The Library’s exhibitions program allows us to serve the UVA community and beyond as an evolving space for discovery and celebration of our shared cultural heritage, by showcasing to the public the rare and unique materials available to the University’s faculty, students, and visiting researchers in a controlled environment, and celebrating them in creative and edifying ways. Exhibitions also allow us to take advantage of partnerships with other institutions and guest curators to bring fresh insight and new treasures to our galleries.
In a competitive application process, 25 archivists have been selected as cohort members in the 2025 Archives Leadership Institute (ALI) to be held at the University of Virginia Library, June 8-14, 2025.
ALI is a grant program funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and aims to meet the ongoing professional development requirements for mid-career archivists. UVA’s grant provides $300,000 for the three-year project, which began in 2024 and will extend into 2026. ALI offers advanced training for the cohort, giving them the knowledge and tools to transform the archival profession in theory, practice, stewardship, and care.
It’s been a year since the grand opening of UVA’s largest Library building, Shannon Library, and the day-to-day operations continue smoothly; including the visible and invisible sustainability choices made during its construction. If you’ve ever noticed the paper compost receptacles or ample natural light, you’ve experienced them for yourself!
Certifiably sustainable
This spring, Shannon Library was awarded LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental design) is the most widely used green building certification system in the world:
If you have a research software question, whether you’re a student, faculty member, or staff, UVA Library’s Nancy Kechner is here to help. A Research Software Specialist working in the Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering Library, Kechner answers numerous queries each day about software, tools, and technology; teaches workshops on data visualization; and creates LibGuides for students enrolled in various courses.
April is Arab American Heritage Month! Want to explore Arab American literature but don’t know where to begin? UVA Library holds a substantial collection of Arab American fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Below are some books to get you started. Leigh Rockey, Librarian for Collections Management and Video Resources, coordinated the following list with help from her colleagues.
Celebrate spring holidays at the Library with prank- and Star Wars-themed crafting sessions in the Makerspace. Or come by our libraries for experimental films, a performance by a talented local singer, or a silent disco in the Shannon Reference Room. All Library events are free.
Most UVA students, and a portion of faculty and post-docs, received an email from UVA Library on Monday, March 3, with the subject line, “Share Your Feedback on UVA Library Services.”
The link in the email, which is unique to the recipient, leads to a survey the Library conducts every few years. The purpose of the survey is to better understand the needs of our University community, and make future plans based on those needs.
Why does it matter?
Survey results help Library staff advocate for our community: In the past, survey results have affected decisions about method of delivery of library materials, access to collections, investment in electronic vs. physical materials, and use of spaces.
Additionally, responses to this survey contribute to long-term data gathered from previous surveys, helping us understand the goals, requirements, and habits of Library users over time.
UVA Library celebrates Women’s History Month with book and film suggestions, discussed below. These selections from Library staff are intended to inspire learning about the accomplishments of women.
The Library welcomes applications to four programs with application deadlines in March — two for UVA-affiliated instructors and researchers, two for non-UVA researchers who are seeking to pursue study in Special Collections.
For UVA instructors, staff, and faculty
Research Sprints offer an intensive work environment for a specific project or a component of a broader project. During the sprints, faculty or staff work intensively with librarians for three full working days. The goal is to work without distractions during that period to produce a tangible product or outcome.
The University itself also has a noteworthy space to learn more about zines — the Zine Bakery project within the Scholar’s Lab, on the third floor of Shannon Library.
The College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at UVA has announced that it will receive a $2.04 million grant from the Mellon Foundation for the Julian Bond Papers Project. The investment will accelerate efforts to digitize, annotate and publish the vast archive of civil rights leader, educator and activist Julian Bond. The manuscript collection is housed at UVA's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.
A University of Virginia professor enlisted students to document the messages—profane, hopeful, despairing—left on library carrels by previous generations.
This spring, Shannon Library was awarded LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental design) is the most widely used green building certification system in the world: 
For UVA instructors, staff, and faculty