Leesburg, VA (May 12, 2026) – Thomas Balch Library will host a presentation on The Maryland Room, the Frederick County Public Libraries’ local history and genealogy center at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 21, in the lower-level meeting room at the library.

The program will be led by Mary Mannix, Maryland Room Manager at the C. Burr Artz Public Library. Located in downtown Frederick, the Maryland Room actively collects books on all aspects of Maryland history and culture, along with some sources relevant to the surrounding areas (DC, PA, VA, and WV), and broad research topics, such as foodways, the Underground Railroad, and genealogy methodology. The Maryland Room is also home to nearly 300 manuscript and archival collections pertinent to the study of Frederick County and its people, including one of the largest obituary collections in the country. 

Mannix has served as Maryland Room Manager since 1998 when she was hired to grow and develop the Maryland Room and its collection. She holds masters degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Delaware. She has taught genealogy librarianship at the University of Maryland and teaches genealogy and local history topics at Frederick Community College’s Institute for Learning in Retirement and The Johns Hopkins Osher program.

The event will be held in-person at the library (208 West Market Street, Leesburg). Pre-registration is required. Please call 703-737-7195, email balchlib@leesburgva.gov, or register online at https://www.tinyurl.com/TBLEvents.

Media Contact: 
Kara Rodriguez, Public Information Officer 
pio@leesburgva.gov Ÿ 703-669-1425