Conditions Governing Use

The Library believes that all or nearly all material in this collection is likely to be in the public domain, free of copyright restrictions. Visit our Permissions and Publishing page for more information about use of Special Collections materials. The library can provide copyright information upon request, but users are responsible for making their own determination about lawful use of collections materials.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is minimally processed and open for research.

Preferred Citation

MSS 16894, Virginia Council Library, Williamsburg, Virginia, book boards, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Unknown. Discovered in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library stacks in 2013.

Content Description

This collection contains three book boards discovered in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library stacks in 2013. They were likely removed from volumes to be conserved or rebound by outside conservators before the University Library's conservation lab was established. Two board bear the gilt, red leather label "Virginia Council Office 1742" or the third contains an engraved bookplate of the Library of the Council of Virginia, which says "Virginia Council Chamber." These books were originally housed in the Capitol building in Williamsburg. This library was the most important public library in Colonial Virginia; the bookplates date from the mid-18th century. Relatively few books from this library are known to survive; although there are several in the Small Library. The volumes are most likely pre-1750 English legal works.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Ledgers (account books)
• Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775