Collections : [Alexandria Library]

This collection contains the records of the Alexandria Library, documenting the administration and operation of the Library, dating from the founding of the public library in 1937 through the present. Included are administrative records, annual reports, financial records, circulation records, materials documenting the history of the Library, programming and outreach records, and records of the individual branches of the library system. Formats include textual documents, photographs, and ephemera.

These are the collected papers of Alexandria politician Armistead Lloyd Boothe (1907-1990). Papers created or collected by Boothe in the course of his career include campaign materials, correspondence with colleagues, and extensive newspaper clippings in addition to other research on political issues such as segregation, education, and transportation.

This collection contains research materials, ephemora, and photographs collected by or created by Mike McKenney, Thomas Mills Jr., and Thomas Mills III, that document the Alexandria Fire Department.

Newspaper clippings; Listings of officers for the Civitans and Civinettes; Membership lists for the Civinettes; Lists of naturalized citizens, mid-to-late 1950s; By-laws for both organizations; Camp Tapawingo; Jr. Civitans.

Records, correspondences, authorizations for expenditure (AFEs), notebooks, ephemera, and blueprints, all documenting the Potomac Yard rail yard in Alexandria, Virginia.

The collection consists of circulation, subscription, and financial ledgers, annual lecture series documents, catalogues, correspondence, and various organizational documents. Topics include: foundation of the Alexandria Library Company, its cycles of growth and decline reflecting the local economy; the formation of the local public library system; and the on-going activities of the Alexandria Library Company, most notably its lecture series.

The collection consists of financial records, such as account books from the 1800s; dividend payments; income tax returns from 1919-1928; company records and reports; an employee records book from the 1920s-1940; letters of correspondence; company histories; franchise map; and newsclippings from various newspapers in 1956-1957. Of particular interest are the 1867 property book and the book containing the "Copies of Deeds, Agreements, & Contracts" from 1853-1892. Both contain drawings and diagrams of where water pipes had been laid in Old Town.

This collection pertains mostly to Alexandria's 1974 celebration. Included are minutes and reports from the Alexandria Bicentennial Commission's meetings, and schedules of festivities. Also included are the Bicentennial editions of the Alexandria Gazette from both 1974 and 1976. The 1974 edition, however,is missing the first two sections. The collection also contains a bound collection of historical information on the history of the Alexandria Library Company and the Circulating library, presumably at the behest of the Bicentennial Commission.

This collection contains digital donations collected from members of the Alexandria African American community during the 2023 Alexandria Black Family Reunion event. This is a completely digital collection consisting of digital surrogates of the materials; the original items have been retained by their owners. Included are photographs, documents, and ephemera.

The collection contains the combined research papers of Charles L. Sampson and William F. Hellmuth. Sampson compiled and rewrote much of Hellmuth's research, producing short histories on the individual engine companies of the Alexandria Fire Department. Sampson also typescripted many articles from the Alexandria Gazette as well as primary documents like the Auditor's Annual Statement (1893) and correspondence. In addition to the research papers, the collection also contains correspondence from the Columbia Engine Co. #4 and the Alexandria Fire Department, meeting minutes, certificates, articles, and a few pictures. Sampson's research primarily covers the history of the Alexandria Fire Department from its beginning in 1774 with the organization of the Friendship Company to the 1960's. It also bound volumes of minutes, accounts, and other records from various fire companies and scrapbooks of news clippings about the department. The collection also includes Sampson's photographs covering not only fire related subjects but also Alexandria in general.