Facilities

Welcome to the Sargeant Memorial Collection

Norfolk Public Library's local history and genealogy collection is located on the second floor of the historic Old Norfolk City Hall building, the renovated portion of The Slover.  

What is the Sargeant Memorial Collection?

William H. Sargeant, the first Librarian to be hired by the City of Norfolk in 1897, established the Sargeant Memorial Collection (SMC) in 1927 with a small assortment of books and historical papers. He felt strongly that Norfolk should have a history collection devoted to its history and people.

The non-circulating collection includes a variety of books and periodicals about Norfolk and Virginia, as well as Norfolk maps and photographs, high school yearbooks, and city directories for the Hampton Roads region. Nearly 200 years of Norfolk newspaper microfilms are available upon request. SMC's genealogy collection encompasses Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and other nearby states, with books, microfilm, and CDs to assist in family research.

Today, the Sargeant Memorial Collection is one of Virginia's finest local history and genealogy collections.

Have a History or Genealogy Question?

We conduct basic research to answer requests that are received via online form, email or by traditional mail correspondence. Research assistance is limited to 30 minutes per request and to three requests per patron per calendar month.  We will need all the information possible about the subject or individual and as close to an exact date as possible if the time frame is known. We process research inquiries in the order they are received, and we endeavor to respond in a timely manner. 

Professional Researchers and Genealogists

For more extended research assistance, we recommend hiring a freelance researcher.  Please contact a professional genealogist or researcher to conduct the research.  Consult directory at Association of Professional Genealogists.

Visit Us

Monday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. for phone and web consults only

Tuesday - Friday from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. for in-person visits

Saturday and Sunday CLOSED

If you wish to come use the collection outside these hours of operation, please contact us to see if any arrangements could be made.

Reach us by phone (757) 431-7429, by email: localhistory@norfolk.gov

We are located on the 2nd Floor of Slover Library located at 235 East Plume Street, Norfolk, VA 23510.

The Tide Light Rail - MacArthur Station. The library is located across Plume Street.

Bus Routes 6, 45 and 960 - City Hall & Bank Stop

Bus Route 8 - Bank & Plume Stop

Bicycle racks

Parking is available at MacArthur Center, city parking garages, or metered on-street parking. For additional parking information, click here.