Church Record Book from Harris County Covering the Years 1828-1915 now Available Online in the Digital Library of Georgia

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WRITER: Mandy Mastrovita, mastrovi@uga.edu, 706-583-0209
CONTACT: Sheila McAlister, mcalists@uga.edu, 706-542-5418
ATHENS, Ga. — Church record book from Harris County covering the years 1828-1915 now available online in the Digital Library of Georgia.
 
 
A record book covering the years between 1828-1915 of the Sardis Church of Christ is now available in the Digital Library of Georgia. The Sardis Church of Christ, associated with the Primitive Baptist Church, was one of the first churches to be established in Harris County, in west-central Georgia. This resource belongs to the Chipley Historical Center of Pine Mountain, Georgia, and has been made available online thanks in part to the DLG’s Competitive Digitization grant program, a funding opportunity intended to broaden DLG partner participation for statewide historic digitization projects.
The record book and descriptive information are available at:
Harris County was established in 1827, carved from Muscogee and Troup Counties, and from lands ceded by the Creek Nation in the 1825 Treaty of Indian Springs, and reaffirmed in the 1826 Treaty of Washington. A year later, in 1828, the Sardis Church of Christ was formed.
For the most part, the Sardis Baptist Church of Christ records follow a predictable format of when a meeting was held, who preached at the meeting, and that an invitation was given. The records also contain names of those that joined by declaration or by letter, and those that left by their own choice.
The Sardis Church also had African American members. Before the Civil War, these members are often listed only by their first names and are often denoted as “property of,” indicating their status as enslaved individuals. After the Civil War, the notations change to “colored” or sometimes “freedman” and their last name was often included. However, no matter what race, the Church always referred to a member as Brother or Sister.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the church minutes in the record book become shorter and shorter for each meeting, and membership declines. This is probably due to the establishment of other churches nearby and the increased reliability of roads and transportation.
Although the Sardis church no longer exists, the church record book is a valuable tool for both those researching Primitive Baptists in regions other than the wiregrass region of Georgia or for those researching very early Georgia churches.
Malinda Brooks, a member of the board of directors of the Chipley Historical Center, notes:
“Personally, I have used the Sardis minutes in preparation of two published family genealogy books…Researchers are excited to find out when their family members entered and exited the Sardis membership, including the death dates of some members. These death dates, especially those that have not been found elsewhere, are treasures to researchers. Most recently, a woman researching her family for her Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) membership application was able to find ancestors in the Sardis record book which helped strengthen her DAR research, especially given that the DAR was unable to track the correct ancestor.”
Featured image:
Title: Record book of the Sardis Church of Christ
(attachment: chipley_scc_sard_Page_005.jpg)
About the Chipley Historical Center of Pine Mountain

The Chipley Historical Center is located in Pine Mountain, Georgia next to City Hall in the original city hall building, built just after the turn of the twentieth century, and still contains the original jail cells. Learn more at the Chipley Historical Center’s web site at chipleyhistoriccenter.org.
About the Digital Library of Georgia

Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia 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. Visit the DLG at dlg.usg.edu.

Registration open for Conservation Enclosures for Libraries and Archives

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UPDATE: Georgia Archives Spring Book and Paper Conservation/Preservation Workshop Series

Registration open for Conservation Enclosures for Libraries and Archives

Date: June 12 – 14, 2020
Fees: $350
Location: Georgia Archives, Morrow, GA (Greater Atlanta)
Register at: http://www.cvent.com/d/8hqvbq 
Registration deadline: June 5, 2020
Registration fees include all materials, and lunch and snacks will be provided.
Should the minimum number of attendees not be met by the registration deadline, the workshop will be postponed and the attendees refunded if they wish to cancel their registration.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are implementing additional health and safety measures to protect the workshop attendees and staff. These include:

  • ·       Reducing the maximum workshop capacity to 10 people to ensure a 6-foot distance between persons and individual work areas.
  • ·       Increasing cleaning and disinfection of all the workshop spaces and surfaces.
  • ·       Limiting sharing of work areas to an absolute minimum and cleaning the surfaces between use.
  • ·       Requesting attendees to bring and wear face masks for the duration of the workshop.
  • ·       Requiring all workshop staff and assistants to follow CDC hygiene and social distancing guidelines and to wear face masks.
  • ·       Requiring hand washing upon entry for all persons.
  • ·       Providing individual pre-packaged lunches and snacks.
  • ·       Including video projection for demonstrations.
  • ·       Prohibiting sharing of tools and materials.
  • ·       Prohibiting non-workshop persons access to the workshop areas.
For more information or if you have any concerns please contact Sigourney Smuts at sigourney.smuts@usg.edu
Registration is open for the other postponed workshops, which will be rescheduled for later in 2020 with additional health and safety measures. 

  • ·       Preservation Management for Cultural Heritage Institutions – $200 – date to be determined
  • ·       Introduction to Paper Conservation – $350 – date to be determined
  • ·       Book Conservation for Circulating and Reference Collections – $350 – date to be determined
A discounted price of $1050 is available for registering for all four workshops.
Location: Georgia Archives, Morrow, GA (Greater Atlanta)
Register at: http://www.cvent.com/d/8hqvbq
For more information please contact Sigourney Smuts at sigourney.smuts@usg.edu

Call for GHRAC Awards Nominations

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Reward Excellent Work in Archives
Call for GHRAC Awards Nominations
Morrow, GA, April 9, 2020 – Do you know someone who has done outstanding work using, preserving, or making historical records more accessible?  Think about the historical or genealogical society, library, museum, county or municipal government, researcher, local historian, educator or student.  The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) wants to encourage and reward their exceptional efforts. 
The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) established the Outstanding Archives Awards Program in 2003 to recognize outstanding efforts in archives and records work in Georgia. By publicly recognizing excellent achievements, the Board strives to inspire others. Hundreds of organizations and individuals play a significant role in the preservation of our state’s documentary heritage. 
  
GHRAC has twelve different award categories for individuals and organizations. Award recipients will be honored at the Georgia Archives by the GHRAC Board at a ceremony during Archives Month in October. Nominations may be submitted through June 1. Nominations must be postmarked on or before June 1, 2020.  
All of the following are eligible for an award. (You may nominate your own organization.)  
  • local governments, courts, school systems, state agencies, and institutions
  • historical records repositories, historical societies, libraries, and museums
  • educators, students, and researchers
  • legislators and government officials
  • individuals and organizations who support archives and records management
  • specialized subject societies in related fields such as oral history, genealogy, folklore, archaeology, business history, etc.

Information about the GHRAC Awards Program is located on the website of the Georgia Archives, www.georgiaarchives.org. On the homepage, type “GHRAC” in the search bar. You can then click on the link to the “GHRAC Awards Program.” Here you will find the links for the Nomination Form and instructions, the Award Categories and Selection Criteria for all 12 awards categories, and a list of all prior award recipients.
A nomination package consists of the one-page nomination form (please provide all requested contact information), a 500-word summary or project description, a copy of the work itself, and any supporting documentation necessary to appropriately portray the complete work (in the case of a project which includes an exhibit, a website, or an audiovisual, instructional, service, or performance component). Please note requirements in the appropriate selection criteria for nominations.
If submitted electronically, one copy of the nomination package should be emailed to: christopher.davidson@usg.edu. If submitted as hard copy, seven (7) complete nomination packages should be sent to: GHRAC, Georgia Archives 5800 Jonesboro Rd. Morrow, GA 30260 [Copies will not be returned.] Nominators should pay particular attention to the following requirements: 1. Georgia students who research and write in an area other than Georgia history or a Georgia subject must use the resources of Georgia records repositories to qualify for these awards. 2. A letter of support from a professor, teacher, adviser, or other appropriate representative of an organization or institution must accompany students who nominate themselves or are nominated by a family member. Award recipients are typically notified in August or September, and the annual GHRAC Awards Reception and Ceremony are held at the Georgia Archives in October.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get involved and shine the spotlight on the organizations and individuals all across Georgia who are dedicated to preserving and sharing our history, and improving our record keeping. 
For additional information, please contact GHRAC by phone at 678-364-3806, or email christopher.davidson@usg.edu.

2020 HomePLACE Summer Digitization Internship

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Purpose and Scope

The Roddenbery Memorial Library in Cairo, GA seeks highly-motivated, responsible applicants for a Summer Digitization Internship fieldwork opportunity. This is a part-time, paid summer internship opportunity lasting from May-August 2020, $10 an hour for a total of 200 hours of work. Intern work shall be conducted onsite at either the Roddenbery Memorial Library in Cairo, GA or at the Georgia Public Library Service offices in Atlanta, GA as determined by the project needs and student’s location. Accommodations will gladly be made for candidates completing the internship for course credit.

Minimum Education, Training, and Experience

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated desire to work with archival materials, will possess excellent communication skills, be detail-oriented, able to work independently, have fine manual dexterity, strong written and verbal communication skills, and strong experience using Windows-based applications and the Google Suite.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

This position requires dependability, tact, knowledge of library policies and procedures, and the ability to work as part of a team. The ability to start, finish, or pick up work projects at various points, without direct supervision, is vital. Assignments will vary according to the individual project needs, and the intern may assist with other tasks as assigned. All equipment and training will be provided by Georgia HomePLACE.
The 2020 HomePLACE Summer Intern will contribute toward making digitally available 54 audio oral history interviews with African American citizens from the Cairo, Georgia area. The project, which was conducted in 1982, will also include scanning and description of 50 color slides of African American churches in the area.
The Digitization Intern will:

  • Research biographical details about the interviewees, as well as relevant historical information about Cairo in order to best describe the collection;
  • Research any privacy restrictions;
  • Create a collection-level finding aid and box list;
  • Rehouse original media into archival enclosures where required;
  • Convert recordings from VHS to digital video;
  • Scan slides on a provided flatbed scanner;
  • Perform quality control checks to ensure successful conversion;
  • Record descriptive metadata and create a detailed record for each recording and image;
  • Upload recordings to the Roddenbery Memorial Library’s YouTube account;
  • Create subject access to the recordings using the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer;
  • Create a press release and other promotional material, including but not limited to blog and social media posts and a web graphic;
  • Assist staff of the Roddenbery Memorial Library in designing a public program related to the themes and content of the digitized collection;
  • Keep a daily log of work and prepare a final report of work completed;
  • Tour the DLG and GPLS offices and work with staff to ingest the records and recordings;
  • If applicable, complete work required for course credit.

The Digitization Intern may:

  • Reach out to the partner organizations for possible collaboration;
  • Hand key transcription for full-text searchability;
  • Assist staff of the Roddenbery Memorial Library in implementing a public program related to the themes and content of the digitized collection;
  • Co-curate an online exhibit and/or subject guide to related collections. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Knowledge of general library and archival principles and philosophy;
  • Computing proficiency, including the use of Microsoft Office and Google Suite applications;
  • Knowledge of basic library operational principles, practices, and application of Roddenbery Memorial Library policies, procedures, and activities;
  • Effective communication and interpersonal skills;
  • Ability to work with people with tact, patience, and courtesy;
  • Ability to maintain regular, predictable, and punctual attendance;
  • Ability to learn metadata standards and schemas;
  • Ability to learn technical processes for making digital files publicly accessible;
  • Ability to read and interpret print, script, or cursive handwriting.

About the Partnership

The Summer Digitization Internship program is a partnership between the Roddenbery Memorial Library and Georgia HomePLACE, a unit of the Georgia Public Library Service.
The mission of the Roddenbery Memorial Library is to continue our commitment to public service, assisting all individuals and groups in Grady County to attain the highest level of educational, cultural, economic and social enrichment possible.
Georgia HomePLACE encourages public libraries and related institutions across the state to participate in The Digital Library of Georgia, an initiative of GALILEO. HomePLACE offers a highly collaborative model for digitizing primary source collections, and is supported with Federal LSTA funds administered by IMLS through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Apply

Applications can either be filled out online or printed and mailed to:

Director
Roddenbery Memorial Library
320 N. Broad St.
Cairo, Ga 39828.

Applications will be accepted until April 30, 2020.
Questions may be sent to jboudet@rmlibrary.org

Three Webinars about OHMS (Oral History Metadata Synchroniser)

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Doug Boyd from the University of Kentucky is hosting three workshops about OHMS (Oral History Metadata Synchroniser). Registration is $39 per workshop. Learn more and register below.

 

Webinar: Introduction to OHMS

Tuesday, April 14, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM (EDT) (Click on the link for more details and to register)
Webinar participants will get a comprehensive introduction to OHMS and its capabilities, then focus in on the process of getting started using OHMS, the creation of new records, synchronizing transcripts, and indexing interviews, as well as the installation and configuration of the OHMS Viewer. The webinar will discuss both practical strategies for integrating OHMS into archival workflows and the utilization of OHMS by oral history projects outside of the archive. Finally, the webinar will look at different implementations of OHMS and provide a space for workshop participants to discuss and to ask questions. 

Webinar: OHMS Next Steps

Thursday, April 16, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM (EDT) (Click on the link for more details and to register)
OHMS Next Steps is a webinar designed for those who want more in-depth practical training, as well as an opportunity to explore more advanced features and workflows. Registrants will participate in a full training session on indexing oral history interviews and synchronizing oral history transcripts. In addition to indexing and synchronization, topics will focus on the batch importing of metadata, the new auto-synchronization feature for importing transcripts with embedded time code, the bilingual capabilities of OHMS, the creation of thesauri for indexing, and the implementation of the new project management capabilities. The webinar will provide a space for workshop participants to discuss and to ask questions. 

Webinar: Integrating OHMS and Omeka

Friday, April 17, 2020 (1:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT) (Click on the link for more details and to register)
This webinar (taught by Doug Boyd and Janneken Smucker) explores how to integrate the OHMS plugin suite with Omeka to create a powerful discovery and user experience for online oral history collections.  By displaying the OHMS Viewer within an Omeka item, users can conduct a text search of interviews, finding corresponding moments in an online audio or video file. By integrating the OHMS Viewer with Omeka Classic, users can search interview indexes and transcripts across entire collections. Following a brief overview of OHMS and a detailed exploration of Omeka, workshop participants will learn about installing, configuring, and deploying Omeka and the OHMS plugin suite. Instructors will present sample Omeka sites utilizing the OHMS plugins as well themes that are optimized for use with the OHMS Viewer. Additionally, workshop participants will explore workflow strategies and more advanced aspects of creating an Omeka site utilizing the OHMS Viewer.

Columbus and Macon city directories now freely available online in the Digital Library of Georgia

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Georgia’s public libraries continue to make new content freely available online during the public safety closures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Newly digitized Columbus and Macon city directories offer engaging social studies content for students and educator research.
March 31, 2020
CONTACT: Deborah Hakes, dhakes@georgialibraries.org
ATLANTA — Digitized city directories from Columbus (1859-1912) and Macon (1860-1899) are now available in the Digital Library of Georgia. Details in the collections about residence and resident make city directories ideally suited for local history and genealogy research, as well as student and educator research for social studies curricula.
columbus city directory from 1912
City directories antedate the phonebook as a listing of residents, businesses, organizations, and streets. In addition to basic location information, city directories frequently provided local governmental and civic information, street maps, church and cemetery information, and historical details about the city and surrounding areas. Information about individuals typically includes the resident’s name, title or salutation, home address, marital status and spouse’s name, race, occupation, and, if applicable, information about business ownership.
“We are thrilled to share city directories from the Middle Georgia Archives with our state and the world through the Digital Library of Georgia,” said Middle Georgia Regional Library Director Jennifer Lautzenheiser. “These directories allow researchers from all backgrounds to explore the rich and nuanced history of our communities.
Academics can learn about the trends that shaped our state. Students can lift the curtain on everyday life, and family genealogists can add details to the lives of their ancestors.”
The full-text searchable digital collections are part of a statewide initiative to digitize Georgia’s public domain city directories. The project is a partnership between Georgia HomePLACE, the digitization unit of the Georgia Public Library Service; the Digital Library of Georgia; the Columbus Public Library, part of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries; and Washington Memorial Library, part of the Middle Georgia Regional Library System.
“Our city directories are frequently used by genealogists, local historians, and even owners of historical homes to learn more about the families and businesses that have been in our community’” said Wanda Edwards, Adult Services Coordinator for Chattahoochee Valley Libraries. “Digital access makes our directories available to customers regardless of their ability to visit the library.”
Students and researchers working from home will enjoy increased access to volumes that were previously only available onsite at their local library. Additional city directories available in the Digital Library of Georgia include Albany (1922-1949), Athens (1889-1958), and Atlanta (1867-1922).
“The importance of access to digital library collections has become more evident during these past weeks, said Edwards. “This is one more service we can provide for our users.”
####
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.
Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia 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. The Digital Library of Georgia 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.
Middle Georgia Regional Library serves six counties across Central Georgia. The library’s mission is to connect all people to the information necessary to improve their lives through excellent services and materials.

The Chattahoochee Valley Libraries is a seven-branch system that serves more than 250,000 people in four counties: Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Marion and Stewart. The Library system is the most widely used cultural institution in the region, with more than 120,000 residents holding library cards. Our mission is to be your place, your partner, your library.

SGA Board of Directors Issues Statement Regarding COVID-19

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COVID-19 Resources

Statement from the SGA Board of Directors

March 20, 2020

Atlanta, GA — The Board of Directors of the Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA Board) fully endorses the Society of American Archivists (SAA) Council’s March 18, 2020 statement regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Given the danger of contact with this contagion, the SGA Board calls for those archival institutions in Georgia which have not already closed to the public to do so immediately and discontinue requiring non-emergency staff to report to work. As of March 20, 2020, the infection and death rates in Georgia continue to climb at an exponential rate. In an effort to flatten the curve and avoid overwhelming our medical resources, archivists’ focus should be on supporting people—our professionals, staff, and the general public—as they self-quarantine and/or shelter-in-place.

In its statement, the SAA Council recognized “that it can be challenging to develop remote work activities that support the material and unique preservation imperatives of archives. However, in this time of crisis, individual health and safety are of utmost importance.” The SGA Board agrees with this position, and furthermore endorses the inclusion of financial safety in this list of imperatives. While all effort should be put toward finding options for remote work (SAA’s Accessibility and Disability Section has created a working document or identifying projects), the SGA Board urges cultural heritage institutions, corporate, government, and private archives to continue to pay and provide benefits to their professional, staff, student, part-time, contract, temporary, and independent workers through the duration of this crisis.

SGA will be providing information and daily updates about operational changes to Georgia’s archival institutions via its website. Archivists are encouraged to report changes in their institutions’ operations using this form. Resources for archivists and librarians navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to those provided by the CDC, WHO, and Georgia Department of Public Health, can be found at the link.

The full statement can be viewed here.
The spreadsheet of Georgia archives affected by COVID-19 closings can be viewed here.

Digitization of City Directories for Albany from 1922-1950 now Available through Digital Library of Georgia

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WRITER: Mandy Mastrovita, mastrovi@uga.edu, 706-583-0209

CONTACT: Sheila McAlister, mcalists@uga.edu, 706-542-5418
ATHENS, Ga. — Digitization of city directories for Albany, Georgia, dating from 1922-1950.
New online records are now available for people researching their families in Albany, Georgia. The Digital Library of Georgia has just added a collection of city directories housed at the Dougherty County Public Library, dating from 1922-1950. The collection, Albany, Georgia City Directories, is available at dlg.usg.edu/collection/zgn_albcd and contains eleven directories covering Albany during intermittent years from 1922 to 1950, and one 1937 directory from Americus.
City directories existed before telephone directories and often listed the names, addresses, occupations, and ethnicities of people in American towns and cities. Because they contain so much detailed information, they are vital resources for researchers, genealogists, and the general public. According to the Library of Congress, city directories “are among the most important sources of information about urban areas and their inhabitants. They provide personal and professional information about a city’s residents as well as information about its business, civic, social, religious, charitable, and literary institutions.”
Christina Shepherd, head of reference for the Dougherty County Public Library describes the relevance of Albany’s city directories to the researchers in her library:
“Several patrons have asked to use the directories to see who lived in their house, to trace an ancestor’s life, verifying use of land, or to see who ran what businesses.  A specific example was in 1940 there was a tornado that came through and destroyed a lot of downtown Albany. While these directories do not show that event, they show the city stayed strong after that event. The directories have the addresses where businesses were before the tornado in 1939 to where they had to relocate in 1941. Just think, those directories were the same books that our relatives, our city leaders, and others used to find an address or phone number!”
J. Douglas Porter, a writer based in Albany Georgia, notes: “Much of the material I have been looking at has been digitized and is searchable. This has not only been a useful time-saver, but it has also proven to be more reliable than my visual scans of many pages of materials. The city directories have a high level of historic value and potential for reuse by multiple audiences well into the future. In fact, they will become even more valuable as time passes and the paper copies crumble.”
Link to featured images:
Albany, Georgia city directory 1934-35 containing an alphabetically arranged list of names, a classified business directory, a street directory, and much useful miscellaneous information
1934-1935 city directory for Albany, Georgia containing information that identifies Albany residents, their occupations and local businesses.
About Dougherty County Public Library
The Dougherty County Public Library’s mission is “To Strengthen our Community by Inspiring, Encouraging, and Supporting Life-long Learning for all.”  The goals of the library are 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 docolib.org/
About the Digital Library of Georgia

Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia 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. Visit the DLG at dlg.usg.edu.

Georgia Archives Hosts African-American History Program: "Genealogical Research at the Georgia Archives"

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On Saturday, February 1, the Georgia Archives and the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) hosted the African American History Program: “Genealogical Research at the Georgia Archives.”
The free program was held from 9:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m. at the Georgia Archives. Tours of the Archives were given after the program. There were four sessions, with a morning and afternoon break provided by Friends of Georgia Archives and History (FOGAH).
For the first session, Tamika Strong, Georgia Archives’ Reference Archivist, presented “Researching at the Georgia Archives: An Introduction.”
 Reference Archivist Tamika Strong asks a question
For the second session, Kayla Barrett, Georgia Archives’ Deputy Director, presented “African American Genealogical Research at the Georgia Archives.”
 Georgia Archives Deputy Director Kayla Barrett presents to group
For the third session, Paula Whatley Matabane, AAHGS Metro Atlanta Chapter, presented “Genealogy and Lies in a Courtroom Drama over Ownership of Enslaved Ancestors.”
 Dr. Paula Matabane presenting
The final session was a panel discussion: “Research Techniques” with facilitator Judy Rose Weaver, AAHGS Metro Atlanta Chapter. On the panel were three AAHGS Metro Atlanta Chapter members: Tammy Ozier who presented “Finding Manumission Records in Louisiana Archives”; Janice Bryant presented “Strategies for Researching Free People of Color”; and Johnette Brooks presented “Tips for Researching Military Records.”
 Standing: Panelist Johnette Brooks

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Now Available Online

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WRITER: Mandy Mastrovita, mastrovi@uga.edu, 706-583-0209
CONTACT: Sheila McAlister, mcalists@uga.edu, 706-542-5418
ATHENS, Ga. — Sanborn fire insurance maps for select Georgia towns and cities dating from 1923-1941 now available for free online
The Digital Library of Georgia has just made Sanborn fire insurance maps produced between 1923-1941 for 39 Georgia towns and cities in 35 counties freely available online. The maps, which are now in the public domain, can be retrieved at dlg.usg.edu/collection/dlg_sanb, and complement the DLG’s existing collection of the University of Georgia Map and Government Information Library’s 539 Sanborn maps dating from 1884-1922 that have been available since 2005. The DLG has also upgraded its image viewer, which will allow better access and improved navigation to the new and older Sanborn images from this collection.
Sanborn maps were designed to assist fire insurance agents in determining fire hazards for properties by outlining the construction of buildings and their elements, as well as the location of water facilities, house and block numbers, and the names of streets. They have proven useful in researching urban growth and decline, urban planning design, and the historic use of buildings in a city.
Cari Goetcheus, associate professor in the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia notes: “Sanborn maps are a wonderful snapshot of place in time from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s.
Originally created by insurance companies to understand building materials in cities so they could decide what and how to insure the built environment, these maps offer much more than that by providing insight into Georgia’s diverse cultural, political, social, economic, and geographic history.
For example, my students and I have most recently been using Athens Sanborn maps to document land-use change in an area known as Hot Corner, the historically black business district of Athens from the late 1800s to the 1970s.”
Valerie Glenn, librarian and Head of the University of Georgia’s Map and Government Information Library notes:
“Because the maps contain such rich details, they provide a clear picture of a town as it existed –culturally, socially, economically, geographically. Users can see how many banks, or theatres, or piano stores existed; the “colored” schools and churches; and the distance between the river and the cigar factory.
Over time this makes it easier for users to, for example, identify changes to historically African-American neighborhoods in a given town or see the development, expansion, and/or decline of a central business district.”

Link to featured images:

Arlington, Calhoun and Early Counties, Georgia, Apr. 1934/ Sanborn Map Company
Fire insurance maps which show building construction by hand coloring, locations of elevators and windows, and available water facilities. Shows commercial and religious occupancy of buildings, dwellings with property boundaries, and house and block numbers. Includes notes on population, water facilities, fire department, and prevailing winds. The maps represented are from the University of Georgia Libraries Map Collection.
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 libs.uga.edu/magil
About the Digital Library of Georgia
Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia 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. Visit the DLG at dlg.usg.edu.