HIGHLIGHTS

Rare Books

• The Abridgement of the Gardeners Dictionary by Philip Miller, 1763, fifth edition

This was the first edition made with the intention to be sold in the United States and was advertised in the Virginia Gazette. This fifth edition abridgement is an exceptional resource due to the amount of valuable information in a relatively compact size. 

Archives

• Map - 2007 compilation from aerial photographs created by the USDA on April 30, 1937. 

Modern Reference

• Click here to download the Summer 2008 New Book List

LIBRARY CORNER

Select Items from the Library and Archival Collections

Have you had your flu shot this season? 

Illness was no stranger to George Mason.  In a letter to his son John on September 12th, 1792, George Mason comments: “I hardly remember so sickly a Season”.  An undiscriminating time of year, George, Sarah, Betsy, William and the plantation workers are sufferings the everyday, common ailments we can all relate to: coughs, colds, and fevers.  In this insightful letter George Mason wrote about more than just illness, he discussed the stimulating developments in the political arena and asked that John attend to certain urgent matters. Perhaps he had a sixth sense about his impending demise less than a month later, as this letter shows his never-ending compassion and concern for those close to his heart.