Mathews Memorial Library is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Virginia Archives by offering instruction on searching the library’s collection of microfilmed newspapers and digital newspaper databases.

A class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 21 at the library. The hands-on exercise is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Participants are encouraged to bring family history information with them.

Sharing information is the key mission of the library, according to a press release from Library Director Bette Dillehay, and making available resources that reveal the past, both of the community and its citizens, is a major service factor.

“Learning about the community and its citizens provides a sense of being part of a larger picture and helps individuals to see themselves connected to others,” she said.

In addition to the workshop, Becky Barnhardt, head of history and genealogy at the library, will offer tours of the Chesapeake Room from...