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G2S Project Code: 2020-VA-85656
State: Virginia
Fiscal Year: 2020

Grantee
Library of Virginia

Project Director
Director Name: Catherine Fitzgerald Wyatt
Director Phone: 804-692-3999
Director Email: catherine.fitzgeraldwyatt@lva.virginia.gov

General Information
Title: Lifelong Learning
State Project Code: LLP
Start Date: 10/01/2020
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: Support life long learning by designing and implementing programs that encourage interaction and engagement with the subject matter at hand. As a result of the programming, Library patrons will have an enhanced appreciation and understanding of the state’s history and culture as well as an awareness of the scope of the library’s collections and how they can use them. The Library's programs incorporate civic engagement as a key component of its presentations so that patrons come away with a keener awareness of how the past has influenced the present. Programs will be chosen to appeal to as broad a swath of Virginians as possible.

These programs consist of a combination of book talks, panel discussions, research updates, and tours of the Library's reading rooms and exhibitions. For the book talks, authors of subjects that support the Library's mission to promote awareness of the state's history and culture are invited to present overviews of new publications. In most cases, materials from our archives are displayed during the program as a way of making the audience aware of the scope and importance of our collections. Panel discussions can include a primary author/researcher along with supporting presenters to provide multiple perspectives on a common theme; discussion of contemporary issues or public policy currently in the news; and always the intent is to explore a subject in such a way that the audience is drawn into the conversation. Civic engagement is a key component to these programs. We also encourage staff and regular patrons to share their research or new materials that they have unearthed in the course of their work. These update inform colleagues of new records that are seeing the light of day for the first time since they were deposited. These presentations help expose the public to our collections and make them aware of now only their usefulness but their availability. Lastly, tours will be conducted by education staff of the Library's reading rooms and current exhibitions. They will also encourage groups to get library cards. Each of these activities engages lifelong learners in what is available for them at the Library of Virginia.

NOTE: No tours were given this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic

State Goal: Facilitate access to information and the discovery of knowledge and cultural heritage for the purpose of cultivating an informed and engaged community.

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$45,153.18

$0.00

$45,153.18

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Arts, Culture & Humanities
History

Activities

Activity Details
Title: 12th Annual Brown Teacher Institute
Narrative:

Every summer, the Library of Virginia’s Outreach and Education Department organizes and presents a teacher development workshop. Each year, the theme and format of the workshop are slightly different in an effort to reach more teachers and present content that is relevant to ever-changing developments in the Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools.

For the Library’s 12th teacher institute, held on July 22, July 29, August 2, and August 3, the format was different than in past years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join Library of Virginia staff members and guest speakers in this year’s one-day Teacher Institute at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. Alternatively, the Library is hosting one-day institutes in Newport News (July 29) and Richmond (August 3), as well as a virtual option on August 2.

The 12th annual Brown Teacher Institute will focus on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Virginia Constitution, offering tools, resources, and content to aid educators in teaching about the document and its legacies. Teachers will explore how to use primary sources to enhance student learning in the classroom and discover new digital resources. All events will include live Q&As.

July 22 in Abindgon--17 participants

July 29 in Newport News--7 participants

August 2 virtual-- 25 participants

August 3 in Richmond-- 16 participants

Several commenters noted that they would share how informative and well-organized the institute was with their colleagues back at their respective schools. Many remarked on the variety of sessions that focused on both historical content and teaching methodology. A few teachers commented on how they appreciated the sessions from speakers, and liked the practical and historical lessons learned at the institute. Some specific comments from both the post-institute surveys and subsequent emails included:

v “It was enlightening and providedrelevant and useful resources/information!”

v “I gained new ideas about incorporatingpolitical cartoons and analyzing them as well as what resources are availableat the LVA.”

v “I gained a new perspective of how toteach state and local government using Virginia’s state constitution.”

v “We can make a difference at the locallevel and we need to give our students a place to use their voice in arespectful and educated way.”

v “Thank you! I really did enjoy thistopic. LVA is amazing.”

v “This institute continues to bereflective of current times! If I don’t vote then I am giving up my right tovote! Would like to be a fellow in the future.”

v “I have gained extensive knowledge onhow to use primary sources through the use of the Document Bank of Virginia.”

v “The importance of civics education inALL of our classrooms and how to utilize what’s available at our library!”

v “You learn so much, it is amust attend professional experience!”

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Combined in-person & virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 360
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 16
Number of times program administered: 4

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
Rural
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
70+ years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Christopher Newport University
Address: 1 Avenue of the Arts
City: Newport News
State: VA
Zip: 23606
Name: Library of Virginia
Address: 800 E Broad Street
City: Richmond
State: VA
Zip: 23219
Name: Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center
Address: 1 Partnership Circle
City: Abingdon
State: VA
Zip: 24210
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: WEINSTEIN & VOORHEES AUTHOR SERIES
Narrative:

Weinstein Author Series Event: Elizabeth Catte

Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia

Thursday, February 25, 2021 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 95

Please join us online for a talk by author and historian Dr. Elizabeth Catte on her book Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia, a sweeping, unsparing history of eugenics in Virginia, and by extension the United States. Between 1927 and 1979, more than 8,000 people were involuntarily sterilized in five hospitals across the state of Virginia. The state’s 20th-century eugenics program was not the misguided initiative of well-meaning men of the day, but rather a manifestation of white supremacy, a form of employment insurance, a means of controlling “troublesome” women, and a philosophy that helped remove poor people from valuable land.

The Carole Weinstein Author Series supports the literary arts by bringing both new and well-known authors to the Library of Virginia through online or in-person events. Free and open to the public, the series focuses on Virginia authors and Virginia subjects across all genres. This book is available to order from the Virginia Shop. For more information, contact Dawn Greggs at 804.692.3813 or dawn.greggs@lva.virginia.gov.

Weinstein Author Series Event: Kim Roberts

By Broad Potomac’s Shore: Great Poems from the Early Days of Our Nation’s Capital

Thursday, April 15, 2021 6:00 PM -7:30 PM

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 35

To celebrate April as Poetry Month, please join us online for a talk by poet, literary historian, and editor Kim Roberts on her book By Broad Potomac’s Shore: Great Poems from the Early Days of Our Nation’s Capital. This comprehensive anthology features poems by both well-known and overlooked poets working and living in the capital from the city's founding in 1800 to 1930. Roberts expertly presents the work of 132 poets, including poems by celebrated DC writers such as Francis Scott Key, Walt Whitman, Frederick Douglass, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ambrose Bierce, Henry Adams, and James Weldon Johnson, as well as the work of lesser-known poets—especially women, writers of color, and working-class writers. A significant number of the poems are by writers who were born enslaved, such as Fanny Jackson Coppin, T. Thomas Fortune, and John Sella Martin.

The Carole Weinstein Author Series supports the literary arts by bringing both new and well-known authors to the Library of Virginia through online or in-person events. Free and open to the public, the series focuses on Virginia authors and Virginia subjects across all genres. This book is available from the Virginia Shop. For more information, contact Dawn Greggs at 804.692.3813 or dawn.greggs@lva.virginia.gov.

Weinstein Author Series Event: Vanessa Holden

Surviving Southampton: African American Women and Resistance in Nat Turner’s Community

Thursday, June 10, 2021 from 6:00 PM -7:30 PM

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 177

Please join us for an online talk by author and historian Dr. Vanessa M. Holden on her book Surviving Southampton: African American Women and Resistance in Nat Turner's Community. This bold challenge to traditional accounts sheds new light on the places and people surrounding America’s most famous rebellion against slavery. The 1831 Southampton Rebellion led by Nat Turner involved an entire community. Dr. Holden rediscovers the women and children, free and enslaved, who lived in Southampton County before, during, and after the revolt. Mapping the region's multilayered human geography, she draws a fuller picture of the inhabitants, revealing not only their interactions with physical locations but also their social relationships in space and time. Her analysis recasts the Southampton Rebellion as one event that reveals the continuum of practices that sustained resistance and survival among local Black people. To pre-order a copy of the book, sign up here.

The Carole Weinstein Author Series supports the literary arts by bringing both new and well-known authors to the Library of Virginia through online or in-person events. Free and open to the public, the series focuses on Virginia authors and Virginia subjects across all genres. For more information, contact Dawn Greggs at 804.692.3813 or dawn.greggs@lva.virginia.gov.

aginations in applying colors. Tise, a private practice historian in Philadelphia, was a Wilbur and Orville Distinguished Professor of History at East Carolina University (2000–2015)

17TH ANNUAL VOORHEES VIRTUAL LECTURE SERIES

17th-Century Maps of Virginia, Maryland & the Southeast, 1590–1720

Thursday, October 22, 2020 from 7:00 PM–8:30 PM

Online

Attendance: 140

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 featuring speakers Dr. Larry Tise, journalist Andrew Lawler, and Library of Virginia senior map archivist Cassandra Britt Farrell.

Please join us online for a talk by Cassandra Britt Farrell, the senior map archivist in the Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections Department, on 17th-Century Maps of Virginia, Maryland & the Southeast, 1590–1720. Farrell specializes in maps of Virginia and colonial American history. Captain John Smith’s map of Virginia—considered the “mother” map of Virginia—influenced many European mapmakers as they printed maps of the colony for inclusion in atlases. However, it is not the only 17th-century map of the colony worthy of study by historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and other researchers of colonial Virginia. This talk will review those maps published between the years 1590 to 1720 that are not derivatives of Smith’s famous map and will explore the differences between the “states” published for each. Learn about the individuals who published these maps and in which atlases and books the maps were originally included.

"Great program, she knows her stuff "

"Thanks -- really interesting!"

"Thank you for the wonderful information. I learned so much. "

"I really enjoyed the tree map lectures- thank you. I hope you have more lectures in the future like this. "

"I really enjoyed the 17th cen. Maps webinar…"

"Truly enjoyed the review of early maps of Virginia last Tuesday evening. Very informative. "

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 90
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 112
Number of times program administered: 4

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Library of Virginia
Address: 800 East Broad St.
City: Richmond
State: VA
Zip: 23219
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: Virtual Panel Discussions
Narrative:

Virtual Panel Discussion:

Unfinished Business: What the 19th Amendment Didn’t Do

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 64

Moderated by Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan, this virtual panel discussion explores the struggle for the vote that remained for many citizens after the passage of the 19th Amendment. Extending the right to vote to women in 1920 was a milestone in American history, but much work remained to ensure that all citizens had a fair and equal voice in governing the country and shaping its policies. 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) discuss the fundamental question of citizenship through obstacles that limited suffrage to some Americans, including the Equal Rights Amendment (first introduced in 1923), extending citizenship to America’s indigenous peoples, eliminating the poll tax and literacy tests, and the continuing advocacy for restoration of rights to felons. This event complements the Library’s exhibitions We Demand: Women’s Suffrage in Virginia and Unfinished Business. For more information, contact Emma Ito at emma.ito@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3726.

VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION

Virginians & Their Histories

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 59

Join us for a panel discussion on Virginians and Their Histories, a groundbreaking work of scholarship from historian and author Brent Tarter, a retired editor at the Library of Virginia. Published by the University of Virginia Press in collaboration with the Library of Virginia, the book presents a fresh, new interpretive narrative that incorporates the experiences of all residents of Virginia from the earliest times to the first decades of the 21st century. Tarter will discuss how the book reflects recent, groundbreaking scholarship and fresh perspectives on Virginia history with Virginia Commonwealth University history professors Sarah Meacham and Brian J. Daugherity. The book is available at the Virginia Shop. For more information, contact Emma Ito at emma.ito@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3726.

The Storytellers: Giving Agency to Your Ancestors

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 78

Join us for a conversation with three storytellers working in three different fields. Their experiences exploring and sharing their own family histories have sparked questions about identity, authority, and whose stories are these to tell. Emma Ito, the Library’s education and program specialist, will moderate this discussion with media producer, director, and writer Alicia Aroche, photojournalist Regina Boone, and journalist Kim O'Connell about balancing the personal and professional when researching family history. “Storytelling is one way to resist and disrupt current structural inequities and racism, as well as the ongoing threat of erasure of our ancestors’ legacies,” writes Aroche. For more information, contact Emma Ito at emma.ito@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3726.

Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond's Historic Cemeteries

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 67

Join us for a virtual discussion of Ryan K. Smith's new book, Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond's Historic Cemeteries. Richmond holds one of the most dramatic landscapes of death in the nation, and this book offers the first comparative study of its cemeteries from the city's founding to the present, as well as efforts made toward their preservation. Using a range of archival sources, interviews, and investigations of the sites themselves, Smith traces the disparities between those grounds that have preserved the legacies of privileged whites and those that have been worn away, dug up, and built over, undermining the memories of African Americans and Indigenous tribes.

Gregg D. Kimball, the Library of Virginia's director of Public Services and Outreach, will moderate a conversation about the book and the topic with the author and panelists Kami Fletcher (associate professor of history at Albright College and president of the Collective for Radical Death Studies) and Ana Edwards (chair of the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, an initiative of the Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality). The book will be available for purchase in the Virginia Shop. For more information, contact Ashley Ramey, ashley.ramey@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3001.

Project Update

Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 289

Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative examines records in the Library of Virginia’s collections for hidden histories and often overlooked stories detailing the lives of free and enslaved Black and multiracial individuals in the commonwealth prior to 1870. By connecting a patchwork of historical government and private materials, stories of resilience and determination against incredible legal and social obstacles can emerge. Join local records program manager Greg Crawford and senior local records archivist Vince Brooks for a project overview, digitization update, and tips on using this free digital resource. They’ll also share advice on using primary source documents from Virginia Untold in the classroom, in keeping with the recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on African American History Education in the Commonwealth. For more information, contact Sonya Coleman at makinghistory@virginiamemory.com.

A recording of this presentation will be available on the Library of Virginia Facebook page and YouTube profile following the event.

CIVIL WAR & EMANCIPATION DAY VIRTUAL EVENT

Enslaved Virginia Ironworker to California Pioneer:

A Conversation with the Descendants of Emanuel Quivers

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 64

Join us for a fascinating conversation in honor of Civil War and Emancipation Day. In the late 1990s, Viola Baecher launched a search into her family roots that took her from the West Coast back to the East Coast in Charles City County on the James River. This is where she uncovered the remarkable life story of her ancestor, Emanuel Quivers. Baecher traced Quivers's journey from Berkeley Plantation, where he worked as a blacksmith, to Richmond’s Tredegar Iron Works, where he worked as an ironworker and foreman, and on to California during the Gold Rush—a journey from enslavement to freedom. This program brings together several Quivers descendants to discuss Emanuel’s life and their ongoing efforts to uncover the story of his family. They will also reflect on what Quivers’s inspirational odyssey can teach us about rising above circumstances, being an agent of change, and the continuing struggle for Black equality in the 21st century. These conversations are an important part of gathering a fuller understanding of the complexity of American history and the contributions of African Americans. Gregg D. Kimball (director of public services and outreach, Library of Virginia) and Joseph Rogers (education programs manager, American Civil War Museum) will moderate this conversation with Quivers descendants Viola Baecher, Victoria Baecher Wassmer, Rev. Dr. Rodger Hall Reed Sr., and Dr. Denné Reed.

VIRTUAL ARCHIVES MONTH TALK

Public Records, Public Trust: Records Management in Government

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Online

What makes a record a public record? What rules apply to the management of public records? When does a public record become archival? What is the role of records management in government transparency? In honor of Archives Month, explore these questions and more with Michael Strom, State Archivist and director of Government Records Services, and Chad Owen, records management coordinator. Open to the general public, this presentation is intended for Virginia state and local government employees and agency records managers. This is a virtual event hosted on Zoom.

Under the authority of the Virginia Public Records Act, the Library of Virginia’s Records Management section assists state and local government in ensuring that public records are maintained and available throughout their life cycle. Records Management supports the efficient and economical management of public records by publishing records retention and disposition schedules, presenting workshops, monitoring the disposal of nonpermanent records, and assisting with the transfer of permanent records to the Archives.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 75
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 96
Number of times program administered: 7

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: Virtual Book Talks
Narrative:

Virtual Book Talk

The Campaign for Woman Suffrage in Virginia

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 35

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment! Join us for a talk with the authors of The Campaign for Woman Suffrage in Virginia, a new book that explores the remarkable achievements of women who fought for the right to vote in the commonwealth. Brent Tarter, Marianne E. Julienne, and Barbara Batson—whose research unearthed new information and discovered women who have never before appeared in history books—are also the curators of the Library of Virginia’s exhibition We Demand: Women’s Suffrage in Virginia, running through May 28, 2021, in the Exhibition Gallery. The book is available at the Virginia Shop and from other online retailers. For more information, contact Emma Ito at emma.ito@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3726.

A CONVERSATION WITH JOSHUA D. ROTHMAN

The Ledger and the Chain: How Domestic Slave Traders Shaped America

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Online

Free but registration is required.

Attendance: 118

Join Joshua Rothman, author of the stunning new book The Ledger and the Chain, and the Library of Virginia’s Gregg Kimball in a virtual discussion about the rise of domestic slave trading as a grimly efficient business in the antebellum era and how its impact still reverberates today. Virginia history is often associated with stately antebellum mansions, Civil War battlefields, and monuments to military leaders, but one key aspect of its 19th-century history has largely been banished from the landscape and popular memory—a trade that sold more than a half-million enslaved men and women from the Upper South to the Deep South. Rothman, chair of the department of history at the University of Alabama, is the author of two prize-winning books, Flush Times and Fever Dreams and Notorious in the Neighborhood. For more information, contact Emma Ito at emma.ito@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3726.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 75
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 77
Number of times program administered: 2

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: "Goodbye Booze": The Music of Prohibition
Narrative:

“Goodbye Booze”: The Music of Prohibition

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Online

Free

Attendance: 23

Join Dr. Gregg D. Kimball, director of Public Services and Outreach at the Library of Virginia, as he traces the musical legacy of Prohibition through spoken narrative, period images, and recorded music in this online presentation from Russell County Public Library. Gospel songwriters, Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths, and even moonshiners and bootleggers produced a torrent of commentary on alcohol in song. The mass marketing of sound recordings corresponded closely with the rise of the Prohibition movement, leaving us with thousands of 78-rpm records waxed by songsters on every side of the issue. From the moral tales of family destruction penned by Temperance advocates to the sly political and comedic songs of Prohibition skeptics and opponents, music tracked the popular debate and mood. For more information, contact Kelly McBride at kmcbride@russell.lib.va.us.

Watch this free event by signing up via GoToWebinar here. You will receive an email prior to the event with a link and instructions on how to join and watch. This program will also be recorded and posted on the Library's YouTube channel within a few days after the program. This program complements the traveling version of the Library of Virginia’s exhibition Teetotalers & Moonshiners: Prohibition in Virginia, Distilled, on display at Russell County Public Library February 1, 2020–March 13, 2021.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 60
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 23
Number of times program administered: 1

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Library of Virginia
Address: 800 East Broad St.
City: Richmond
State: VA
Zip: 23219
Name: RUSSELL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 248 W MAIN STREET
City: LEBANON
State: VA
Zip: 24266
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series
Narrative:

"Who Is Jackson?"

Part 1 of The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Online

Free

Attendance 41

In partnership with the Library of Virginia and The JXN Project, Richmond Public Library is pleased to present The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series. The JXN Project's co-creators, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, seek to recontextualize and more accurately capture the role of Richmond, Virginia, and Jackson Ward in the Black America experience. Through a year-long celebration of Jackson Ward's 150th anniversary, a set of initiatives to rename the ward's streets after former residents, and a push to increase Black representation in Richmond's historical preservation bodies, The JXN Project will partner with community stakeholders to build a Richmond that honors Black excellence.

In this first talk in a six-part series, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon will discuss the goals that drive The JXN Project as well as the historical research that undergirds it. The public is invited to attend these lectures via Zoom, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative. Check out the RPL calendar for the forthcoming details for future talks in the lecture series!

"They Tried to Bury Us"

Part 2 of The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance 45

In this second talk in a six-part series, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon explore the complex history of the City of Richmond by sharing lesser known stories about spaces like Jackson Ward, where Black Richmonders juxtaposed enslavement and exploitation with entrepreneurship and enterprise well before emancipation. The public is invited to attend these lectures via Zoom, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative. Check out the RPL calendar for the forthcoming details for future talks in the lecture series.

"Walk the Ward"

Part 3 of the JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

Wednesday, June 23, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:15 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance 48

In partnership with the Library of Virginia and The JXN Project, RPL is pleased to present The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series. The JXN Project's co-creators, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, seek to recontextualize and more accurately capture the role of Richmond, Virginia and Jackson Ward in the Black American experience. Through a year-long celebration of Jackson Ward's 150th anniversary, a set of initiatives to rename the ward's streets after former residents, and a push to increase Black representation in Richmond's historical preservation bodies, The JXN Project will partner with community stakeholders to build a Richmond that honors Black excellence.

In this third lecture in a six-part series, Gary Flowers will moderate a discussion between panelists Dr. Carmen Foster (the Foster family), Maurice Hopkins (the Maggie L. Walker High School Alumni Association), and Liza Mickens (the Maggie Walker family). They will explore the arch of Jackson Ward through the lens of its past as "Little Africa," its prime as "Black Wall Street" and "Harlem of the South," and its present as the "Historic Jackson Ward District" and "North Jackson," with artifacts and anecdotes from multigenerational Jackson Wardians.

The public is invited to attend these lectures, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative.

"From Gerrymandered to Gentrified"

Part 4 of the JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 46

The JXN Project celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Jackson Ward neighborhood with a year-long sesquicentennial celebration. Join the Library of Virginia as we partner with The JXN Project and Richmond Public Library to offer a six-part summer lecture series on Jackson Ward history. In this fourth lecture, moderator Allan Charles Chipman (Initiatives of Change) leads a discussion with Duron Chavis (Black Space Matters), Zenobia Bey (Community 50|50), Iman Shabazz (Beyond Containment), and Sheba Williams (Nolef Turns) exploring the arc of Jackson Ward as a neighborhood that was gerrymandered in the 1870s, redlined in the 1950s, and gentrified in the 2000s, as well as its subsequent disruption of families, communities, and businesses.

The JXN Project's co-creators, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, seek to recontextualize and more accurately capture the role of Richmond, Virginia, and Jackson Ward in the Black American experience. Through a year-long celebration of Jackson Ward's 150th anniversary, a set of initiatives to rename the ward's streets after former residents, and a push to increase Black representation in Richmond's historical preservation bodies, The JXN Project will partner with community stakeholders to build a Richmond that honors Black excellence. Learn more at thejxnproject.com.

The public is invited to attend these lectures, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative.

"The Virginia Way"

Part 5 of the JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

Wednesday, August 18, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 21

The JXN Project celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Jackson Ward neighborhood with a year-long sesquicentennial celebration. Join the Library of Virginia as we partner with The JXN Project and Richmond Public Library to offer a six-part summer lecture series on Jackson Ward history. This fifth lecture will feature Gregg Kimball, Dr. Lauranett Lee, Brooke Berry, Christina Vida, Ma'asehyahu Isra-UI, and moderator Dr. Zoe Spencer exploring the role and responsibilities of institutions that may be rooted in oppressive origins in helping to drive the cultivation of more diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces for restorative truth-telling and redemptive storytelling.

The JXN Project's co-creators, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, seek to recontextualize and more accurately capture the role of Richmond, Virginia and Jackson Ward in the Black American experience. Through a year-long celebration of Jackson Ward's 150th anniversary, a set of initiatives to rename the ward's streets after former residents, and a push to increase Black representation in Richmond's historical preservation bodies, The JXN Project will partner with community stakeholders to build a Richmond that honors Black excellence. Learn more at thejxnproject.com.

The public is invited to attend these lectures, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative.

"From Rested and Readied"

Part 6 of the JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 42

The JXN Project celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Jackson Ward neighborhood with a year-long sesquicentennial celebration. Join the Library of Virginia as we partner with The JXN Project and Richmond Public Library to offer a six-part summer lecture series on Jackson Ward history. The sixth and final lecture, a precursor to the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, will be moderated by Gary Flowers and explore the lives of the notable Jackson Wardians who will be honored with street designations as part of "Unveiling The Vanguard" during the Second Street Festival.

The public is invited to attend these lectures, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 60
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 40
Number of times program administered: 6

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Library of Virginia
Address: 800 East Broad St.
City: Richmond
State: VA
Zip: 23219
Name: RICHMOND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 101 EAST FRANKLIN STREET
City: RICHMOND
State: VA
Zip: 23219
Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: On the Square: One Last Peek-We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia
Narrative:

On the Square: One Last Peek- We Demand Women’s Suffrage in Virginia

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 11:00 am - 12:00pm

Online

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 36

The Library of Virginia’s exhibition We Demand: Women’s Suffrage in Virginia, which closed May 28, commemorated the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment and women’s right to vote. On the Square extends a special opportunity to take one last peek with the curators in a live virtual gallery tour. Join us on June 2 at 11 a.m. to hear about the remarkable Virginia women who participated in the suffrage fight- marching in parades, lobbying legislators, making public speeches, picketing the White House, and even going to jail. This event is free but registration is required.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 60
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 36
Number of times program administered: 1

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: Looking Back, Looking Forward: The 50th Anniversary of the Virginia Constitution
Narrative:

Looking Back, Looking Forward: The 50th Anniversary of the Virginia Constitution

Thursday, July 1, 2021 from 3:30 PM- 5:00 PM

Lecture Hall

Free, but registration required

Attendance: 100

Limited seating is available for this special program commemorating the 50th anniversary of Virginia’s current constitution, the seventh in the state’s history, which went into effect on July 1, 1971. Join us for a stimulating conversation about the advances made possible by this constitution and the work that still remains. Moderated by A. E. Dick Howard (Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia), the panel will include Henry L. Chambers Jr. (professor of law, University of Richmond), Catherine Ward (University of Virginia School of Law, Class of 2022), and Brian Cannon (director of campaigns, Institute for Political Innovation). This event will also be live-streamed on the Library's Facebook page.

The Library's commemoration also includes a three-day display (June 29–July 1, 2021, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM) of original copies of Virginia’s Constitutions of 1776, 1869, 1902, and 1971 in our Pre-function Hall.

The Library is joining with others across the state this year in engaging Virginians in thoughtful reflection about our constitution and its advances in areas such as civil rights, local government, education, and environmental conservation. We invite you to join the conversation about how our constitution can help Virginians address the challenges of the 21st century. For information about related events and online resources, visit www.lva.virginia.gov/71constitution.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Combined in-person & virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 90
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 100
Number of times program administered: 1

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: FORUM FRIDAYS: VIRTUAL VIRGINIA FORUM TALKS
Narrative:

FORUM FRIDAYS: VIRTUAL VIRGINIA FORUM TALKS

New Approaches to the Revolutionary Era

Friday, July 23, 2021 from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 83

Join us for a series of virtual presentations on Virginia history and culture from scholars across the state. This series offers some of the most compelling sessions that had been proposed for the 2020 Virginia Forum conference, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. The annual event brings together teachers, students, and professionals interested in Virginia history and culture to present, discuss, and reconsider the story of the commonwealth. Free and open to the general public, this collaboration with the Library of Virginia will share the online sessions with a wider audience. Events are scheduled for July 23, August 6, August 20, and September 17, 2021.

On July 23, Carolyn Eastman (associate professor of history, Virginia Commonwealth University) leads a panel discussion on New Approaches to the Revolutionary Era with historians Kyle Rogers (historical interpreter, Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown) and David Hayter (research and administrative assistant, VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs). Scholars who examine the era of the American Revolution often have to make use of the few original documents that remain—requiring us to do a lot with very little. Whether studying the intellectual history of that era or the lives of the enslaved, scholars continually need to employ creative means of rare sources. This discussion illustrates how a new generation of scholars are doing just that.

Hayter scrutinizes a long-overlooked aspect of the Revolutionary era: at the same time that many political leaders drew heavily on the history of the classical Roman republic as a model for building a new American republic, some looked to an Anglo-Saxon past instead. But where did they get those ideas, and how much did they matter?

Rogers explores the meanings of slavery and freedom in Early Republic and antebellum-era Virginia by scrutinizing county court records in the Library of Virginia’s archives. When five enslaved people seized their freedom in four different Virginia counties between 1820 and 1864, they spawned contentious lawsuits that debated not only their legal statuses, but also the court system’s role in protecting the institution of slavery.

For more information, contact Ashley Ramey at ashley.ramey@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3001.

FORUM FRIDAYS: VIRTUAL VIRGINIA FORUM TALKS

Speaking Their Names: Crafting “Tenacity: Women in Jamestown and Early Virginia”

Friday, August 6, 2021 from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 73

On August 6, Katherine Egner Gruber, special exhibitions curator at Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, presents Speaking Their Names: Crafting “Tenacity: Women in Jamestown and Early Virginia.” Women’s roles in the events of early Virginia were rarely recorded—and rarer still is their presence in traditional treatments of the history of early Virginia. Even so, tenacious women profoundly influenced the early years of the Virginia colony. For too long their names have been forgotten. Using the recent exhibition Tenacity as a guide, this talk will explore how to find women between the lines of the historical record, and how material culture, documentary evidence, and a little imagination can come together to craft an engaging, relevant, and more complete narrative of 17th-century Virginia.

FORUM FRIDAYS: VIRTUAL VIRGINIA FORUM TALKS

Fighting for Freedom: Black Activism in the Civil War–era Lower Shenandoah Valley

Friday, August 20, 2021 from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 71

On August 20, historians Jonathan Berkey (professor of history, Concord University) and Jonathan Noyalas (director of Shenandoah University's McCormick Civil War Institute) discuss Black Activism in the Civil War–era Lower Shenandoah Valley. Through an examination of the experiences of enslaved people in the lower Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War’s first year and the “Bologna Riot” in Reconstruction-era Charles Town, West Virginia, Berkey and Noyalas will offer perspectives on the ways in which African Americans asserted themselves personally and politically in the complex environment of Virginia’s Lower Shenandoah Valley during a tumultuous decade that included civil war, emancipation, and political reconstruction.

FORUM FRIDAYS: VIRTUAL VIRGINIA FORUM TALKS

Family Values Rhetoric & the Struggle for LGBTQ Equality in Virginia

Friday, September 17, 2021 from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Online

Free, but registration required.

Attendance: 25

On September 17, professors Amy Bertsch, Charles H. Ford, and Jeffrey L. Littlejohn offer a new perspective on contemporary Virginia history as they discuss the family values rhetoric of the 20th century and the way it affected members of the LGBTQ community. Bertsch will explore how newspaper reporters, community members, and legal figures perceived and depicted gender nonconforming African Americans in the years before queer liberation and the civil rights movement. Ford will then examine the infamous Bottoms v. Bottoms case in which a woman sued her own lesbian daughter for custody of her grandchild. And, finally, Littlejohn will analyze the legal campaign for marriage equality in Virginia with a focus on historical arguments that linked the ban on same-sex marriage to Virginia’s history of racial and gender discrimination.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 60
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 63
Number of times program administered: 4

Partner Information

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Staff continued to use social media and Facebook live streaming to promote and enrich life long learning programming at the Library of Virginia. Since the pandemic closed the Library to the public for several months and with the full return of on site programming unknown, the use of social media, virtual programming, and online resources have become even more important. We experimented with pop up exhibition talks, which were promoted on the Library's social media platforms before and after the event. Initial metrics have shown that these talks have been viewed hundreds of times on Facebook and they are also on our Youtube channel. We also supplemented some programs with pop up exhibitions in cases on the first and second floors of the Library once the Library opened back up to the public. This provided a way to connect programming with materials from our collections. As with the pop up talks, these displays were often shared on social media channels. Please see the links in the additional materials for our social media channels.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Even when the Library is able to resume in person programming again, we plan to continue the virtual pop up talks and exhibitions and hope to expand them to more programming at the Library of Virginia in the coming year. We will also need to consider the mix of virtual versus in-person programming as the Library returns to the "new" normal.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: