Guest Contributor – Page 3 – The UncommonWealth

Documenting Lynching in Virginia: A Transcription Project at James Madison University

Mob violence against perceived threats to a local community has been a staple of US history, with its long tradition of vigilantism and “popular justice,”…

Guest ContributorSeptember 13, 2023

Education & Programming

One Small Step

StoryCorps, a groundbreaking oral history organization, has given over 640,000 Americans across all 50 states the chance to record conversations about their lives and preserve…

Guest ContributorSeptember 1, 2023

Public Libraries

Books on Wheels: A Summer Library Program

Before I begin describing what exactly the Books on Wheels service is, I want to give you some context regarding the community Augusta County Library…

Guest ContributorAugust 14, 2023

Public Libraries

Don’t Throw It Out – Repair It at the Library

Imagine your favorite necklace clasp broke, but you don’t have small tools to repair it. While it may not be worth enough to take to…

Guest ContributorJuly 10, 2023

Public Libraries

The Great Gatsby Gala

On Saturday, April 22nd, Virginia Beach Public Library’s (VBPL) Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library transformed into Jay Gatsby’s West Egg mansion to host the Great…

Guest ContributorJune 12, 2023

Public Libraries

Bridging the Digital Divide: Local Libraries Receive Support to Boost Digital Skills in Their Communities

In 2022, the Public Library Association (PLA) awarded $1.1 million to 160 public libraries across the United States to conduct digital literacy workshops in their…

Guest ContributorMay 8, 2023

Public Libraries

Make It Reel

The mission of the Newport News Public Library is to "Connect, Inspire, Enrich, and Empower". We continually seek ways to engage with our community, in…

Guest ContributorApril 10, 2023

Virginia Authors

National Poetry Month 2023 with Sandra Beasley

Sandra Beasley is the author of Made to Explode, winner of the Housatonic Book Award; Count the Waves; I Was the Jukebox, winner of the…

Guest ContributorApril 7, 2023

Public Libraries

Some “thing” New to Check Out at the Library

Many public libraries offer a collection of non-traditional items to check out called a “Library of Things,” ranging from musical instruments to board games to…

Guest ContributorJanuary 9, 2023

Public Libraries

A Space Time Continuum

In my youth, there were square glass boxes on almost every corner. It was a common feature that flourished in most cities and even rural…

Guest ContributorDecember 12, 2022

Public Libraries

Voices of Community

A little over nine months ago, I attended a professional development webinar on podcasting. I was feeling, to put it frankly, down in the dumps.…

Guest ContributorOctober 10, 2022

Public Libraries

Opportunities to Socialize Essential for Guests of the YCPL Memory Café

Upon learning that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia conditions were a growing health crisis in Virginia and across the country, I began looking for ways…

Guest ContributorSeptember 12, 2022

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

Elevating the Art and Culture of Freedom in Post-War Richmond

When I arrived as a Virginia Humanities Fellow at the Library of Virginia in September 2021, I did so with the intent to research the…

Guest ContributorAugust 10, 2022

Public Libraries

Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio: Where Innovation, Fun, and Books Meet

Folks popped into the James City County Library to grab materials, but they didn’t always stay long. All that changed in 2021 with a pioneering…

Guest ContributorAugust 8, 2022

Public Libraries

Around the World with Libraries

As a teenager working in the library at Tabb High School in York County, Virginia, I came across a book in a career exploration series…

Guest ContributorJuly 11, 2022