[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 186 (Thursday, November 9, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5456-S5457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO DR. SANDRA G. TREADWAY

 Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the Librarian of 
Virginia, Dr. Sandra Gioia Treadway, upon her retirement after 45 
remarkable years of service to the Library of Virginia. Dr. Treadway 
has served as the Librarian of Virginia for the past 16 years and was 
deputy librarian 11 years before that. She joined the library in 1978 
as an associate editor of publications and served in various positions 
before being named the State librarian in 2007. In this esteemed role, 
Dr. Treadway was the steward for the most comprehensive collection of 
materials on Virginia

[[Page S5457]]

government, history, and culture available anywhere.
  Dr. Treadway, with nearly 15 years of teaching experience, has always 
had a public servant's heart. Her dedication to education and the 
dissemination of knowledge has been a defining feature of her career. 
Through her extensive teaching background, she has enriched countless 
students' lives and fostered a deep understanding of the value of 
learning and libraries. Dr. Treadway has received numerous awards and 
distinctions, such as Virginia Tech's Teaching Excellence Award and the 
Filby Award for Genealogic Librarianship, in acknowledgement of her 
unwavering dedication to the educational process and her commitment to 
research.
  Throughout her tenure, Dr. Treadway has exhibited a profound 
commitment to preserving Virginia's rich cultural heritage and 
promoting access to knowledge for all. Her visionary leadership played 
a pivotal role in digitizing many rare manuscripts, historic maps, and 
government records dating back to the early Colonial period, ensuring 
their preservation for future generations. As part of her work in the 
library, Dr. Treadway oversaw a statewide records management program, 
worked with State agencies and localities to establish retention 
requirements for official records, offered records management training, 
and monitored compliance with the Virginia Public Records Act.
  Her team is known for its innovative focus on helping make history 
accessible. I have personal experience with this, as correspondence and 
emails from me and my staff during my time as Governor of Virginia were 
made available digitally through a groundbreaking and massive 
undertaking in digital records preservation and access.
  She is also a respected historian and has authored and co-edited 
several important historical projects from the history of the Library 
of Virginia, which is among the State's oldest agencies to a history of 
the Woman's Club in Richmond. She has undertaken particular efforts to 
tell a more inclusive history of the Commonwealth, including the 
State's commission to design and install a women's monument on Capitol 
Square. She has served as a steady and trusted hand at the helm of the 
library, guided by a passion for helping individuals unlock and 
understand their history through use of the collections. Her abiding 
passion stems from a belief that the most inspiring stories come from 
illuminating the voices and experiences of the everyday people whose 
lives are preserved in a variety of government records and private 
papers the library holds.
  As she embarks on a well-deserved retirement, Dr. Sandy Treadway 
leaves a legacy of tireless public service, innovation, and a profound 
love for Virginia's history. In a time where divisiveness can be 
alarmingly normal, she garners deep respect and admiration from elected 
and appointed officials of all parties, and she has been a model for 
leading with grace and kindness. Her service has not only enriched the 
Commonwealth's cultural heritage but also set a high standard for 
future leaders in the field to aspire to. I extend my heartfelt 
gratitude for her years of dedicated service and wish her a retirement 
filled with fulfillment and new adventures.

                          ____________________