• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Alert

Westover Library Has Sunday Hours. More Info

Home - Arlington County Virginia - Logo
MENUMENU
  • Join Now
  • My Account
    • Login
    • Borrow, Renew, Return
    • Holds
    • About My Account
    • My eAccounts
  • Hours & Locations
    • All Hours & Locations
    • Holiday Closings
  • News
  • Contact Us

Arlington Public Library

MENUMENU
  • Search
      • Browse New
      • Browse All
  • Events
    • Arlington Reads
    • Featured Events
    • Calendar
    • On Demand Programs
  • eCollection
    • eAudiobooks
    • eBooks
    • Digital Magazines
    • Learning Tools
    • Research Tools
    • All eCollection
  • Research
    • Research Portal
    • Research Tools A-Z
    • Local History
  • Library Services
    • Accessibility Services
    • For Book Lovers
    • Garden Tool Library
    • Maker
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Notary
    • Public Computers
    • Teleconnect Space
    • More Services
  • Explore
    • Catalog
      • Catalog Search
      • Catalog Browse
      • Digital Archives
      • Borrowing Collections
      • Book Lists
    • Kids & Teens
      • For Babies and Preschoolers
      • For Elementary Schoolers
      • Middle and High Schoolers
    • Local History
      • Research Room
      • Community Archives
      • Online Exhibits
    • Support the Library
      • Donating Materials
    • Popular
      • Consumer Reports
      • Overdrive
    • EXPLORE MORE
  • Join Now
  • My Account
    • Login
    • Borrow, Renew, Return
    • Holds
    • About My Account
    • My eAccounts
  • Hours & Locations
    • All Hours & Locations
    • Holiday Closings
  • News
  • Contact Us

Center for Local History

Collect, Preserve, Share

CLH 2
The Center for Local History: Where Stories Live

The Center for Local History (CLH) collects, preserves, and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities.

Librarians and archivists develop collections of unique research material and make them available for use by residents, students, teachers, genealogists, scholars, authors, journalists and anyone interested in learning more about Arlington County.

Archives boxes

Community Archives

Photo of female librarians standing in front of old Cherrydale library building

Digital Collections

GROUP PORTRAIT IN THE OLD MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH

Online Exhibits

Link to local history research guides.

Research Guides

District of Columbia 1862 map

Reference Collection

CLH Materials

Donate Materials

CLH Seats

Ask the Center for Local History

Services

  • Research Consultations
  • Reference Services
  • Scans and Prints
  • Exhibitions
  • Programs and Events
  • Partnerships and Outreach

Research Consultations and the use of the Research Room are available by advance appointment.

Book a Research Appointment

The Center for Local History operates a public Research Room at Central Library (open by appointment), and maintains the Arlington Community Archives, an off-site archival repository.

Location

Central Library, First Floor
1015 North Quincy Street
Arlington VA 22201

Contact

CLH Manager: Judith Knudsen
Email Staff
Phone: 703-228-5965

Hours

By Appointment

Photo of the entrance to the Center for Local History inside Central Library shows a glass door covered in a transparent map of Arlington County.

Events at the Center for Local History

Local History Events

Collecting Initiatives

Mask making supplies laid out on a table include fabric, scissors and pins. Overlay text reads, "The COVID-19 Archives Project: We Want Your Story"

COVID-19 Archives Project

READ Archives Project link to page.

REAL Archives Project: Re-Encuentro de Arlington Latinos

Center for Local History News

Link to youtube video: History of the American Nazi Party in Arlington.

Video: History of the American Nazi Party in Arlington

November 3, 2022
Read More
Photo of a news clip of The Sun, 1936.

Attention History Buffs

October 24, 2022
Read More
Firefighters stand in front of the burned and broken Pentagon.

Remembering September 11 with Photos of First Responders

September 9, 2021
Read More
Screenshot of a historic issue of the Arlington newspaper "The Sun."

Search Thousands of Historic Arlington Papers Online for Free

June 21, 2021
Read More
Photo of colored cloth face masks with a typographic logo of "2020 UnBoxed."

Center for Local History to Curate 2020 Time Capsule

February 23, 2021
Read More
191022-preservation-week-10-year-anniversary-logo

Preservation Week: Preserving Your Family’s Documents

April 29, 2020
Read More
People in line at Whole Foods in Clarendon

COVID-19 Archives Project: Call for Donations

April 28, 2020
Read More
Inspection of Barn at Dairy Farm, 1938

How to Research Local History from Home

April 27, 2020
Read More

Center for Local History Blog

Oral Histories, Local Stories, and People who have Helped to Shape Arlington

Link to USS Arlington history blogpost.

The USS Arlington

December 19, 2022
Read More
Link to blogpost.

Lustron Steel Homes in Arlington

December 9, 2022
Read More
Link to Boundary Stones post.

Marking Arlington’s Border in Stone

November 22, 2022
Read More
black and white photograph of 4 black students entering Stratford Junior High in 1959

Ronald (Ron) Deskins: A Quiet Pioneer for Civil Rights

June 23, 2022
Read More
deskins

Milton Rowe: Dedication to Country, Community and Family

June 2, 2022
Read More
Link to oral history blog post.

Oral History: Gertrude “Trudy” Ensign

May 12, 2022
Read More
MicrosoftTeams-image

The Henry Louis Holmes Library, 1940-1949

February 17, 2022
Read More
Screen Shot 2022-02-07 at 4.12.24 PM

Oral History: Rayfield Barber

February 10, 2022
Read More

Read More →

Follow the Center for Local History on Twitter

Footer

About Us

  • Mission & Vision
  • Center for Local History
  • News Room

Administration

  • Policies
  • Library Staff
  • Job Opportunities
  • Propose a Program

Support Your Library

  • Friends of the Library
  • Giving Opportunities
  • Donating Materials
  • Volunteer Opportunities

Our Mission

We champion the power of stories, information and ideas.

We create space for culture and connection.

We embrace inclusion and diverse points of view.

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. YouTube. Flickr. Newsletter.

download appDownload the Library App

Arlington County | Terms & Conditions | Accessibility | Site Map
· Copyright © 2023 Arlington County Government ·