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Encyclopedia Virginia

encyclopediavirginia.org

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Spec score 8.1 #9 of 31 in Online Encyclopedias

What it is

Encyclopedia Virginia is a free multimedia and interactive web resource about Virginia’s history and culture. Its topical and biographical entries are written by scholars for general readers, then reviewed by contributors and editors, fact checkers, and copy editors. Articles can include primary documents, images, audio and video clips, and virtual tours; the wider media collection also contains podcasts and 3D objects. Readers can search or browse alphabetically, by biography, category, map, or media. The Encyclopedia Virginia Map App presents historical events through maps, distance-ordered lists, and category filters. Classroom-oriented versions are labeled for Grade 4, Grade 8, and Grades 11+. New entries continue to be published. Since 2012, the project has been digital publisher for the ongoing Dictionary of Virginia Biography with the Library of Virginia. Text uses a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. The site says it does not own copyrights to displayed media objects.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Encyclopedia Virginia is a free multimedia resource about Virginia’s history and culture for students, teachers, and communities.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Support
Staff cannot assist with individual research questions; the FAQ suggests contacting the Library of Virginia.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Headquarters
Virginia Humanities says it is headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia.Read 9 Oct 2026 · virginiahumanities.org
Founded
2008Read 28 Sep 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Browse and search
The site provides search, alphabetical browsing, biographies, a map, media, and virtual tours.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Content
The site publishes topical and biographical entries written by scholars, edited for a general audience, and fact checked.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Content license
Textual content is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Corrections
Readers can report entry errors through the comment form on an entry or by email, preferably with supporting citations.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Dictionary of Virginia Biography
Since 2012, Encyclopedia Virginia has partnered with the Library of Virginia as digital publisher of its ongoing Dictionary of Virginia Biography.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Editorial review
Entries go through contributor and editor review, and are separately reviewed by fact checkers and copy editors.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Education
The site offers scaled entries labeled for Grade 4, Grade 8, and Grades 11+.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Map app
The Encyclopedia Virginia Map App lets users explore historical events by map, distance-ordered list, and category filters.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Media formats
The media collection includes virtual tours, 3D objects, video, podcasts and audio, and images.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Media rights
The license does not cover images, audio, or video; reuse permission should be requested from the media object’s copyright owner.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Notable limitation
Encyclopedia Virginia says it does not own copyrights to the media objects displayed on the site.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Organization
Encyclopedia Virginia is a project of Virginia Humanities in partnership with the Library of Virginia.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Partnership
Encyclopedia Virginia is a Virginia Humanities project in partnership with the Library of Virginia.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Primary sources
Entries are accompanied by primary documents and media, including images, audio and video clips, and virtual tours.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Primary sources and media
Entries can include primary documents, images, audio and video clips, and virtual tours of historic sites.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Reader feedback
Readers can report entry errors using the form at the bottom of an entry or by email, preferably providing citations to sources.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Search and browsing
The site provides search, alphabetical browsing, biographies, categories, maps, and media browsing.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Text reuse
Text content is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org
Updates
New entries are published regularly as content creation continues.Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org

Plans and prices

Free access Free Free resource; no paid tiers stated Read 9 Oct 2026 · encyclopediavirginia.org

Every Encyclopedia Virginia plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free access with no paid tiers stated
  • Scholar-written, fact-checked entries
  • Primary documents and multimedia sources
  • Search, map, category, and media browsing
  • Grade-labeled educational entries

Limits

  • No free trial is offered
  • Displayed media may require separate reuse permission
  • Staff do not answer individual research questions

Who it suits

It suits students, teachers, communities, and general readers researching Virginia history and culture. The grade-labeled entries and multimedia formats support classroom and exploratory browsing.

Verdict

Encyclopedia Virginia combines reviewed historical writing with primary sources, interactive maps, and varied media. Its free access and classroom labels make it useful for structured learning and public reference.

Where Specifiction places it

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