Over the years, the Library acquired originals and copies of a variety of business records. Many were given or deposited, while others were purchased or lent for copying. Although the records were generally shelved together, there never was a comprehensive descriptive guide to them until the publication of the Guide. The information contained within this volume will aid researchers in consulting materials at times overlooked even by the most experienced scholars of family history and genealogy.

Daybooks, journals, and ledgers frequently record information not related to business affairs, and the records described in this guide can be of use to others besides the business and economic historian. When studied closely, few records are as rich in the detail of ordinary life as are the business records of Virginia.

Compiled by Conley L. Edwards III, Gwendolyn D. Clark, and Jennifer D. McDaid.