Virginia: George Washington Library Opens at Mt. Vernon

The formal name of the new facility is The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.
From The Washington Post:

The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon is a $106 million project designed to be the international center for Washington scholarship, with a trove of his personal books and manuscripts at its core.
The enterprise aims to elevate Mount Vernon from a popular tourist stop among the region’s pantheon of historic sites to a place of rigorous Washington research as well.
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It also includes paneled meeting rooms, the latest electronic gadgets and separate quarters for visiting scholars. The first of seven resident scholars arrives next week.
“We need to think of it, really, as kind of center for the study of George Washington,” said the library’s director, Douglas Bradburn. “Anybody writing anything on Washington or his era — we want them to feel like they need to come here.”

Read the Complete Article

Video #1

Take a Tour of the Library’s Vault (via WaPo)

Additional Resources

Direct to Fast Facts About the Library
Direct to Library’s Web Site and FAQ
Direct to Library  OPAC
Direct to Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington

Video #2

Tour of George Washington’s Library from Mount Vernon on Vimeo.

Filed under: Libraries, National Libraries, News