HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2011-12-08 Loudoun Laurels Collection
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
“Loudoun Laurels” Oral History Collection Now Available to
Researchers at Leesburg’s Thomas Balch Library
Leesburg, VA (December 8, 2011) – Leesburg’s Thomas Balch Library recently made a collection
of oral histories and related archival materials available to the public for research. The Loudoun
Laurels Oral History Collection documents the lives and works of leaders within the Loudoun
County community.
In 2008, the Loudoun Healthcare Foundation, the fundraising arm of INOVA Loudoun Hospital,
created the “Loudoun Laurels” awards to honor those who lead by example and to encourage a
sense of community. There are seven categories in which an individual or organization may be
nominated: business and not-for-profit, education, lifetime service, philanthropy, science and
technology, statesmanship, and stewardship. Each honoree participates by recording an audio-
visual oral history to document his or her life, history, and contributions to Loudoun County. In
2010, the Loudoun Laurels Foundation became an independent not-for-profit organization,
whose sole mission is to identify and honor outstanding Loudoun County individuals and
organizations with the annual Loudoun Laurels awards.
When the Loudoun Healthcare Foundation first created the Loudoun Laurels awards, the
Foundation approached the Thomas Balch Library about becoming the archival repository for
the new oral history series, and awarded the Library a $10,000 grant to house and preserve the
new collection. The Loudoun Laurels Foundation continues to recognize Thomas Balch Library
with an annual award in support of the Loudoun Laurels Oral History Collection.
The oral histories, recorded on DVDs from 2008 to 2011, are now available for viewing at the
Thomas Balch Library and an online guide to the collection is available on the Town website at
www.leesburgva.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8546. Honorees include
politicians, activists, local historians and industry leaders. The interviews cover their early lives,
influences, work, and families. Each year, new oral histories will be added to the collection as
the Loudoun Laurels Foundation honors additional individuals. For each interview, the Library
maintains a master copy and produces an additional copy that patrons may use in the library.
The Library also preserves publicity surrounding the awards ceremony, as well as the ceremony
programs as part of the Loudoun Laurels Oral History Collection. These materials, along with
the oral histories themselves, document the work of the Loudoun Laurels Foundation and of
the individuals honored each year.
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TOL PR 2011-12-08 Loudoun Laurels Collection
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About the Thomas Balch Library: The Thomas Balch Library, located at 208 West Market Street
in downtown Leesburg, Virginia, is a genealogy and local history library owned and operated by
the Town of Leesburg. A designated Underground Railroad research site, the Library’s
collections focus on Loudoun County, regional and Virginia history, genealogy, military history
with special emphasis on the American Civil War, and ethnic history.
Contact:
Alexandra S. Gressitt
Library Director
agressitt@leesburgva.gov
703-737-7196
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