Handley Regional Library System announces the 40th Anniversary of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives! There will be a celebration on June 29th at 2PM where patrons can enjoy an open house and meet with current and former staff, volunteers and researchers. Special exhibits of collections and photographs of key events will also be on showcase. The event is co-sponsored by the Winchester Frederick County Historical Society and is free and open to the public. Becky Ebert is the head archivist and has been with the archives department since the beginning; she is celebrating her 40th year with the library system during the event.
The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives holds an extensive collection of materials on the people, places and events of the Lower Shenandoah Valley from 1732 to the present. The focus of the collection is Winchester and Frederick County. They feature over 4000 published books, abstracts of county court records, county histories, genealogies, regimental histories, and studies of battles from the French and Indian War to the Civil War. Additionally, over 600 linear feet of manuscripts and ephemera, maps, photographs, and oral history tapes line the shelves where patrons can literally step back in time. Manuscript collections and published books also appear in the library’s online catalog.
“The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives is a vital resource to the history of the area, relied upon by local patrons and businesses, plus visitors from around the nation,” says John Huddy, Director of Handley Regional Library System. “We invite you to come out and literally be part of history as we honor the past and celebrate the future!”