Teaching & Learning Librarian
Teaching & Learning Librarian
Librarian for English
Looking for research resources specific to the University of Virginia? See the ENWR 1510 UVA Research Resources companion guide.
Preparing for Research
In preparation for your research project, you will need to think about some possible questions to start your research about Charlottesville. You will also want to spend some time thinking about how you will conduct your research.
- Fine-tune your searches.
Think broadly when brainstorming search terms. What synonyms or related terms could stand in for your key search terms?
You can combine search terms using AND (Charlottesville AND race) and OR: (park OR "recreation area") AND (Fifeville OR Charlottesville)
In many databases, the asterisk (*) is a truncation or "wildcard" symbol that will match all possible endings for a word stem. For example, enslave* will match with enslave, enslaved, enslavement, etc.
Most databases have filters or facets that allow you to narrow your results by subject, date range, etc. Limit your searches to help you find the sources you need.
- Think about where you might find the type of information you are seeking.
Will you find the research you need in an book? An article? A newspaper? A letter, manuscript, or records in Special Collections or UVA Archives? An interview? Cast a wide net when looking for the types of resources that could help answer your research questions or support an argument you are thinking of making.
- Know the difference between academic and non-academic sources, and when it's appropriate to use them.
Most databases allow you to limit results to academic/scholarly/peer-reviewed sources. Be mindful of your assignment and what you're being asked to provide. Need a refresher? Watch the short video Peer Review in 3 Minutes.
- When you find a good source, use it to find other good sources.
Use the subject terms and keywords associated with an item to find other items on similar topics. Scholarly books and articles will have works cited, bibliographies, or footnotes you can mine for additional resources.
Need help? Contact Sherri or Ask a librarian.
Digital Collections - Oral Histories, Exhibits, Sites
- UVA Special Collections Digital ExhibitsLook through current and past exhibits of materials from UVA's Special Collections. Not all exhibits have a digital component, but some do - click on More Info to see if a digital exhibit is available. Examples of possible exhibits of interest: Jewish Life in Charlottesville; Voices of Civil War Virginia; and more.
- HistoryMakers Digital ArchiveThis collection of oral history interviews with 2,700 historically significant African Americans includes politicians, religious leaders, athletes, musicians, civil rights activists, soldiers, and many more. Search for Charlottesville or particular places to hear recollections of life in the city.
- Land and LegacyLand and Legacy investigates the University of Virginia’s and UVA Foundation’s land development and expansion throughout Charlottesville and Albemarle County since the 1980s. In light of UVA’s 2030 plan to be “Great and Good,” Land and Legacy examines how these developments have affected local communities, and place these impacts in dialogue with UVA’s public narratives.
- Albemarle Charlottesville Historical SocietyFounded in 1940, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society seeks to study, preserve, and promote the history of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. The Society strives to accomplish this mission through a variety of public programs, including exhibits, publications, lectures, walking tours, oral history interviews, and various educational programs.
- CvillepediaCvillepedia is a wiki dedicated to sharing and building community knowledge and history about the people, places, and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
- Open CharlottesvilleOpen Charlottesville seeks to provide performance measures, information and updates on those priorities important to City Council and the community all in one place for ease of use, contributing to the fulfillment of the City’s Strategic Plan goal of being a responsive organization.
- Jefferson's University - The Early Life Project, 1819-1870 (JUEL)UVA site of digitized documents from some of our collections, related to Jefferson's University.
- "Unite the Right" Rally and Community Response Digital CollectionThe events of August 11 & 12, 2017 in Charlottesville saw loss of life, physical violence, and community turmoil significant enough to merit international media coverage. Our community will be recovering, assessing, and attempting to move forward for a long time to come.
- Encyclopedia VirginiaEncyclopedia Virginia is a publicly accessible online publication of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Encyclopedia Virginia is the first online reference work about the Commonwealth, aggregating in a single resource information on Virginia history, business, politics, and geography, plus the state’s proud heritage in the arts, religion, culture, and folklife.
These are just a handful of Charlottesville-related online resources that may be of interest. See the Local Planning Research: Charlottesville guide and Charlottesville and Albemarle Local Resources guide for many other sites for information and research.
Demographics and Statistics
- QuickFacts - Charlottesville City, Virginia; Albemarle County, VirginiaDemographics information from the U.S. Census Bureau for the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA.
- Data USA: Charlottesville, VAData USA describes itself as "the most comprehensive website and visualization engine of public US Government data. Data USA tells millions of stories about America. Through advanced data analytics and visualization, it tells stories about: places in America—towns, cities and states. Data USA creates visualizations and interpretations of US government data.
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new windowInteractive Maps and Reports provide easy access to demographic information about the United States. Data comes from the Census beginning in 1790 and from the Religious Congregations and Membership Study beginning in 1980. Also has crime and health data.