Special Collections News

Community Invited to Free Events Celebrating Archaeology, UGA Athletics History

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Athens-area history buffs are invited to dig in to the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries archives with two free community events planned for Saturday, Sept. 30.

The day begins with a Local History Expo at the Oconee County Library, featuring mementoes from UGA Athletics history, including items associated with the Georgia vs. Auburn rivalry to correspond to the football game scheduled for that day.

Georgia Writers Celebrated with Dinner, Reading at UGA Libraries

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Celebrate Georgia writers this fall with a reading from the author of Erasure or with a special Italian dinner with the author of Under the Tuscan Sun.

The University of Georgia Libraries will host the two newest members of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame with special events open to the community later this year. Novelist and cookbook author Frances Mayes will be a featured guest for a plated dinner Saturday, Oct. 28, and poet Percival Everett will read his award-winning work on Thursday, Nov. 2, both at the UGA Special Collections Libraries Building in Athens.

Vince Dooley’s Legacy on Display at UGA Special Collections Libraries

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The University of Georgia’s Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library is celebrating the life and career of late Georgia Football Head Coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley this fall with a new museum exhibit, Legacy: Vince Dooley, 1932-2022. This display will open on Friday, Sept. 1, at the Special Collections Libraries Building on the University of Georgia campus, just in time for fans to celebrate the start of the 2023 football season.

Tales of Medical Woes, Judicial Triumphs Named Lillian Smith Book Award Winners in 2023

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A biography about a groundbreaking judge and a nonfiction narrative of how Black patients experience racism in the health care system have been named the year’s best books dedicated to issues of social justice, as winners of the 2023 winners of the Lillian Smith Book Awards, presented by the University of Georgia Libraries.

Georgia Newspaper Project transitions to digital preservation

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For decades, microfilm stations at local libraries have unlocked history for Georgians. Scanning through the old editions of newspapers preserved on film, a grandmother can find her favorite childhood dessert recipe because she remembered her mother read it in the newspaper, siblings can piece together their family tree and genealogy projects for the next generation, and schoolchildren can look up what happened in their town on the day they were born and how much groceries cost in the advertisements.

Since 1953, the Georgia Newspaper Project at the University of Georgia Libraries has microfilmed more than 100 community newspapers, providing free access to the stories of the state’s small towns, big cities, and close communities. But with an 11-year backlog and outdated equipment no longer in production, the future of the project is in flux, and librarians are seeking partnerships to transform the practice using 21st century technology.

Local kids featured in "The Fourth Grade Project," on display at UGA Special Collections Libraries

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A traveling exhibit at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries celebrates children from across the globe — including children from Athens area elementary schools — with portraits and insights into cultural similarities and differences.

The exhibit, entitled The Fourth Grade Project, features interviews and photographs taken by acclaimed artist Judy Gelles from 11 countries on five continents. She asked all of the students the same three questions: Who do you live with? What do you wish for? What do you worry about? Their varied stories touch on the human condition and urgent social issues.Photos of 8 children facing a brick wall, with their words on the wall around them.

The Art and the Artifacts: Georgia Museum of Art Anniversary Exhibit on Display at UGA Special Collections Libraries

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The story of the Georgia Museum of Art isn’t only found in the art; it can be found in artifacts. Those historical records, photographs, and other memorabilia are on display at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries, as part of a campus-wide celebration of the 75th anniversary of the museum.

This summer, the public is invited to trace the growth of the official state art museum by visiting the free exhibit, entitled It Goes to the People: 75 Years of Free Inspiration at the Georgia Museum of Art.­­