HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2015-03-24 Loudoun Library Foundation grant
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Thomas Balch Library Receives Grant from Loudoun Library
Foundation
Leesburg, VA (March 24, 2015) – The
Loudoun Library Foundation recently
awarded a grant of $8,500 to the Thomas
Balch Library to complete processing of the
Charles A. Johnston Collection.
The largest and most diverse collection held
by Thomas Balch Library, the Charles A.
Johnston Collection is extensive,
incorporating archives, manuscript
materials, artifacts, rare books,
photographs, and film. Unprocessed, these
materials are full of potential, but
inaccessible. Processed, this intensely personal collection will offer a rare glimpse of everyday
life in Leesburg and Loudoun County from the late 1700s through the 20th century.
This grant follows a 2014 grant Thomas Balch Library received from the Loudoun Library
Foundation in the amount of $6,800. Additional papers and other materials wer e added to the
collection in 2015, leading the Library to seek additional funding for project archivist Ben Tayloe
to inventory and process these additional materials. The target date for completion of
processing of the entire collection is late 2016.
Following the completion of processing, Tayloe will research contextual historical background
for the collection and craft a collection guide to aid researchers. The guide will be included in
the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections and in the Library of Virginia’s Virginia
Heritage [VIVA] database. When completed and ready for researchers, the Charles A. Johnston
Collection will enrich understanding of the history of Leesburg and Loudoun County. Historians
in both the United States and the United Kingdom have already requested access to materials
in the collection indicating the potential value of these materials to researchers.
About the Thomas Balch Library: Thomas Balch Library is a history and genealogy 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. For more
information, visit www.leesburgva.gov/ThomasBalchLibrary.
Contact:
Betsy Fields
Research & Communications Manager
bfields@leesburgva.gov
703-771-2734
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