Physical Collections
- A large collection of published materials on Richmond and Virginia history
- City and suburban directories (1819 to present)
- Yearbooks from local elementary, middle, high schools, and universities
- Local newspapers and periodicals (including Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond News Leader, Richmond Afro-American and Richmond Planet)
- Over 1,500 files of local ephemera
- City Archives including maps, reports from City of Richmond departments, and City ordinance and resolution books
- Richmond-area phone books
- Historic records of local organizations including the Virginia Mechanics’ Institute, Richmond Education Association, and Rosemary Library
Visit Richmond Public Library’s Special Collections page for additional information.
Digital Collections
Richmond Public Library’s Digital Special Collections includes a mix of library-owned materials and materials shared by the public. If you find something in our digital collections that interests you, it is possible we have additional, non-digital materials that may be of interest. Our Digital Special Collections are continuously growing as new materials are added.
Virginia Yearbooks Digital Collection
This ongoing project from Library of Virginia seeks to make available Virginia public high school yearbooks via Internet Archive. Richmond Public Library has partnered with Library of Virginia to add yearbooks from our collection. You can view the digitized yearbooks on Library of Virginia’s Internet Archive page.
Research
Richmond Public Library subscribes to several online databases that may be helpful in your local history and genealogy research. Physical collections can be accessed for research purposes in the Richmond Room and dedicated computers are available for online research and database access. Research assistance requests can be directed to (804) 646-0117 or RichmondRoom@rva.gov. All physical collections are non-circulating and must be used within the library, but scans and photography of materials is encouraged.
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