If you were in Richmond in 2020 – 2022 during the monuments’ removals you were part of history. Make your story part of public knowledge! At our community contribution events this fall, library staff will be on hand to assist you with submitting any of the following to Richmond Public Library’s Digital Special Collections:

• Photos and videos (bring digital or physical copies)
• Documents (bring digital or physical copies)
• Signs, flyers, or other ephemera (bring digital or physical copies)
• A brief oral history (we will have capability to record video and audio on the spot)
• Written histories and memories (we will have submission forms)

The Monuments Collection is a multimedia collection of documents, images and oral histories related to the removal of Confederate Monuments in Richmond between 2020 and 2022. Right now, the collection is comprised of government records and documentary footage of the monuments in storage. A fuller story must be told and preserved. All community contributions to the library’s collection will be digital copies, with originals retained by donors.

The Monuments Collection is available to the public via Richmond Public Library’s Digital Special Collections: https://rvalibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/monuments               Richmond Public Library provides public access to materials via a digital collections platform, unless otherwise stipulated by the donor. You can, without permission, copy, modify, distribute, display, or perform the digital object, for non-commercial uses.

Contact MemoryLab@rva.gov or 804-646-1609 for more information.