The Washington Monument is finally reopening on 12 May 2014 after undergoing restoration for damage caused by an earthquake in August 2011. I was curious what the…
Bari HelmsMay 12, 2014
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that digital images for the King William County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1868-1913, are now available online through the Chancery…
Bari HelmsMarch 12, 2014
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to bring a bit of romance to Out of the Box, but when one spends her day working…
Bari HelmsFebruary 12, 2014
The release of the film 12 Years a Slave had us talking here at Out of the Box. Discussions on slavery are a common occurrence at the Library of…
Bari HelmsDecember 4, 2013
Usually at Out of the Box we offer up stories found by our archivists in the many collections held at the Library of Virginia, but today, we’re…
Bari HelmsOctober 30, 2013
Digital images of Legislative Petitions to the Virginia General Assembly, 1776 to 1865, from Bath County through Essex County are now available on Virginia Memory, the Library…
Bari HelmsOctober 18, 2013
October and Archives Month are finally here! This year’s theme, “Homegrown: Celebrating Virginia’s Cultural Heritage in its Archives and Special Collections,” celebrates the diverse culture in…
Bari HelmsOctober 2, 2013
Divorces reveal much about the inner-workings of a family, usually much more than outsiders should ever discover. While processing the Arlington County chancery causes, I…
Bari HelmsSeptember 18, 2013
The Surry County Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1917), contain valuable biographical, genealogical, and historical information and document a broad spectrum of citizens of Surry County—rich and…
Bari HelmsSeptember 6, 2013
The romantic landscape may seem ambiguous in 2013, but courtship in 19th-century Virginia was no different. Think those text messages are hard to decipher? Try…
Bari HelmsAugust 28, 2013
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that digital images for the Middlesex County Chancery Causes, 1754-1912, are now available online through the Chancery Records Index on…
Bari HelmsAugust 2, 2013
The Library of Virginia’s Local Records Services branch, in partnership with the Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk, was recently awarded a 2-year grant from the National…
Bari HelmsJune 17, 2013
The Library of Virginia, in partnership with the Rockingham County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, is pleased to announce that the indexing and digitization of Rockingham County’s…
Bari HelmsMay 31, 2013
Even during wartime, soldiers managed to have a sense of humor … April Fools' prank, 1863. Caroline County Military and Pension Records, 1864, Local Government…
Bari HelmsApril 1, 2013
