Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

William Van Schreeven Draft of Proposed Manual, 1950-1952. Accession 27942, Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the State Archivist, Virginia State Library, 23 February 1973

Biographical Information

William James Van Schreeven was born 13 March 1909 in Souix City, Iowa. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Iowa. He continued his graduate work at Columbia University and the University of London. Van Schreeven was the State Archivist of Virginia, working at the Virginia State Library from 1939 to 1969. After his retirement, he was appointed general editor of the Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission and edited a series of of works on the American Revolution. Van Schreeven was also a member of the advisory committee for the editing of the papers of George Washington. He and his wife Frances Opal Van Schreeven had a daughter. Van Schreeven died 28 July 1971 in Richmond, Virginia, and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Scope and Content

Draft, 1950-1952, of a proposed manual of archival techniques for librarians written by William James Van Schreeven (1909-1971), State Archivist of Virginia at the Virginia State Library. Contains chapters on: 1. archives in general, 2. building and equipment, 3. preliminary steps for archives collection, 4. descriptive cataloguing, 5. classification, 6. finding aids, and 7. reference works. Also contains an introduction and a bibliography, and includes copies of source articles used by Van Schreeven. Chapters include various outlines; rough drafts, including handwritten and typewritten copies; editorial and critical suggestions; and correspondence concerning the chapters. Bibliography and source articles provide information used by Van Schreeven in the research for the book. Leon DeValinger (1905-2000) State Archivist of Delaware wrote part of chapter II (bulding and equipment). Also includes letter, 16 October 1951, from Everett O. Fontaine (1892-1976) of the American Library Association to Randolph W. Church (1907-1984), State Librarian of Virginia, returning copies of the draft with critics' comments. The manual was never published.