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SR67 • 2026

Commending the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library.

Commending the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Jordan
Last action
2026-03-02
Official status
Passed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how the bill reminds everyone about the history and importance of the library, so this claim was removed.

Praise for Smithfield Branch Library

This bill praises the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library on its 100th anniversary.

What This Bill Does

  • Says that the Senate wants to praise the Smithfield branch library.
  • Tells the Clerk of the Senate to give a copy of this praise to the library.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library

Terms To Know

Clerk of the Senate
A person in charge of keeping records and documents for the Senate.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill does not give any money or change laws, it just says nice things about the library.
  • It only affects people involved with the Smithfield branch library.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate (SR67ER)

  2. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Agreed to by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  3. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Presented 26106321D

  4. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Laid on Clerk's Desk

Official Summary Text

Commending the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Commending the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 26, 2026
WHEREAS, the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library, known for decades as the Benjamin P. Chapman Memorial Library, celebrated its 100th anniversary on January 10, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the origins of the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library date to April 1924, when Smithfield's Shakespeare Class and Woman's Club secured funding from the Smithfield Town Council for a library; and
WHEREAS, the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library's first iteration opened on January 26, 1925, in what is today the old Town Hall on Institute Street with a collection of 100 books, including an autographed book of poems given by Richmond poet Nellie Parker Henson; and
WHEREAS, upon her death in 1945, Cora Leigh Chapman donated her home on South Church Street to serve as Smithfield's local library, which became thereafter known as the Benjamin P. Chapman Memorial Library; and
WHEREAS, in 1974, the Smithfield library became part of the Walter Cecil Rawls regional library system, later known as the Blackwater Regional Library, with Mildred Moreland serving as its first official librarian; and
WHEREAS, the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library relocated for the last time in 1989 when it occupied the former Smithfield High School at 255 James Street, where it has served the community ever since; and
WHEREAS, over the past century, the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library has become an invaluable local institution and an important part of what makes Smithfield a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library hereby be commended on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for the library's history and its contributions to Smithfield and the Commonwealth.