Did you know that the Bishop Payne Library houses a large collection of archival materials that document the African American experience within the Episcopal Church? These primary resources, such as institutional records, personal papers, photographs, audio / visual recordings, oral histories, artwork, and ephemera, are all part of the African American Episcopal Historical Collection, a collaborative project between VTS and the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church.
The archivists at the Bishop Payne Library are constantly organizing and opening new collections for use. For example, in February 2007 we opened the diocesan papers of the Right Rev. Walter DeCoster Dennis, former Suffragan Bishop of New York. Click here to learn more about Bishop Dennis’ and see the finding aid associated with this collection. We are currently processing Bishop Dennis’ personal papers and plan to open them to the public later this year. What else do we have? Click here to find out!
Just think how useful and interesting these resources would be when conducting research and writing papers for one of your church history courses next semester. Your professor will surely be impressed! Danleigh Kaplan is the person you need to talk to if you want to learn more about these resources or conduct research in the archives: you can reach her at dkaplan@vts.edu or (703) 461-1877.
In celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement, you will find a new display of resources on your immediate right as you enter the library. Most 
