Q. Is UVA the back-up library for the library of Congress?

No, but this is an understandable misunderstanding because we ARE a Regional Federal Depository Library with the responsibility to hold all government documents. The origin of the rumor comes from a biography of Harry Clemons: "During World War II, he made room at the University of Virginia for the Library of Congress Union Catalog and its staff as well as for manuscripts deposited by the Library of Congress, and furnished special reference services for various military organizations." (”Harry Clemons and the Twentieth Annual Report", by Francis L. Berkeley in the Annual Report on Historical Collections, University of Virginia Library 1951.)