Links to History and Research Resources
This site contains links to internet and online library resources devoted to history and research. It contains sites created and maintained by VCU Libraries, links to Virginia related repositories and collections, online VCU Resources, and other valuable sites. If you have any questions or suggestions for sites to include, please email Special Collections and Archives.
Sites Created and Maintained by VCU Libraries
Resources on Slavery in Richmond, Virginia - This online resource was created in 2009 as part of an ongoing initiative to help document the history of slavery in Richmond. Its sponsors include the Richmond Slave Trail Commission, the public history program of VCU's Department of History and Special Collections and Archives.
This site will function as a learning resource and will help identify images, print sources, manuscript collections, and other online resources related to the history of slavery in Richmond. This project is also intended to identify, acquire, and organize for public access the archives of the Richmond Slave Trail Commission.
Learn about the architecture of the historic houses on W. Franklin St. on VCU's Monroe Park campus - visit: The Fifth Avenue of Richmond: The Development of the 800 and 900 Blocks of West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia, 1855-1925. By Kerri Culhane, Master's Thesis from VCU, 1997
Richmond Professional Institute - A Research Guide where you will find a variety of resources related to the history of RPI which was the forerunner to VCU on the Monroe Park Campus. RPI merged with the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 to form VCU.
History Resources -- This is the site you want to start with when seeking history resources for your research. It contains a detailed list of the various history resources located in or available through VCU Libraries. It has links to Internet directories, electronic journals, periodical indexes, and numerous other resources including a section devoted to Virginia history.
Virginia Heritage Project: Guides to Manuscript and Archival Collections in Virginia. This is a resource that Special Collections and Archives has contributed to. Access the growing union database of EAD (Encoded Archival Description) tagged finding aids (or guides) to archival collections in Virginia. Over one hundred of Special Collections and Archives' manuscript collections are part of this database.
Richmond, Virginia History Internet Resources -- Compiled and maintained by Special Collections and Archives, this site has links to nearly 90 web sites focusing on aspects of Richmond history and includes links to Richmond area libraries, museums, and repositories.
VCU Libraries Digital Collections - Oral histories, online web sites, histories of VCU, Richmond images, VCU yearbooks and much more are available here.
Special Collections and Archives at VCU's Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences houses archives, artifacts, books, manuscripts, photographs, portraits and prints related to the history of health care in Virginia. The archives for the Medical College of Virginia campus of VCU are also located in the department. Their web site includes links to sites on the History of Nursing Resources on the Internet and Virginia Nursing History. All of these sites were created and are maintained by Jodi Koste, Archivist, Tompkins-McCaw Library.
VCU Administrative Toolkit is a web-based portal designed to allow easy access to financial and administrative policies, activities, training and forms. Special Collections and Archives houses the official records and archives of VCU and its predecessor institutions. For information on what to do with the records of your University office or department, visit the Records Management information site maintained by Technology Services or email Special Collections and Archives.
VCU News Center -- Part of the Division of External Affairs, the public relations arm of VCU, VCU News Center is the leading news and public information efforts of Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Medical Center.
Commonwealth Times -- Online version of VCU's student newspaper. Current and back issues of The Commonwealth Times are housed in James Branch Cabell Library's Special Collections and Archives. Past issues are available Online HERE. This collection includes the two forerunners to the current student paper, The Atlas [1929 - 1939] and The Proscript [1939-1969].
Board of Visitors Minutes -The files presented here are copies of the official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee. All Virginia public universities are governed by a Board of Visitors appointed by the Governor and approved by the General Assembly. The Board's minutes document the growth of VCU from its founding to the present
Links to Virginia related repositories and collections
Library of Virginia
Numerous resources can be found at the Library of Virginia. Four sites worth noting here include their guide to Virginia History and Culture Resources on the Internet, an index to the Virginia Cavalcade and their VA-HIST (Virginia History) Discussion Group is a discussion list for research and writing about Virginia history. Researchers can learn more about the work of other scholars, inquire about the location of sources, debate issues, raise questions, and learn about current events in the field (conferences, research grants, position announcements, etc.).
Links to Repositories (archives, libraries, museums, historical societies...)
ArchiveGrid - Search thousands of finding aids and guides to archival manuscript collections from around the world.
Repositories of Primary Sources. This listing of over 5,000 web sites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar is maintained by the University of Idaho.
A second source for online archival information is Tulane University's "Ready, 'Net, Go! Archival Internet Resources." This site refers the user to the major indexes, lists, and databases of archival resources and includes an archival search engine.
Richmond, Virginia History Internet Resources -- Compiled and maintained by Special Collections and Archives, this site has links to nearly 90 web sites focusing on some aspect of Richmond history and includes links to Richmond area libraries, museums, and repositories.
ArchivesUSA A subscription database of archival finding aids.
National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) --- The Archival Research Catalog (ARC) is the online catalog of NARA's nationwide holdings in the Washington, DC area, Regional Archives and Presidential Libraries. ARC replaces its prototype, the NARA Archival Information Locator (NAIL). You can still perform a keyword, digitized image and location search. ARC's advanced functionalities also allow you to search by organization, person, or topic.
National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) -- NUCMC is a free-of-charge cooperative cataloging program operated by the Library of Congress. On the basis of cataloging data supplied by eligible repositories, NUCMC catalogers create MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) bibliographic records in the RLG (Research Libraries Group) data base, a national-level database, describe collections held by participants, and establish pertinent name and subject authority headings. Descriptions and locations of the material are then available to researchers throughout the United States and around the world.
Staff favorites -- Other ways to go back in time
WJRB AM 820 - VCU's student run radio, l967-1970s. Great site created by RPI/VCU alum.
American Memory Project -- American Memory is a gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections.
Chronicling America - This site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1880-1922 and find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. It includes four Richmond Newspapers including the Richmond Planet.
Documenting the American South -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors Documenting the American South, a collection of sources on Southern history, literature and culture from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century. Projects include: First-Person Narratives of the American South; Library of Southern Literature; North American Slave Narratives; The Southern Home front, 1861-1865; and The Church in the Southern Black Community.
Internet Archive -- Go back in time on the Internet with the Wayback Machine which makes it possible to surf more than 10 billion pages stored in the Internet Archive's web archive. One can browse the Wayback Machine or enter a URL.
The Making of America -- Cornell University Library's Making of America is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. This site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
Internet History Sourcebook's Project -- The Internet History Sourcebook's Project [IHSP] is a collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use. The IHSP is a world wide web project designed to provide easy access to primary sources and other teaching materials in a non-commercial environment.
The Shockoe Examiner - A (almost) daily blog on Richmond History.