Spotlight on Archives Grant

2023 Spotlight: Georgia Tech Library (Atlanta)

2022 Spotlight: Georgia Southern University (Statesboro)

Resources

• https://sogablog.org/2022/11/18/never-never-bland-another-fun-fully-immersive-georgia-archives-month-program-wraps-up-at-georgia-southern/

2020 Spotlight: No award granted

2019 Spotlight: Paine College (Augusta)

Paine College is an institution of higher education rooted deeply into Georgia’s history. Established in 1882 as the only school founded from both the white, United Methodist Episcopal (UME) Church and the black, Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Churches, Paine College has a tradition of serving as a champion for the underserved. This history has been collected from its moments starting off as a Paine Institute, a local high school educating newly freed slaves, till its transition to a college, educating everyone.

With the theme "Looking Forward, Looking Back...," the new history collection in the archives highlighted some of the existing materials and incorporated items from a call to the community that detail how Paine College contributed to their lives and Georgia's history over the years.

The event took place in the Collins-Callaway Library and Learning Resources Center of Paine College on Monday, October 28, reaching the alumni and the community. Three speakers were featured: one from the UME Church, One from the CME Church (Rev. Herman Skip Mason, Librarian) and a Georgia and Paine College Historian (Dr. Mallory Millender).

 2018 Spotlight: Georgia State University (Atlanta)

Speakers Gregg Daugherty and Ashley Coleman Taylor will talk about the impact of gay publications and bars in building Atlanta’s LGBTQ communities. To learn more about the speakers, please see the following link:

Resources

• https://sogablog.org/2018/09/20/georgia-archives-month-spotlight-grant 
• https://blog.library.gsu.edu/2018/09/10/mags-bars-drag-stars-a-history-of-atlantas-gay-bars-and-community-magazines

2017 Spotlight: Charles D. Switzer Library's Georgia Room (Marietta)

On October 6 from 1:00-5:00 pm, the Georgia Room held a very special OPEN HOUSE in honor of Georgia Archives Month. They celebrated their award of the “Spotlight on Archives Grant” by hosting an open house for patrons to browse their Civil War and World War I handwritten letters that have been digitized and transcribed for easy access. In addition, at 7:00 pm, they continued the celebration with their First Wednesday Workshop, "Research and Refreshments," where more patrons were able to view the collection in the Georgia Room.

Resources

• https://assets.cobbcounty.gov/files/2019-07/Aug-Sep-2017-GA-Room-Newsletter.pdf
• https://assets.cobbcounty.gov/files/2019-07/Oct-Nov-2017-GA-Room-Newsletter.pdf

2017 Spotlight: William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum (Atlanta)

The grant was given to support marketing for the Historic Jewish Atlanta tour that took place on October 18, 2017. The tour went to Historic Oakland Cemetery, one of the only three Victorian cemeteries in the U.S.

The Historic Jewish Atlanta Tour (HJAT) series is an initiative of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, which provide the public with guided tours of sites around Atlanta that have significant relevance to Southern Jewish history. The tours are led by local historians, and the tours are designed by humanities scholars and Breman staff. The primary resource for learning about Southern Jewish history in the world is the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History at the Breman Museum. The 2017-2018 season included nine public tours. The HJAT that took place in October connected the Georgia Archives Month (GAM) with the series, and sought to raise awareness about GAM.

2016 Spotlight: Philip Weltner Library, Oglethorpe University (Atlanta)

October 20, 2016, marked the 100th anniversary of the first athletic competition by Oglethorpe students. This intermural basketball game played by eleven students served as the forerunner for a century of athletic excellence. In celebration of this anniversary, the Weltner Library hosted an event remembering the history of Oglethorpe athletics. The event included a lecture by Georgia State University Perimeter College history professor Dr. Paul Hudson. Dr. Hudson, Oglethorpe adjunct lecturer and 1972 alumnus, offered a glimpse into the early days, glory days, and current days of Stormy Petrel athletics.

In addition to the lecture by Dr. Hudson, all five library display cases coordinated with material from the University Archives highlighting the athletic history of Oglethorpe. The archival material included items belonging to baseball hall of famer Luke Appling of 1932); OU football (reached height in the 1920s and 1930s); OU basketball (1916-2016); Petey the Petrel mascot; and long-time current and former coaches. 

2016 Spotlight: Robert B. Greenblatt, MD Library, Augusta University (Augusta)

The Historical Collections and Archives (HCA) at the Greenblatt Library is an archival repository for the Health Sciences Campus. As a caretaker of the institution’s history as well as the history of the health sciences, HCA is committed to acquiring, organizing, preserving and making available the records that document these histories.

The Greenblatt Library publicized the Historical Collections and Archives during the Georgia Archives Month in two different ways. A retractable banner featuring photographs of specific manuscript collections and institutional record groups held in HCA was created and displayed in prominent venues on the Augusta University Health Sciences Campus. 

In addition, the Greenblatt Library hosted a lecture in October 2016 by Dr. Robert Nesbit, a retired surgeon who teaches the medical history elective course, lectured on Dr. Virgil Sydenstricker and base on his research on using original material from the Virgil P. Sydenstricker Collection held by the HCA. The lecture will focus on Sydenstricker’s work during World War II with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and feature items from the Sydenstricker Collection such as his scrapbook and the letters he wrote to his wife. This lecture was part of the History of the Health Sciences Lecture Series begun in 2012.

2015 Spotlight: Oconee County Library (Watkinsville)

The Oconee County Library hosted four Monday night classes that celebrated the Library's Ivy Room for Genealogy and Local History and all the free resources they offer, in person and online.

• October 5, 6:00-8:00 pm: Getting Started with Genealogy
• October 12, 6:00-8:00 pm: Genealogy Online (using GALILEO with your Athens Regional Library System library card)
• October 19, 6:00-8:00 pm: Family History Night (creating a family tree using the library's resources and supplies provided)
• October 26, 6:00-8:00 pm: Storytelling Swap (for genealogists and family historians to come together and share their interesting stories and searching tips and tricks)

2015 Spotlight: Flat Rock Archives (Lithonia)

The Flat Rock Archives hosted a joint Heritage Day Festival on October 24, 2015, from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. The flea market raised money for the Archives and the director gave tours of the Archives throughout the day. The open house inside the Archives featured treasures from the collection, particularly focusing on items that demonstrate the "Snapshots from the South" theme. The day ended with an evening jazz festival featuring local musicians.

2014 Spotlight: National History Day Mentoring Program at LaGrange College (LaGrange)

The National History Day Program at LaGrange College originated in 2009-2010. In October 2014, they organized the first ever statewide NHD Research Roundup Day. It was designed to bring NHD students into local and regional archives to not only conduct research but to gain direct experience and familiarity with archives, archivists and their work. This coordinated event among several archives across Georgia highlighted the potential of local archives as rich resources for history day students.

Resources

• https://sogablog.org/2014/03/15/national-history-day-needs-you-submit-your-topic-ideas-and-host-a-round-up/
• https://education.blogs.archives.gov/2014/10/08/oct-2014-education-programs/ 

2013 Spotlight: Macon County Historical Society (Montezuma)

The Macon County Historical Society planned new exhibit showcasing the Montezuma Music Lovers’ Club which was a Macon County institution for almost 100 years. The Music Lover’s Club was organized in 1916 by Mrs. A.C. Richardson, formerly Miss Claude Davis. Everyone in Montezuma knew her simply as “Miss Claude.”  The Society gathered scrapbooks, music, and yearly booklets. Many have been offered many and some, including the sign that sat outside each meeting, were already in the museum. What did not fit in the display case was archived.