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Georgia Archives Month Institutional Feature: The "Georgia Room" at Live Oak Public Libraries

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Part of Live Oak Public Libraries in Savannah, The Kaye Kole Genealogy & Local History Room at Bull Street Library was established in 1999.  Affectionately nicknamed the Georgia Room, this space has a wealth of Southern history and genealogical resources.  
One of the most unique components is the Gamble Collection, given by a former mayor of the city. The collection includes maps, Civil War-era illustrations, journals on the naval stores business (1921-1949), and scrapbooks on a wide variety of historical topics. Some of the special items in the collection include the employee magazines for the Central of Georgia Railway (1913-1963) and the Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation (during World War II). There are colorful topics too. If you are looking for a recipe or gardening ideas, there are many books to peruse.
The Georgia Room contains census materials, family histories, county histories and other genealogy materials.  It also has Colonial, Revolutionary, and Civil War records. For researching your family tree, the library’s collection has the most resources from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.  Library staff are able to help researchers trace ancestors from other states and even from other countries.  
For local history, the archive houses newspapers, telephone books, city directories (dating back to 1848), Sanborn maps, and a small collection of yearbooks. Images of newspapers on microfilm include the Savannah Morning News (1763-present), Savannah Evening Press, and the Savannah Tribune. There is also a large collection of clippings and pamphlets on Georgia topics.  
For historians and students of American history, the Georgia Room has a collection of the “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States” from Herbert Hoover through Bill Clinton.
Items in the Georgia Room are available to the public for in-library use during regular operating hours.  The library also offers access to valuable online resources. Highlights include links to keyword searchable databases such as Ancestry Library Edition, African American Newspapers (1827-1998), HeritageQuest Online, Georgia Historic Newspapers, and a curated list of useful websites, including Family Search. 
Built in 1916 with a Carnegie grant, the Bull Street Library is an excellent example of neoclassical architecture and a neighborhood landmark just south of Savannah’s historic district.  The striking marble block structure is supported by an iron work grid. More iron work in the shelving holds up five floors, the outside walls, and ultimately the roof. A beautiful piece of iron work served as an oculus in the ceiling of the lobby as well.   
Live Oak Public Libraries is a system of 16 library locations serving Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties in southeast Georgia. Live Oak has two other special collections. At the Hinesville Library, the Hinesville Genealogy Room, sponsored by LaFayne May in honor of Wyman May, has a large collection of local history and genealogy resources. The Springfield Library also has a growing collection of local resources of interest to genealogists and historians.

Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council Solicits Sub-Grant Applications

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The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) seeks to enrich the culture and protect the rights of Georgians by fostering activities that identify, preserve, and provide access to the State’s documentary heritage. Using funds awarded to the University of Georgia Libraries and the Georgia Archives by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), GHRAC is offering grants up to $5,000 to local historical repositories in Georgia to develop and/or implement projects to identify, preserve, and provide access to historical records.  Any size local historical repository with permanently valuable archival materials may apply.
Applications may be submitted August 29-October 1, 2019.  The 2019 GHRAC Historical Records Grants Application guidelines can be found at https://www.georgiaarchives.org/ghrac.
A historical repository is defined as a non-profit or government organization/institution that houses, preserves, and provides access to historical documents on a regularly scheduled basis. This may be a local government, historical society, library, museum, or similar organization. The archival collections of the applying institution must be available, without charge, to the public on a regularly scheduled basis. Recipients of grant awards must provide a minimum one-to-ten ($1 for $10) match of grant funds requested. The match may be met through cash and or in-kind contributions. Greater than one-to-ten matches are encouraged, but not required.
If the applicant is a local government, it must provide proof of compliance with OCGA § 50-18-99 by supplying a records management resolution/ordinance and the name of the records management officer. If the organization does not have a records management resolution, development and passage of this resolution must be included in the project’s description and completed by the end of the grant period.  If a non-profit organization, it must be registered and in active status with the GA Office of Secretary of State. Grants of up to $5,000 each are available to local governments and non-profit repositories in Georgia to develop and/or implement projects to identify, preserve, and provide access to historical records. There is a total of $28,000 available for these grants.
Questions about the grant application process or project administration may be sent to Christopher M. Davidson, J.D., University System of Georgia Assistant Vice-Chancellor/State Archivist, Georgia Archives at christopher.davidson@usg.edu.
Eligible projects must identify, organize, and/or improve access to historical records. Eligible expenditures include shelving; archival file folders and/or boxes; dehumidifiers; humidifiers; analog monitors; photo sleeves; HEPA vacuum cleaners; hiring consultants to identify needs and priorities for improving the organization, description, preservation and access to collections; contracting services such as reproduction services; etc. Eligible activities include rehousing collections, adding collections to an online catalog, scanning collections, or creating an online database or websites designed to support access to researchers (e.g., online catalogs, finding aids, and digitized collections, rather than curated web exhibits), etc.
GHRAC will review and evaluate all eligible applications received by October 1, 2019.  Complete applications, which include all requested information, will be reviewed by a GHRAC committee which will submit its recommendations to GHRAC for approval.  Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, with some preference given to underserved communities.  Applicants will be notified of GHRAC’s decisions by October 14, 2019.  Grant recipients will receive a grant acceptance agreement by November 12, 2019, which should be signed and returned by December 12, 2019.  All grant recipients must complete and sign an agreement with the University System of Georgia before beginning a grant project. Grant projects can begin once the grantee receives the signed and executed contract.  Final invoices for grant reimbursements should be submitted by recipient entities by March 1, 2020.
In determining whether an applicant shall receive a grant, some of the criteria that GHRAC will consider are the following: Does the project identify, preserve and/or make accessible records significant to Georgia’s history? Does the project utilize sound archival practices? Are the proposed activities and expenditures appropriate and cost-effective? Does the proposal adhere to grant project application requirements and does it contain sufficient information for GHRAC decision-making? Is the financial information submitted realistic and accurate? In general, is the application meeting the mission, goals, and objectives of GHRAC?

Oral histories from Georgian WWII veterans now freely available online

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“This unique project shone a light on the special men and women who sacrificed themselves for all Americans

and continues to be a valuable historical resource for researchers, family, and friends of the veterans.”

Aug. 15, 2019
CONTACT: Deborah Hakes, dhakes@georgialibraries.org

ATLANTA — Video recorded recollections from 50 World War II veterans originally from the Bainbridge, GA, area are now available online through YouTube and the Digital Library of Georgia. The interviews, which were originally captured on VHS and VHS-C tapes, were digitized as part of a summer student practicum program sponsored by Georgia HomePLACE, a unit of the Georgia Public Library Service, the Southwest Georgia Regional Library System, and the Clayton State University Master of Archival Studies program. 

The interviews preserve the experiences and history of WWII veterans and provide insight into the cultural and societal values in America between 1939-1945. The majority of veterans interviewed for the project have since passed away, making preservation all the more crucial.

“This unique project shone a light on the special men and women who sacrificed themselves for all Americans and continues to be a valuable historical resource for researchers, family, and friends of the veterans,” says Library Director Susan Whittle. “Responding to a request from an older community resident, SWGRL librarians & historians interviewed and videotaped many of the area’s “Greatest Generation” to share their war experiences and preserve them for posterity in our library and archives.” 

The World War II Veterans Project was an oral history initiative conducted by the Southwest Georgia Regional Library System from 1998-2008 with funding from The Thomas M. and Irene B. Kirbo Charitable Trust. In 2002, the library received a National Award for Library Service from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, partly in recognition of the project’s success.

In order to preserve and improve access to these oral histories, the analog interviews were described, digitized, and uploaded to YouTube. They are additionally searchable within the Digital Library of Georgia. On average, each recording lasts 30 to 40 minutes and chronicles the interviewee’s age when drafted or enlisted, branch of service, and training. Interviewees recount the nature of their assignments and duties, and often the weapons or artillery used, the transport ships, trucks, trains, and planes; the countries in which they were stationed; and where applicable, the major battles in which they participated.  

Joshua Kitchens, Director of the Master of Archival Studies program at Clayton State, says, “Outside-of-the-classroom experiences, such as working with Georgia HomePLACE, help our students apply the knowledge and skills they’ve accumulated in their course work. It is invaluable that our students have these types of opportunities to gain firsthand experience. Partnerships like these also help our students give back to the larger community of institutions preserving Georgia’s memory.”

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Georgia HomePLACE encourages public libraries and related institutions across the state to participate in the Digital Library of Georgia. HomePLACE offers a highly collaborative model for digitizing primary source collections related to local history and genealogy. HomePLACE is a project of the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. HomePLACE is supported with federal Library Services and Technology Act funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service.

The Clayton State University’s Master of Archival Studies (MAS) program prepares professionals for careers in government, businesses, and collecting archives. The program emphasizes digital archives and electronic records. Because the program concentrates on archives and records, it offers a more in-depth study than students would receive in a library, information science, or public history program. Its innovative blend of traditional archival knowledge with information technology responds to the need for professionals who understand contemporary records and record keeping systems. 

The Southwest Georgia Regional Library System serves the residents of Decatur, Miller, and Seminole Counties. The library system houses books, audiovisual materials, computers, genealogical resources, and more to serve the needs of the residents of the area. The Southwest Georgia Library for Accessible Services provides materials for blind and physically handicapped persons and serves a 22 county region in Southwest Georgia. We strive to provide the collections, reference services, and events that best serve the members of our community.

SGA Scholarship Applications Now Open

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The 2019 Society of Georgia Archivists Scholarship committee is proud to announce the opening of applications for the Larry Gulley Scholarship, the Taronda Spencer Award, and the Anthony R. Dees Education Workshop Scholarships. Please read below for more information about each scholarship and their corresponding due dates.
The Society of Georgia Archivists’ Larry Gulley Scholarship and the Taronda Spencer award both provide funding for registration to attend the 50th Anniversary Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA) annual meeting: Strong Roots, Stronger Branches: October 16-18, 2019 at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center, Augusta, GA. The Society of Georgia Archivist has a vibrant and active scholarship program to enable students and archivists, to attend the Society of Georgia Archivists’ annual meeting and pre-conference workshop. These scholarships afford practitioners and students to attend such professional development opportunities that they may might not otherwise have the personal finances nor financial support from their institutions to attend.
Larry Gulley Scholarship: Applications Due: August 31, 2019
The scholarship will cover the following year’s membership dues, the meeting registration fee, a hotel room for two nights, and a maximum of $100 for other expenses incurred in attending the annual meeting. The registration fee for the successful scholarship applicant will be waived by the Society of Georgia Archivists, while other expenses will be reimbursed upon submission of a statement of expenses, with accompanying receipts, by December 1, 2019. Individuals may apply or be nominated by a supervisor or instructor. 
Eligible applicants must be:
·         Engaged in compensated or volunteer archival work at any level in an institution in the state of Georgia
·         SGA members employed outside the state of Georgia
·         Graduate students preparing for a career in archives at a college or university in Georgia
·         SGA student members studying outside the state of Georgia.
*Preferences will be given to applicants who do not have access to institutional support for attending the fall annual meeting.
To Apply: click here
Anthony R. Dees Education Workshop Scholarship: Applications Due September 7, 2019
This award includes a waived registration fee to attend either of the two scheduled 2019 SGA Pre-Conference Workshops: Introduction to ArchivesSpace, and Outreach and Exhibits. Recipients are responsible for submitting their workshop registration form by the registration deadline AND any travel fees associated with attending the workshop.
Eligible applicants must be:
·         Engaged in compensated or volunteer archival work at any level in an institution in the state of Georgia
·         SGA members employed outside the state of Georgia
·         Graduate students preparing for a career in archives at a college or university in Georgia
·         SGA student members studying outside the state of Georgia.
*Preferences will be given to applicants who do not have access to institutional support for attending the fall annual meeting.
To Apply for the Larry Gulley and Anthony Dees Scholarships Applicants must Submit:
o   Scholarship Application
o   Cover Letter
o   Resume
To Apply: click here
Taronda Spencer Award: Applications Due: September 21, 2019
The award includes complimentary registration to the SGA annual meeting, hotel registration, and $300 for travel expenses, for students currently enrolled as a junior or senior at an HBCU with a demonstrated interest in Archives or students of African-American, Asian/Pacific-Islander, Latino, or Native American descent currently enrolled in a graduate program with a component in archival studies. Applicants for the award may self-nominate or be nominated by others. Nominations should be sent to scholarships@soga.org.
·         To Apply Applicants must Submit:
o   Scholarship Application
o   Resume
o   Letter of Interest
§  Letters of interest must include the following information and supporting documentation:
      • Student’s current enrollment status
      • Statement describing their interest in a career in archives
o   Letter of recommendation from a faculty/staff member or archivist with personal knowledge of their interest.
To Apply: click here
To apply applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the digital application to avoid problems with postal delivery.
For more information regarding these scholarships, please contact: scholarships@soga.org

Recipient of Carroll Hart Scholarship Benefits from GAI Training

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By Ashley Shull,
Special Collections Coordinator at the Athens Regional Library System


About halfway through the instructional days of the Georgia Archives Institute, I blurted out, “I never thought to use a call slip!!” shaking my head with a negative, I can’t believe dumbfoundedness. These are the simple things I missed because I haven’t received formal training in archives. As a Library and Information Services graduate who now works as the Archives and Special Collections Coordinator at the Athens-Clarke County Library my knowledge of archives was tangential and more closely related to that of a user and interested librarian. The Institute was the one experience I needed in order to feel fully confident in my position.  Georgia Archives Institute provided me with confidence through interactive classroom instruction, which promoted an atmosphere of collegiality, and the best internship placement culminating in hands-on experience. 
Pamela Hackbart-Dean, Tina Seetoo, and Dorothy Waugh provided deep knowledge in a quick six days of instruction. Covering the basics, relating theory to practice, and bringing their expertise to the forefront enabled me to walk out of the Georgia Archives the first week fully saturated in theory and ideas, if not also a little bleary eyed, to bring back to my home institution. I was lucky to be assigned to the Auburn Avenue Research Library with Archives Manager Derek Mosley. Auburn Avenue was the best internship assignment for me. The opportunity to work within a special collection library at a public library system was invaluable. Derek welcomed my many questions about collections, processing, workflows, and management and answered them with expert grace. While peppering Derek with all of these questions I also processed and described a small collection of Georgia House Representatives member Lorenzo Benn’s papers. This collection was unique as it contained mostly correspondence from Rep. Benn’s time in office–he wrote many a thank you note and served on a variety of committees.
I also learned a great deal from my fellow Georgia Archives Institute participants. Even though many of us come from academic, public, and private institutions we connected on commonalities within our archives and shared experiences. Many conversations were had about the different levels of processing whether More Product, Less Process was better than Item Level–the consensus was, “it depends.”
Ultimately my time at GAI was the most informative, inspiring, and fun professional development experiences I’ve ever had. The professional relationships I have developed and the knowledge and resources learned will prove to be invaluable over my career. Thank you Society of Georgia Archivists and Georgia Archives Institute for this outstanding learning experience. 

Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) awards six Competitive Digitization service grants to Georgia cultural heritage institutions across the state

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WRITER: Mandy Mastrovita, mastrovi@uga.edu, 706-583-0209
CONTACT: Sheila McAlister, mcalists@uga.edu, 706-542-5418
ATHENS, Ga. — Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) awards six Competitive Digitization service grants to Georgia cultural heritage institutions across the state.
Six institutions are recipients of the fifth set of service grants awarded in a program intended to broaden partner participation in the DLG. The DLG solicited proposals for historic digitization projects in a statewide call, and applicants submitted proposals for projects with a cost of up to $7,500.00 The projects will be administered by DLG staff who will perform digitization and descriptive services on textual (not including newspapers), graphic, and audio-visual materials. This subgranting program was presented the 2018 Award for Excellence in Archival Program Development by a State Institution by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC).
The recipients and their projects include:
  • Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, Ga.)
Digitization of the Joseph R. Wilson papers, late 1800s (containing the sermons of Joseph Ruggles Wilson, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta from 1858-1870); John Newton Waddel papers, 1821-1881 (materials belonging to John Newton Waddel (1812-1885) and his father Moses Waddel (1770-1840), both Georgia Presbyterian ministers and educators); and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. Presbytery of Hopewell minutes, 1797-1866 (minutes from Georgia’s first Presbytery belonging to the Presbyterian Church from the period following the Revolutionary War through the Civil War).
  • Dougherty County Public Library (Albany, Ga.)
Digitization of city directories for Albany, Georgia, dating from 1922-1949.
  • Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum (Atlanta, Ga.)
Description of archival documents that highlight notable events and accomplishments during Jimmy Carter’s presidential administration from 1977-1981 that include the Camp David Accords (1978), the hostage crisis in Iran (1979-1981), the Panama Canal Treaties (1977-1978), the president’s daily diary (1977-1981), presidential directives (1977-1981), presidential review memoranda (1977-1979), and legislation towards the progression of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
  • National Civil War Naval Museum (Columbus, Ga.)
Digitization of a ledger from the James H. Warner Collection containing correspondence from Warner, commander and superintendent of the Confederate States Naval Iron Works (sometimes referred to as the Columbus Iron Works) which operated from 1862-1865. The ledger also includes entries as late as 1866 as Warner worked with the United States Navy in turning over naval equipment to the United States government.
  • University of Georgia Map and Government Information Library (Athens, Ga.)
Digitization of Sanborn fire insurance maps produced in 1923 for 21 Georgia towns and cities in 17 counties.
  • Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections (Valdosta, Ga.)
Digitization of Georgia deeds and plats representing southeastern and south Georgia counties(including Camden, Glynn, Wayne, Brantley, Ware, and Worth counties) dating from the 1700s-1899.

Preference in the selection process was given to proposals from institutions that had not yet collaborated with the DLG. Dougherty County Public Library and the National Civil War Naval Museum are both new partners for the DLG. Sheila McAlister, director of the Digital Library of Georgia, notes: “Since the start of DLG’s subgranting program in 2016, we’ve funded 26 projects and added 10 new partners. Documenting the entire state, the collections illuminate the lives of Georgia’s African-American, LGBTQ, and Asian-American communities, as well as the state’s educational, political, cultural and industrial past.”
About Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary exists to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the church and the world. It is an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a community of theological inquiry, leadership development, and formation for ministry in the service of the church of Jesus Christ. Visit https://www.ctsnet.edu/
About Dougherty County Public Library
The Dougherty County Public Library’s mission is to select, assemble and administer organized collections of educational and recreational library materials; to serve the community as a center of reliable information and a place where inquiring minds may encounter original, unorthodox, or critical ideas in our society; to provide opportunities and encouragement for individuals to continue their educations; to supplement and help formal education programs; to seek, continually, to identify community needs; to support civic groups, cultural activities, or cooperate with other agencies as they work for community good; to maintain and disseminate public information encouraging to individuals to better use the libraries as well as to contribute to the field of professional librarianship; to enhance interest and research in local history; and to provide opportunity for substantive recreational and constructive use of leisure time through the use of literature, music, films, and other forms. Visit http://docolib.org/
About the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia houses U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s papers and other material relating to the Carter Administration and the Carter family’s life. Visit https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/
About the National Civil War Naval Museum
The National Civil War Naval Museum houses the largest surviving Confederate warship, the CSS Jackson, as well as the wreckage of the CSS Chattahoochee, and the largest collection of Civil War Naval-related flags on display in the country. Their timeline exhibit shows naval events and features many of the museum’s most rare artifacts, such as the uniform coat of Captain Catesby Jones and Admiral Farragut’s two-star hat insignia. The museum hosts a range of events throughout the year with an emphasis on museum theatre and historic character interpretation. Additionally, there are living history events, tours, cannon firings, weapons demonstrations, local history projects, and more. Visit https://www.portcolumbus.org/
About the University of Georgia Map and Government Information Library
The University of Georgia Map and Government Information Library (MAGIL)’s mission is to provide bibliographic, physical, and intellectual access to cartographic and government information in all formats. The UGA Libraries serves as Georgia’s regional depository for documents published by the Federal government as well as the official depository for documents published by the State of Georgia. Its collections include select international and United Nations documents. Cartographic resources include maps, aerial photography and remote sensed imagery, atlases, digital spatial data, and reference materials, with a particular emphasis on the State of Georgia. Visit https://www.libs.uga.edu/magil
About Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections
The VSU Archives and Special Collections supports the University’s commitment to scholarly and creative work, enhances instructional effectiveness, encourages faculty scholarly pursuits, and supports research in selective areas of institutional strength focused on regional need by collecting, preserving, and providing access to records of enduring historical value documenting the history and development of VSU and the surrounding South Georgia region and in support of VSU curriculum. Visit https://www.valdosta.edu/academics/library/depts/archives-and-special-collections/
About the Digital Library of Georgia
Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia https://dlg.usg.edu/ is a GALILEO initiative that collaborates with Georgia’s libraries, archives, museums and other institutions of education and culture to provide access to key information resources on Georgia history, culture, and life. This primary mission is accomplished through the ongoing development, maintenance, and preservation of digital collections and online digital library resources.  DLG also serves as Georgia’s service hub for the Digital Public Library of America and as the home of the Georgia Newspaper Project, the state’s historic newspaper microfilming project.

New oral history collection documents disability experience in Georgia

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June 20, 2019
CONTACT: Deborah Hakes, dhakes@georgialibraries.org
ATLANTA…Georgia Public Library Service is pleased to announce the release of Our Stories, Our Lives, an oral history collection of stories to preserve and document a more complete history of the disability experience, specifically that of people with print disabilities who are living in Georgia.
“Interviewees shared their experiences with us, whether it was a life story or a period of time that was significant to them,” said Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) Outreach Librarian Stephanie Irvin, who managed the project. “We heard such a variety of beautiful stories that exemplify both how unique our patrons are and the rich lives they have; this collection challenges the general perception of what it means to live with disability.”
 
Through GLASS, the Georgia Public Library Service provides library services for individuals who are blind and to those whose physical abilities require the use of books and magazines in audio format or in braille. GLASS talking book and large-print library has more than 450,000 annual checkouts, and users who are physically unable to visit a library can obtain materials freely by mail.
Audio interviews and transcripts maintain the authentic voices of people who have a print disability, including visual impairment, physical impairment, blindness or a reading disability.
“GLASS was pleased to curate Our Stories, Our Lives to show disability is not a one-size-fits-all experience as a part of our ongoing efforts to promote accessible library services in Georgia,” said Assistant State Librarian and GLASS Director Pat Herndon.
The digital repository of Our Stories, Our Lives is hosted by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, who partnered with GLASS to archive the project.

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About Georgia Public Library Service
Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) empowers libraries to improve the lives of all Georgians by encouraging reading, literacy, and education through the continuing support and improvement of our public libraries. GPLS is a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. www.georgialibraries.org #georgialibraries
About the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services
Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) supports accessible library services in Georgia by promoting the use of assistive technology and by providing accessible reading materials to those who, due to a disability, are unable to read standard print.
This partnership is paid for in part by a grant to the Georgia Public Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act.

Edward Weldon Scholarship Applications Open June 1

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The 2019 Society of Georgia Archivists Scholarship committee is proud to announce the opening of applications for the Edward Weldon Scholarship.  Applications will be accepted June 1st– July 5th.2019.
The Society of Georgia Archivists’ Edward Weldon Scholarship provides funding for registration for an SGA member to attend the Society of American Archivists (SAA) annual meeting. The Edward Weldon Scholarship was established in 2000 to recognize Ed’s leadership in furthering the preservation and access of Georgia’s historical records.
The scholarship covers only the amount of the early-bird-Advance registration fee. The award recipient is responsible for covering any costs associated with travel and accommodations. Please note that the scholarship winner is responsible for submitting their SAA meeting registration by the early-bird/advance registration deadline. After the SAA meeting, the recipient will submit their SAA registration receipt to the SGA Treasurer for reimbursement, as well as a brief article on the experience for use in the SGA Magazine.
Individuals eligible to compete for the scholarship are:
·         must be members of SGA (as of February 1 of the current year)
·         residents of the State of Georgia
·         Preference will be given to applicants who do not have access to institutional support for attending the Society of American Archivists annual meeting
To apply for the Edward Weldon Scholarship, please fill out the application, with all required supplemental materials, prior to Friday July 5th. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the digital application to avoid problems with postal delivery. Please note that the application must be RECEIVED (not postmarked) by July 5, 2019, to qualify.
For more information regarding this scholarship, please contact: scholarships@soga.org

Fire at Highlander Center

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By Laurel Bowen, University Archivist, Georgia State University


Atlanta is well known for civil rights activism, as evidenced by the numerous archival repositories, cultural resources, and historical sites that bear witness to that history. They include:

•        National Center for Civil and Human Rights;
•        Civil Rights Digital Library;
•        Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Collection;
•        Archives and research centers at the Atlanta University Center, Atlanta History Center, and Atlanta-Fulton Public Library;
•        Civil rights collections and materials at Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and Emory University;
•        Living Atlanta Oral History Collection at the American Folklife Center (Library of Congress);
•        Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park (formerly MLK National Historic Site);
•        Atlanta’s “Off the Wall” public art collection (murals) documenting civil rights and social justice movements.
Colleagues who attended the SGA conference last October may remember an afternoon session on “Split Collections: Outreach Across Multiple Institutions.” The session explored ways to identify and cooperatively expand access to African-American history collections split among different institutions. One of the four presenters was Susan Williams, coordinator of the Highlander Library/Resource Center and a member of the Education team.
We often focus on public demonstrations and other expressions of activism. We should also consider the origins of advocacy—how advocates are motivated, what strategies they choose, and by what means a movement grows. The Highlander Center (https://www.highlandercenter.org/about-us/), created in 1932 as the Highlander Folk School, has long served as an important Tennessee-based social justice incubator, offering a forum for discussion as well as workshops and training sessions for those concerned with social and economic issues. In the 1930s and 1940s this work focused on the unemployed and evolved into a training center for union organizers in eleven southern states. In the 1950s and 1960s the Highlander provided a non-segregated space for interaction, discussion, and strategy development for many Atlanta civil rights leaders including Rosa Parks, Ralph David Abernathy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Following several government investigations of the Folk School’s work during the McCarthy and early civil rights eras, the state of Tennessee revoked its charter in 1961 and seized its land and buildings. The school reopened the next day as the Highlander Research and Education Center and relocated to Knoxville, where it remained for a decade until it moved in 1972 to its current location near New Market.
At our last SGA conference, this past history as a social justice center and the resulting government actions were cited as a rationale for moving many of the Highlander’s oldest and most historic records to an off-site archival repository. Five months after our conference—on March 29—the Highlander was the target of suspected arson. According to news reports, investigators were focusing on a symbol spray painted on the pavement near the charred building. The symbol, resembling a hashtag or tic-tac-toe grid but with three horizontal and vertical lines, is known to be used by white supremacists.
The Atlanta civil rights connection is explored in an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Later reports in the Knoxville News Sentinel (4/5/19) indicate the symbol may have existed prior to the fire, but Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) has called for a federal investigation. While the oldest group of the Highlander’s archival records (dating from about 1917 to 2005) are at the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Highlander said “decades of historic documents” had been destroyed in the fire. An update on May 14 from the Highlander says the cause of the fire is still undetermined, but all of the staff are safe and messages of encouragement and support continue to pour in from around the world.

Georgia Archives Month Spotlight Grant applications due May 31

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Applications are being accepted for the Georgia Archives Month’s Spotlight Grant, and the deadline is May 31st!
The Spotlight on Archives Grant is intended to help archives, museums, or heritage institutions in Georgia promote public awareness of their archives and manuscript collections during Georgia Archives Month in October. This year, there will be one award of $500. 

Award monies are intended to be used by the selected institution to fund an event held during Georgia Archives Month in October 2019. The money can be used for the event’s expenses. The 2019 theme is “Looking Forward, Looking Back: 50 Years of Preserving History”.
You can get your application and specific details HERE.
Apply by May 31st for consideration!
While you’re on the site, check out events hosted by past winners!  Good luck!