We are pleased to announce the launch of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library’s blog. With contributions from staff, faculty, students, and visiting researchers, “Notes from Under Grounds” will offer glimpses into all aspects of Special Collections here at the University of Virginia: new acquisitions, instruction, little-known collections, staff projects, exhibitions, special events, and more. This project joins two other blogs directly associated with our collections: manuscript cataloger Ann Southwell’s real-time Civil War blog “150 Years Ago Today,” and conservator Eliza Gilligan’s “At the Bench.”

Our title was chosen with care: you can expect these posts to be variously informal, personal, and maybe even a little “underground” sometimes. They will bring to the surface activities and artifacts from the lower levels of the Harrison-Small building just next to Alderman Library: from our main floor, where public spaces, staff offices, and our vault are located, and our lower stack level, where the vast majority of the collections are housed.

Posts will be managed by three staff members: curator David Whitesell will share fresh acquisitions, head of instruction and outreach Petrina Jackson will cover visiting courses and student engagement, and curator Molly Schwartzburg will fill in the gaps with posts on just about everything else. We encourage you to contact us if you would like to write a post or if there’s a subject you want us to cover.

So look for a new post every Thursday, and be sure to come visit us under Grounds!