For my special/archives library visit I went to the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Even though I have lived in this area for over ten years, I had never visited before so I was excited to go and learn more about the fifth President of the United States. It is located in the middle of beautiful and historic downtown Fredericksburg, next to a Masonic Cemetery and other historic buildings. While I was there, some visitors were touring the area in a horse and carriage, which really set the tone and made me feel like I was going back in time.

The building itself is located on land that belonged to James Monroe when he lived in Fredericksburg. The buildings are not original to when he lived here, but his law offices once stood on the same plot of land from 1786-1792. The buildings that stand there now were built in 1816, and over the years were used as a schoolhouse, warehouse, restaurants, and housing for freed slaves. At some point, the buildings were joined into one and and were later acquired by his descendents in 1927, when they were notified about plans to demolish them in order to put in a gas station. The museum and library opened later that year and has remained in operation ever since (University of Mary Washington, 2022).

The exterior of the brick building is beautiful and well-maintained. Once entering the front gate, you are led into a welcoming and cozy courtyard and garden area. Special events are held here often and the space can be reserved by the public as well. The entrance is easily accessible by foot and has many parking options nearby. The entire museum and library space is one floor and wheelchair accessible. There is a second floor but it is used for other purposes and was blocked off.

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When I entered the building I was greeted by a very friendly staff member at a desk in the lobby/store area, who asked me where I was from and what brought me in that day. I paid an admission fee, which was $6 for adults, and less for children, senior citizens, and military. Students from the University of Mary Washington can visit for free, since the museum and library is now administered by the university. The staff member gave me an overview of the exhibits and how the space was laid out, and told me she was available to answer any questions.

The exhibits were arranged mostly in chronological order that made it easy to browse by foot, but there were chairs placed around the rooms for patrons to be able to sit as well. They were grouped by topic and time period, including James Monroe’s childhood, home and family life, connections to Fredericksburg, career and politics, “The Era of Good Feeling” when he was president, and his time spent in France as an ambassador. The collection includes over 1,600 objects like jewelry, furniture, household items, clothing, and artwork, 10,000 archival documents, and 10,000 rare books including James Monroe’s personal library (University of Mary Washington, 2022). There were detailed signs and information explaining the history and the exhibits displayed around the entire space.

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Most of the items in the collection are behind glass or locked in cabinets; however, the staff member told me that they are accessible for academic and scholarly research if an appointment is made at least two weeks ahead of time and a detailed form is filled out. Nothing is able to be checked out- all research must take place in the building and while the curator is on site. Researchers are only permitted to use pencils for note-taking and are required to wear provided white gloves while handling any materials. Only certain materials are able to be photocopied and they have a copier on site. I noticed that many of the books were wrapped in plastic and placed on white fabric. It was obvious that there is great care taken to preserve and maintain all of the artifacts.

I also noticed that the museum and library has made efforts to incorporate technology into their exhibits. Some areas featured television screens that showed photos and information and advanced automatically. There was also a media viewing area that was showing video on Monroe’s life and accomplishments. There were multiple QR codes placed around the various exhibits where patrons can view online presentations about the artifacts. I noticed that the museum makes an effort to involve children as well. There was a Young Patriot’s Corner where children can try on historical clothing and play games from that time period (currently closed due to COVID). They also offered a Petite Patriot Hunt for History, where kids can scan QR codes to answer questions as they make their way through the exhibits.

One of the most intriguing displays focused on James Monroe’s contradictory relationship with slavery. It highlighted both the efforts he took toward emancipation and how he advocated for the welfare of slaves; however, he also owned his own slaves and did not free them during his lifetime. I can imagine that a person of color might feel uncomfortable learning about this aspect of Monroe’s life; however, the display did seem to try to capture the reality of those times in a culturally sensitive way.

I only saw two staff members working while I was there- an older male and female that were both behind the front desk. From the website I was able to learn that the library has other staff that were not there that day, possibly because it was a weekend. Staff positions include the Executive Director of Mary Washington Museums, Assistant Director and Curator, Public Programs Curator, Office and Store Manager, and Visitor Services Staff Members. There were some other people visiting and browsing the exhibits, including a family with younger children, an older couple and a middle-aged female. I did not notice much diversity in both the staff or the patrons on the day that I visited.

The museum and library also offer a variety of special services and programs. On a sign outside they were advertising a Women’s History Month “Revolutionary Women” lecture that was taking place virtually. I noticed that they advertise other events on a calendar on the website and on social media, such as History Trivia Night and virtual programs like “Presidential Conversations” featuring reenactors. They also offer services to teachers and students, such as lesson plans, resources, and field trips- where students can come to the museum or the museum can come to them. It appears from researching the website that more public programs were offered before COVID, but that they are making efforts to get back into offering more.

The website offers a wealth of information and was easy to navigate as well. It included a detailed catalog of the library, information about current and permanent exhibits and the collection, forms that users can submit to ask questions or request a research appointment, as well as resources for teachers and students. It also offered a 3D Virtual Tour, which allows users to get an up close and personal view of everything in the museum, navigating by clicking and zooming in on different displays. Users can also click on “buttons” that provide the same information that is posted under each display in the museum.

The “Hands-on History” section of the website was my favorite, which included links to virtual exhibits, hands-on history activities and videos for kids and adults, and “Chats with the Curator” and “Monroe Minutes” that link to videos that have been posted on their Facebook and Youtube pages. They have an active social media presence including pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube where they share and engage with the community on an almost daily basis.

The website also shared plans for expansion in the future, including a James Monroe Timeline Walk, “an interpretive trail situated on the property where James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The walk features a raised boardwalk, parking, granite interpretive panels in pavement, granite benches, signage, and related improvements to make it accessible. Visitors can walk the trail and at intervals learn about a different decade in James Monroe’s life and what he had accomplished (Mary Washington, 2022).” I am looking to coming back to see this new feature when it is completed.

I found it very interesting to learn more about the history of James Monroe through the displays and artifacts at the museum and library. I was also fascinated by the care and the work that went into the preservation of the books and other artifacts. The GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) subgroup of libraries intrigues me both as a community member and an MLIS student. As Rubin and Rubin (2020) explain, “There is tremendous value in perceiving these entities from a deep collaborative, interinstitutional, integrative, and transformational perspective that views them collectively as a common resource for the preservation and understanding of our culture (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 32). From my visit yesterday, I can already see how they have tremendous value in celebrating and preserving cultures and history. I look forwarding to visiting more GLAMs in the future.

References

Rubin, R. E. and Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.

University of Mary Washington. (2022). James Monroe museum and memorial library. https://jamesmonroemuseum.umw.edu/