The University of Virginia has appointed Lisa Blackmore as Faculty Director of UVA Library’s Digital Humanities Center and Professor of Spanish in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Blackmore, formerly a Senior Lecturer in Art History and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Essex in England, begins her role at UVA on August 21.
Since 2018, Blackmore has been the founder/director of entre—ríos [Between Rivers] an international digital platform focusing on bodies of water in Latin America. Her research is in the field of environmental humanities, with a focus on cultural histories of human-river relations, ecocritical analysis of art and literature, and creative collaborations between art, science, and communities.
For Disability Pride Month 2025 — marking the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — Carla Arton, Keith Weimer, Erin Dickey, Christine Ruotolo, and Bethany Mickel from the UVA Library are proud to spotlight a selection of works that have made the journey from page to screen, offering powerful representations of disability in both written and visual forms. This year’s theme — “adaptation” — invites us to reflect on how stories of disability are told, retold, and transformed when moving from text to film.
Writing about disability is, in itself, a layered act of translation. Whether through memoir, biography, or fiction, the written word attempts to capture the lived experience of disabled individuals — sensory realities, internal landscapes, and social dynamics that often resist simplification. When these stories are then adapted into film, another layer of interpretation is added. What is chosen to be visualized, dramatized, or omitted can deeply shape how audiences come to understand disability — sometimes reinforcing familiar tropes, other times challenging them.
Many in the University of Virginia community have taken the short journey to the top of Observatory Hill to visit the Leander McCormick Observatory, which was dedicated in 1885 and is still in operation. But how many are aware that two smaller observatories were constructed at the University and demolished by the mid-19th century? A new exhibition in the First Floor Gallery of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library explores the history of these little-known buildings.
Leo S. Lo, who currently serves as dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico, has been appointed the University of Virginia’s next University librarian and dean of libraries, effective Sept. 15.
“We had an outstanding slate of finalists, and I’m excited that Leo will be joining us to lead the UVA Library into its third century,” said Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Brie Gertler. “He brings a wealth of experience to the position, and his expertise in AI literacy will be invaluable in helping to equip our students and faculty for a world permeated by this technology.”
When the Rotunda burned down in October of 1895 — faulty wiring was to blame — University of Virginia officials immediately pushed to rebuild, and in 1896, after a false start with McDonald Brothers of Louisville, Kentucky, the Board of Visitors hired prominent New York architects McKim, Mead & White. Stanford White, the artistic force of the firm, was the lead architect on the Rotunda redesign. The University also hired the firm to design three new buildings to enclose the South Lawn. These buildings, also designed by White, came to be Rouss, Cocke, and Cabell Halls, and White also went on to design Garrett Hall as well as Carr’s Hill, the UVA president’s home.
Late last month, UVA Today published a story on “must-read books for the summer” recommended by UVA Library staff. The suggestions ranged from a book about how Taylor Swift reinvented pop music (by a UVA alumnus) to Jane Austen’s arguably least-known work. That piece stayed on UVA Today’s list of “most popular” stories for two weeks and was even shared by UVA President Jim Ryan on Instagram.
To read more about these books, click the image below to access the UVA Today story.
Cecelia Parks, Undergraduate Student Success Librarian; Anne Causey, Reference Librarian; and Kiowa Hammons, Director of Copyright & Scholarly Communication Services, recommend nine books and films exploring the history, present, and future of trans people.
See the full list in Virgo, plus a few books that did not make the final cut!
The Edgar Shannon Library has been open a little more than a year, and in that time, it’s welcomed several hundred thousand visitors and hosted hundreds of events, workshops, and presentations. For a broad look at Shannon Library, check out our Overview and What’s in Shannon Library? videos.
For a closer look, enjoy the photos below. Photographers Tom Daly and Sanjay Suchak found some unusual angles, interesting patterns, and unexpected views of the library, capturing unique details of Shannon Library over its first year of operation.
In 1943, she began taking classes in the evenings at UVA, as women were permitted to do, though most were unable to attend UVA as full-time students. She paid her tuition in part by working in the University’s main library, then called Alderman Library, now Shannon Library.
Fire destroyed the Rotunda in October 1895. University officials immediately pushed to rebuild. In 1896 the Board of Visitors hired the prominent New York firm McKim, Mead & White to redesign the historic center of the University. The architectural drawings are now available online in an easy-to-use format through the UVA Library.
“Seeing Stars: The University’s Earliest Observatories” traces the evolution of astronomy at the University, beginning with Thomas Jefferson’s lifelong fascination with the science.
