Celebrating the Library of Virginia

It was certainly humbling to be keeping company with Wytheville’s most elite.  I sat next to Dr. and Mrs. Dean Sprinkle, president of Wytheville Community College.  Also in attendance was Dr. and Mrs. Walter Barton among the nearly fifty esteemed guests.  Dr. Jon Kukla, the internationally-acclaimed author of Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty was also among the evening’s attendees. 

However, there was one in particular whom I was especially glad to see.  Carroll County Clerk of Court Gerald Goad and I met twenty years ago when we were both students at Wytheville Community College and have remained close friends ever since.  Gerald is one of the most goal-oriented people I have ever encountered and I have proudly watched over the past two decades as he has successfully achieved each one, including being elected to one of the highest positions in his native county.

Host John DiYorio stated in opening remarks that he was privileged to serve on the Board of Directors in 2007 when Dr. Sandra Treadway was selected as the Librarian of Virginia, a position she holds currently. 

“If I told you that we have not regretted hiring Dr. Treadway, it would be an understatement,” he noted.  “She has exceeded our expectations and has amassed a great staff.”

Scott Dodson, Executive Director of the Library of Virginia Foundation, was the first of three speakers to approach the podium.   He spoke of the foundation’s partnership with the Library of Virginia to raise funds for important statewide programing such as conservation education seminars.  The Library of Virginia is involved in a statewide tour celebrating its 200^th anniversary, which included this stop in Wytheville.  With more than 130 million items in its collection, Dodson says the goal of the Library of Virginia is to continue to collect items so that those living two or three centuries beyond us can have a more complete comprehensive collection of research showing how we lived.

Dr. Treadway was next up to the microphone.  She called their visit to Wytheville part of their “get acquainted tour.” 

“These cultivation events allow us to go out in the Commonwealth to explain who we are, what we do, and why we should matter to you, because I firmly believe that we should,” she stated.  “Our collection dates back before the founding of Virginia and even America, with our earliest pieces being from the 13^th century.”

While Treadway gives credit to the quality of academic libraries today, she notes that, for many years, the Library of Virginia was the only institution available for such historical items from Virginia and beyond.

“For years, we were the library of record for government,” Treadway remarked.  “Our story is your story, the story of Virginia and a huge part of the story of America.”

She also noted that, the Library of Virginia has just acquired a vehicle, which would be used for traveling to different spots statewide to inform potential patrons of available resources and offer brief tutorials on the utilization of the its online database.  This program, entitled “Library of Virginia On the Go” made its debut on April 15 at the Washington County Public Library in Abingdon.

Treadway also told the story of the library’s recent acquisition of a portrait of an African American member of the Virginia House of Delegates painted circa 1880.  A man in a Seattle nursing home possessed the portrait and knew his family would not want it after his passing.  It is the only known likeness of this particular delegate.

Finally, John Metz, Deputy for Collections and Programs at the Library of Virginia, took to the podium to present some very special acquisitions.  These included a law book signed by Patrick Henry, which originated from his early days of practicing law in the late 1750s.  Also included was an ink jet copy of an 1881 map of natural resources in Virginia. 

“At that time, Virginia was looking at diversifying its economy.  Officials looked at this part of the Commonwealth and saw its value for mineral resources,” Metz informed.  “This area was the only one in the Allied world of the Second World War to produce bauxite for bombs.” 

The map was color-coded according to resources available in that particular area.  Naturally, Wythe County was noted for its limestone and sandstone with Austinville being the lead and zinc capital of the world for more than two centuries. 

Perhaps one of the most interesting items to this area were the wanted posters of Floyd and Sidna Allen, perpetrators of the globally-infamous Carroll County Courthouse shooting in 1912.  Rewards for these local fugitives were as high as $3,100 or over $90,000 in today’s money.  Having grown up in Missouri, Metz recalled hearing of the case in his high school history classes.  The shooting was, of course, reported in newspapers nationwide.  Metz also spoke of the library’s extensive private papers collection, imploring everyone to consider donating unwanted heirlooms to the library, which might prove essential in state research.