This guide describes the collections relating to local, state, and national politics housed in the Special Collections of Old Dominion University Library. The majority of the collections concern the activities of prominent Norfolk politicians campaigning for office or serving in an official capacity, either locally, in the General Assembly, or in the executive branch of the state government. Other collections relate to the activities of Virginians participating in politics, but not running for office. The collections span two centuries with the bulk of the material relating to twentieth century Virginia state politics. Included in these collections are correspondence, committee reports and minutes, reports of state agencies, legislative files, government publications, bills, resolutions, campaign material, speeches, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, artifacts, videotapes, and audiotapes. Materials document national, state and local issues of concern and reflect the attitudes of citizens of Virginia and Norfolk on these issues. These collections generally do not contain personal papers, but are the office papers from campaigns and terms of office.
The entries are arranged alphabetically, including the collection number, the inclusive dates of the collection and the collection's size. Please note the collection number because it acts as the location code. Electronic finding aids are available where highlighted. All other finding aids are available in the repository.