Richmond is an old southern city where the impacts of racism continue. Neighborhoods divided by the “progress” of I-95, poll taxes, and segregated schools are living memory for many. However, these memories are not recorded in a complete way or a way that is easy to share. Thus, African Americans, Native Americans, and women do not see themselves in public history, family legacies, or community stories. Making this situation an urgent one to address, we are just years away from losing stories as eyewitnesses to key events die or move away.
We also have access to sources that would go a long way to providing information and insight into individual stories. City records of the major decisions are stacked in our basement waiting to be digitized, organized and available. Our cultural, historical organizations and local churches are ready to help us gather meaningful documents including yearbooks, photos, and oral histories.

This position is unusual in a Library. The skills needed are wide-ranging. Archiving, cataloguing and library know-how, genealogy and public history familiarity, AND solid communication skills were crucial. We made our selection in January 2023 and she got right to work.

Community conversations guided prioritization of digitizing records and materials most requested for research. These dialogs helped develop a list of priority oral histories and she initiated outreach.
In neighborhood workshops she explained how to find elusive bits of information and how to preserve and share family stories. In workshops and individual appointments at convenient times, she put library resources and technologies to work. She branched out to younger generations using film, art, and music.

She continues to talk with museums, historians, and cultural institutions. Coordination allows us to move quickly in a focused manner, working in the right areas, and not duplicating efforts.

The results of this position at RPL are transformative for Richmonders:

• CMF recorded or managed 31 oral or written Richmond memories in year 1
• At least 3,000 items including City Directories, local periodicals, city reports, yearbooks and other items were moved to one location for ease of access
• Staff most adept at answering the unique questions which accompany research are now in the same room as resource material
• Richmonders can access the Law Library, where legal searches related to City records and court records such as property transfers, deeds, and similar are instructive or illuminating
• Resources available evenings and weekends
• Newly accessible and digitized resources are available to everyone Richmonders now trust us with family histories and treasures (photos and ephemera for digitization)

Richmonders can now preserve and share family stories, entrusting them to future generations with the support of the Community Memory Fellow.

Additional Materials:

• Richmond Magazine: "Special Collections"
• Virginia Mercury: "Make it last forever: How Richmonders’ recollections build public knowledge"