VCU Libraries shares history of area Girl Scouts

Just as the Girl Scouts of America marked the centennial of its founding in 2012, VCU Libraries secured a significant donation of records and materials from the Girl Scouts Commonwealth Council of Virginia. One of four councils in the state, the Commonwealth Council serves some 12,000 girls and 5,700 adults in 30 counties and the cities of Fredericksburg, Richmond, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Petersburg and Emporia.

The donation of records from the council came to VCU Libraries through a collaborative effort of Friends of the Library board members and donors Elva Mapp (M.Ed. ’95) and Carmen Foster (B.S. ’74), and library staff including Shannon Jones, a librarian and Girl Scout leader, and Yuki Hibbin, assistant head, Special Collections and Archives. Some of the materials — including uniforms, photographs, clippings, pins and badges — are now on display on the fourth floor of James Branch Cabell Library.‌

“Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia: A Century of Leadership, 1913-2013” will run throughout the spring semester. Free and open to the public during Cabell’s regular hours, the exhibit is expected to draw hundreds of scouts, leaders and alumni, including many members of the VCU community.

This collection is an important addition to existing VCU holdings on African-American history because this council established the South’s first African-American troop. The Girl Scout collection also enhances VCU Libraries’

 To learn more about VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives, please contact Kimberly Separ (B.A. ’91; M.A. ’97), director of development and community relations, at (804) 827-1163 or krsepar@vcu.edu.