Mathews Memorial Library has created an exhibit of photographs illustrating the ways in which the county has both changed and remained the same over the past 100 years.

In 1920, the U.S. Census Bureau published data showing Mathews County with a population of 8,447, said Library Director Bette Dillehay in a press release. A century later, the bureau issued the 2020 Census, which revealed a population of 8,533 residents.

This somewhat startling revelation prompted two library staff members, Becky Barnhardt and Maude Donovan, to delve deeper into the life and culture of the community as it has evolved over a century, said Dillehay.

Using archival documents, newspapers, and published materials, the women developed the exhibit, focusing on both the past and existing culture of Mathews—a culture that sets it apart from other communities. The fruit of their efforts is now available for study and review in the display located in the lobby of the library.

Community culture is the values, beliefs, behavior and material objects that together form a people’s way of life, said Dillehay. She said that similarities in a community begin to occur over time when traditions are passed on, formally or informally, by documentation, word of mouth, observation or imitation.

“Although residents may not be familiar with the traditions of the community where they live, culture is all around them,” she said. “It is the living expression of everyday life, whether viewing the past or current-day elements.”

The library also plans to have a series of “living library” programs that will include roundtable gatherings at which county residents will discuss the changes they’ve seen occur, the traditions they’ve seen maintained, and the insights they’ve gained into local culture.

For more information about the exhibits, call the library at 804-725-5747.