The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-22
VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY~-ITS HISTORY

The history of the Virginia State
library goes back TO colonial days,
when the council performed legisla-
tive. executive and judicial functions.
The council was one of the branches
of the general assembly, correspond
ing to the present senate: 1t was a
body advising with the governor in
all the more difficult matters OF ad-
ministration. and 1t was the highest
court of the colony. This council was
composed, as a rule, Of the. most dis
tinguished and best educated men OF
the colony. men whose private IL
braries were large. and men, accord
ingly, who would be bound to appre-
ciate the value OF a public collection
of books in Williamsburg to which
they might from time TO time freely
refer in the execution of their multi
farious duties 1t is not surprising.
therefore. to find in the journal Of the
council In its executive capacity oc-
casionally references to the care OF
such a collection; and at the present
day, despite the lapse of time and the
various vicissitudes OF war and peace,
possibly half a hundred volumes fur
nished with the old council book plate
are to be found in the present collec-
ton Of tho Virginia State library.
n
council, shorn of its legislative and
judicial functions and composed of a
mem hership elected by the general
assembly. persisted for many years,
and ii was but natural that the gem
eral assembly, when al last II saw
fit to provide for a library. should
have put 1t under the control OF the
governor and his executive council.
This provision was made in 1923,
z Id n
completing the publication Of the stat
utes at large It was provided that the
five hundred copies of Hening's stat
utes at Large" purchased by the State
should be sold, and the proceeds "ap~
ipropriated for the purpose of IL
brary. under the superintendent OF
the executive, for the use Of the Court
of Appeals and General Court and OF
! the general assembly during the ses-
sion thereof" This act was supple
mented by an act OF 1925. having the
title. IAN act TO provide more effec-
tually for the establishment of pub
lie library" wherein the governor and
council were authorized to employ an
agent for the sale not only Of the
Statutes at Large" but also Of the
Supreme court reports. and the use
ef the library. confined by the letter
Of the former act to the courts and
the &GUEFat assem- Diy, WAS NA|eHGtu
TO all the departments of the govern
ment. 1t required third act, how
ever. duly passed in 1928. for the
library TO get properly started on Its
career Of usefulness, for up 10 this
time no quarters had been assigned as
It's home. and for this reason the sale
of the various State documents had
not been pushed and few books had
been purchased The act OF 1928 au-
thorized the executive Chat Is. the
governor and councin To fit UP for
the uses of the library any room in
the capitol which might be available
and the clerk OF the council was made
ex- offic!o librarian. The room in the
southeast corner Of the capitol on the
same floor with the council chamber.
and usually occupied by the commit
tee OF propositions and grievances"
was duly furnished and suitable rules
for the conduct OF the library drawn
up.
From the latter part OF 1929, then.
To the present time the library has
been in active and useful operation,
Soon the library was put under the
control of joint library committee
of the senate and the house, which
committee made a report to the as
sembly each year; and still later the
secretary OF the Commonwealth was
made ex-officio librarian. who APP
pointed AN assistant to do the actual
work. This method OF control con-
tinued up TO the first of July. 1908.
when. in accordance with a provision
of the present constitution of the
state, the State library board assumed
control of the Institution. This board
consists Of five members appointed
by the State board of education. They
serve without pay for five years. the
term of one member of the board ex-
piring each year and his successor
being appointed.
Coincident with this great change
in the management of the library, the
law library was separated from the
general library and put under the con-
troll Of the Supreme Court of APP
peals: so that whereas formerly
there was but one library. containing
the law books and the miscellaneous
books of the State. there are now
two libraries, under entirely distinct
management, having no connection
with each other beyond that OF a
friendly interest except that the gem
eral library Ia required to deliver to
the law library all acts OF assembly.
court reports, codes and other law
books that 1t receives from the other
States OF the Union In exchange for
copies Of the Virginia documents that
II sends out
The funds for the purchase Of books