 10:00–11:00 a.m. | Free
Place: Lecture Hall, Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219
Registration suggested: https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/10478065
In honor of Deaf History Month, the Library presents a talk exploring the history of the Lantz Mills deaf village in Shenandoah County, Virginia, by deaf historian and advocate Kathleen Brockway, who is also a Lantz Mills deaf village descendant.
DEAF HISTORY MONTH PANEL EXHIBITION | Lantz Mills Deaf Village
April 1–30, 2023 | Monday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Free
Place: Lobby & Pre-function Hall, Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219
In honor of Deaf History Month, the Library presents a panel exhibition exploring the history of the Lantz Mills deaf village in Shenandoah County, Virginia. This six-panel traveling exhibition features the history of prominent deaf villagers such as the Hollar and Christian families, deaf members’ involvement in local businesses, and even a budding romance within the community. Each panel includes a QR code that links to ASL interpretation of the text featured. A booklet about the topic written by deaf historian and Lantz Mills deaf village descendant Kathleen Brockway will be available to exhibition visitors while supplies last.
Reedy Creek Access Could be Limited on Wednesday
Photo of the Day: RVA
Maymont prepares for Dominion Energy Family Easter with call for volunteers
Library of Virginia Honors Deaf History Month With a Talk and Exhibition on the History of a Shenandoah County Deaf Village and Shared Signing Community
Richmond to Host 2024 Wheelchair Basketball Nationals
Husband-and-wife duo bringing new restaurant concept to former Mill on MacArthur space
New full-service commercial kitchen, fast casual food hall opens Wednesday
Richmond Falcon Cam is Back
Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU’s bevy of spring exhibitions run the gamut
