Local History Special Collections

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Local History/Special Collections
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2420
Phone:   703-838-4577
Fax:       703-706-3912
Directions, maps & public transit

Monday, 9 am to 9 pm;
Wednesday, 9 am to 6 pm;
Friday, 9 am to 6 pm;
first Saturday of the month,
9 am to 5 pm


Beginning June 29, Local History/Special Collections' hours are
Monday, 9 am to 9 pm;
Wednesday, 9 am to 6 pm;
Friday, 9 am to 6 pm;
and the first Saturday of the month, 9 am to 5 pm.

Local History/Special Collections houses many resources for those interested in Alexandria and Virginia history and genealogy and the Civil War. Major activities include generating online exhibits, collection guides and genealogy indexes. A popular online exhibit is the Document of the Month, a rotating display of original documents from the collection.

A new bibliography is now available of over 3000 titles that were a part of the original collection comprising the Alexandria Library under the Alexandria Library Company. Click for the list by author (*=represents multiple authors), for the list by title, and the list by date. Patrons may request to see these titles. Please visit or contact Special Collections for more information.

Explore!

Collection Overview Virtual Tour Genealogy
Local History Indexes
& Guides		 Online Exhibits Digital Books
Bookshop Newsletter Useful Links

Classes at Local History

There are no classes scheduled for the new year. Click below for three recent classes:
November 2009 classes schedule

Parking
All parking is on the street; there are both metered and free spaces. Use of free on-street parking requires moving the car every two hours. Non-residents of the City of Alexandria may obtain a researcher parking permit which will allow free, same day parking for 24 hours at a metered parking space. Permits are obtained from the Ramsay House (Alexandria Convention and Visitors Bureau) 221 King Street. Call 703-838-4200.

About us
The books, microfilm, manuscripts, photographs and other items in the Special Collections division constitute a research collection; none of the materials may be checked out of the library.

A self-service, coin-operated copier and microfilm reader/printers are available. Studio-quality reproductions or digital scans of photographs are also available.

As many of the materials in the collection are fragile and/or valuable, patrons are asked to leave personal belongings such as bags and jackets in a locker and exercise care when handling materials.

Food and drink are not permitted in Special Collections and cell phones ringers should be turned off or set to vibrate.

We welcome donations of materials related to Alexandria and Virginia history, Virginia genealogy, and the Civil War.

The Friends of Local History
The Friends help strengthen ties between the library and the local history research community. They provide funds to enhance library services through book sales and fund raising projects.

What ever happened to Lloyd House?
The Alexandria Library spent most of the 1990s on a building boom. A new central (main) library was constructed on Duke Street opposite the former site of Cameron Station, now a residential area. The Barrett Branch on Queen Street, shed of its "main library" space requirements had room to house the history and genealogy collections formerly in Lloyd House and we moved over here in May 2000. In addition, the Barrett Library serves as a downtown branch with full public library service including services to children.

Our last two years in Lloyd House were difficult. Shelving space was non-existent and we had to triple layer the books on the windowsills to store the collection. An architectural engineering study revealed stability issues and we had to pack over 4,000 books (about 25% of the collection) to off-site storage with no access and discontinue use of a lot of shelving because the floor was not safe for the 150 pounds/square foot floor loading requirement for a library even though we knew at that point that we'd be leaving the building.

After vacating Lloyd House, the building was closed for about three years for extensive renovation that included shoring up the floor and ceiling joists that affected the use by the Library. Space was opened up on the first floor on the north side and a catering kitchen and restroom were added on that level. At this time Lloyd House is the headquarters for the Office of Historic Alexandria, the city agency responsible for the museums, Archaeology, etc. So, it is in use as light office space. The public spaces on the first floor and the backyard garden are used as rentals for social functions.

The Alexandria Library moved its historical and genealogical collections to the Lloyd House in 1976 because the collection outgrew the space it had in the Barrett Library. By 2000, we had clearly outgrown Lloyd House and there was plenty to be had (more space, increased service hours to include evenings, and modern conveniences) with a return to the Barrett Library.