About the Agency

The Library of Virginia was founded in 1823 to preserve and provide access to the state’s incomparable printed and manuscript holdings. The Library houses the most comprehensive collection of materials on Virginia government, history, and culture available anywhere. The Library’s collections attract researchers from across the country and the world, while the Library’s web sites provide collection-based content and access to our digital collections to those at great distances who are not able to travel to Richmond. The Library offers free and open access to information documenting the work of our democracy and resources for connecting people with their government and essential government resources. The Library’s State Publications Depository Program collects both paper and electronic government publications of all types. The digital repository for electronic publications contains Virginia government information on subjects ranging from healthy living advice to water quality information. The digital collection can be found on the Library’s Virginia Memory web site. Use the Digital Collections drop-down menu “Collections A-Z” and select State Government Publications.

The Library administers and distributes $3.7 million in federal funding and $15 million in state aid to local public libraries. Among the projects the Library manages that are funded through these programs are statewide electronic information resources (Find It Virginia) available free in every school and public library. The Library’s Records Management program assists government agencies in identifying, organizing, maintaining and assessing information and properly disposing of unneeded records. Records management results in cost savings and efficiency and contributes to government. The Library also offers reference assistance, provides consulting services to government agencies and to public libraries, provides educational programs and resources on Virginia history and culture for students and teachers, and offers the public a wide array of exhibitions, lectures, and book talks.