College and Research Libraries


By M A R T H A S. B E L L 

Collection of Writings by 
Virginia Women 

DU R I N G the past seven years the alumnae of Randolph-Macon W o m a n ' s Col-
lege have assembled in the college library a 
group of books which is at once unique in 
character and valuable in content. T h e 
product of resourcefulness and effort on the 
part of many booklovers, this collection of 
the writings of Virginia women stands as a 
revealing cross section of life and thought 
in the Old Dominion over a period of more 
than one hundred and twenty-five years. 

Randolph-Macon is fortunate in having 
many library-minded alumnae. For years 
their interest has taken tangible form, and 
both individuals and classes have frequently 
made generous contributions to be used for 
the building up of a worth-while group of 
rare books in the college library. As in-
terest grew and the number of gifts in-
creased, it became evident to the librarian 
that there should be a system of planned 
giving, with gifts directed toward a definite 
project. T h i s matter was discussed by in-
formal groups of alumnae, faculty members, 
and friends of the college. Finally, the 
idea of assembling all the published writ-
ings of Virginia women was suggested and 
accepted by all interested parties. 

T h e plan was definitely formulated in 
1938, when it was also officially endorsed 
by the general alumnae association. A com-
mittee was appointed to direct the enter-
prise, and the task of organizing the work 
and getting it under way was given to a 
graduate of the college who lives in Lynch-
burg. T h e enthusiasm of the committee 

and the untiring efforts of the director, who 
has made herself an authority on the sub-
ject of Virginia women authors, are, in 
large measure, responsible for the success 
of the project. Certain alumnae, however, 
also stand out conspicuously for the work 
they have done. One woman, for instance, 
has been instrumental in obtaining one hun-
dred and two volumes of sixty-three 
authors. 

A word about the method of procedure 
may be of interest. As a beginning, a tenta-
tive mimeographed list of about two hun-
dred names of Virginia women authors was 
compiled. T h i s list was distributed to all 
alumnae who attended the annual alumnae 
association meeting held during the 1938 
commencement. Each member was asked 
to consider herself a committee of one to 
begin a search for the desired books. An 
expanded list was distributed at the alum-
nae meeting the following June. M a n y 
names were subsequently added, as more 
and more Virginia authors came to the at-
tention of the director, and in 1939 a six-
teen-page booklet containing the names of 
366 Virginia women authors was printed 
and sent to alumnae and interested friends. 
A later development was the compilation 
of geographical lists which were given out 
to alumnae chapters in various localities. 
T h i s had proved to be an excellent way to 
acquire books from special sections of the 
state. Every effort is also being made to 
obtain accurate biographical data about each 
author. T h i s information had already been 

OCTOBER, 1946 343 



completed for more than two hundred 

writers. 

T h e very character of the enterprise made 

an immediate appeal to many alumnae. In-

dividual, self-directed book hunts began to 

bear fruit as news of the project spread, so 

that within a year a creditable nucleus of 

books had been assembled. T h i s small be-

ginning has now grown to proportions be-

yond the hopes of its sponsors. Funds for 

the purchase of books have been supplied by 

gifts from alumnae. 

There are, to date, 840 volumes in the 

collection, representing the writings of more 

than three hundred women. Approxi-

mately 50 per cent of the books have been 

contributed by the authors and their rela-

tives, who seem to be unusually interested in 

the project. M a n y of the volumes are the 

result of trips into unfrequented attics, to 

private and church libraries, and to book-

shops, large and small. In the course of 

searches pleasant personal contacts have also 

been made. 

All-inclusive Collection 

T h e official name of this group of books is 

" T h e Collection of the W r i t i n g s of V i r -

ginia W o m e n . " T h e term, "Virginia 

W o m e n , " has been defined to include wom-

en born in Virginia and those who, 

through years of residence, have become 

identified with the state. Books and manu-

scripts are being collected. N o attempt has 

been made, so far, to obtain writings which 

have appeared in periodicals or anthologies. 

It is planned to make the collection all-in-

clusive. Interest is not in "literary w o r t h " 

as such; efforts are made to bring together a 

group of books that w i l l be a permanent 

record of the thoughts, ambitions, and 

achievements of the women of Virginia. 

T h e interests of these women have ranged 

widely. Treatises on sociological problems 

and learned historical studies stand beside 

"mammy" stories and intimate, personal 

diaries. Lengthy genealogies are shelf-

mates with slim volumes of poetry; admo-

nitions to young ladies of the O l d South 

and books on "female character" occupy 

places near modern mystery stories and re-

cent best sellers. 

T h e earliest published volume in the 

collection, The Potomac Muse, "by a Lady, 

a Native of V i r g i n i a " ( M r s . A l f r e d W . 

E l w e s ) , appeared in 1825. T h i s was 

followed a year later by Anne Royall's 

Sketches of History, Life and Manners in 

the United States. T h e latter and seven 

other of M r s . Royall's shrewd, outspoken, 

often vituperative writings are probably the 

most valuable books in the entire group, 

from the standpoint of rare items. 

Women published comparatively few-

books in the early nineteenth century. T h e 

important opus, Flora's Dictionary, valua-

ble volumes on Indian life by M a r y East-

man, and occasional books of sentimental, 

saccharine verse were produced, but it was 

not until after the Civil W a r that any ex-

tensive contribution to the book world was 

made. T h e postwar years brought forth 

many memoirs, journals, autobiographies. 

These form a clear, vital record of the hard-

ships and suffering experienced by the 

women of the Confederacy and testify to 

their courage and gallantry in the face of 

great difficulties. M a n y novels also ap-

peared during this period—stories of love 

and adventure, romances of devotion and 

self-sacrifice, tales of Negro and plantation 

life. By the turn of the century, several 

presses were bringing out the works of 

Virginia women. A s time goes on, con-

temporary writers are producing scores of 

volumes covering various forms of literary 

expression. 

Types and Subjects 

It is worth noting that special types of 

344 COLLEGE AND RESEARCLI LIBRARIES 



books and certain subjects appear through-
out the collection, cutting across all period 
barriers. For instance, Virginia women 
have written books for children since 1854. 
(This group of books, incidentally, was 
used as an effective exhibit in the Randolph-
Macon Library during Book Week.) 
Cookbooks provide sidelights on the social 
life of the times, from early days to the pres-
ent; various versions of the Pocahontas 
story have appeared in poem and story since 
1840; gardening has always been an inter-
est of Virginia women. 

The many delightful features of this 

record of the past and present might be de-
veloped indefinitely. This will, however, 
give some indication of the wealth and 
breadth of its material. It is the desire of 
the alumnae association to make the recoid 
complete for the past, active in the present, 
and to have it project into the future. Al-
though much work remains to be done, there 
is no letup in the search for desired items. 
A l l who now have a part in collecting the 
books find great satisfaction in their efforts 
and, in the years ahead, see great possibili-
ties for carrying onward this memorial to 
the women writers of Virginia. 

Authors' Names in Negro Collections 

(Continued from page 342) 

bibliographical, biographical, or historical, 
concerning Negro writers, should report such 
information to the Union Catalog.10 

3. Libraries containing special Negro collec-
tions should check with each other items of 
bibliographical importance not settled by the 
Union Catalog. 

4. Librarians should file with editors of 
Negro periodicals their approval of the pro-
posed recommendations for the standardiza-
tion of periodical publishing, emphasizing the 
point that full names of authors and coauthors 
be used whenever possible.11 Editors might 
also be requested to indicate racial identity 
in describing their contributors. 

5. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, 
the librarian should urge the authors of worth-
while titles which have not been copyrighted 
to present copies of those works to the Library 
of Congress. This would result in an in-

10 Ibid., p. 9-10. Directions as to what to report and 
how to report it. 

11 Gable, J. H. Manual of Serials Work, p. S3. 

creased usefulness of the Library of Congress 
file of Negro authors. 

Suggestions for Further Study 

In the interest of providing tools for the 
use of the cataloger, which will prove 
equally useful to the research student and 
the reading public, these suggestions for 
further studies are offered: 

1. The compilation of an adequate bibliog-
raphy of Negro literature, with full main 
entries, indicating racial identity, necessary 
cross references, and full indexing. 

2. The compiling and editing of an authori-
tative biographical dictionary of the Negro 
race. 

3. A history of Negro literature from 1900 
to date. 

4. The compilation and annotation of a 
checklist of writings of the Negro authors of 
South America, Haiti, and Cuba, with ade-
quate main entry information. 

OCTOBER, 1946 345