ECW Weekender: The Virginiana Collection at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library

Usually, our ECW Weekenders profile battlefields and historic sites to visit. This weekend, I want to share word about a groovy little spot to do some research.

This past week, I had the opportunity to our through some of the files in the Virginiana Room at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s headquarters on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

“The Virginiana Collection specializes in genealogy and local history,” the library’s brochure explains. “Although its primary focus is on the central Rappahannock region, the collection includes a wide collection of materials covering the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as the surrounding states.”

The collection is built around “a core of thousands of books” and genealogical and historical journals, and there are drawers full of great historical maps.

They also offer workshops and seminars on online genealogy, using historical newspapers, DNA in genealogy, and Civil War research. (Guess what I was there working on…!) They also offer “training on demand” sessions, where librarians can orient researchers to the collection and teach them how to use the resources.

As a bonus, I also got to see some artifacts that were on display from the Mine Run campaign of November 1863. The rotating display features new items each month.

Of course, the rest of the library is cool, too, and the system has eight branches to choose from. (And let’s face it, libraries are always great places to visit.)

For more information, visit the Virginiana Collection’s website: librarypoint.org/history.