Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

The construction of interstate highways transformed the landscape of the United States of America during the second half of the 20th century; the process also altered the economy, politics, and culture of the country.

A new exhibition on display at the University of Georgia’s Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries explores the origins and impact of these roads in Georgia with a focus on the political compromises and fiscal policies that made them possible.

The exhibit Paving the Road to Progress: Georgia Interstate Highways is now on display in the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies’ gallery. It traverses the rocky path of the interstate system’s development, which cost far more and took much longer than predicted.

Twelve University of Georgia faculty members have been chosen as 2019-2020 Special Collections Fellows. The fifth cohort of the program represents six schools and colleges with interests ranging from art and education to social work and population health.

Sponsored by the University of Georgia Libraries and the Center for Teaching and Learning, the program guides faculty members as they develop courses that apply archives-centered pedagogy and allow their students to engage with the rich array of materials held in UGA’s three special
collections libraries.

The exhibition hall in the University of Georgia’s Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries will be named in honor of CNN founder, environmentalist and longtime Atlantan Ted Turner, subject to UGA Cabinet approval, thanks in part to a $550,000 donation made by WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner), an entertainment and media conglomerate that merged with Turner Broadcasting in 1996.

Century-old stories of exploited Georgia prisoners have been lifted from the University of Georgia Libraries’ vault to the gallery and now to the stage, through a collaboration among archivists, faculty members and students at UGA and Spelman College.

Through the partnership, students and faculty have engaged with dozens of artifacts and historical documents to create [The Georgia Incarceration Performance Project], which will culminate in performances this fall and winter.

A statewide initiative is underway to document the contributions the Latino and Hispanic communities have made to the landscape of modern Georgia politics.

The project is being spearheaded by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia Libraries and the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials and GALEO Latino Community Development Fund.

To ensure the most comprehensive documentation and accessibility of the political history of all of Georgia’s citizens, the Russell Library and GALEO will work to identify and document people and organizations representing the interests of the Latino and Hispanic communities. This effort will preserve traditional records and manuscripts and capture oral histories with elected officials, activists and business leaders.

George J. Berry, one of the most significant figures in the modernization of the City of Atlanta’s governance and a beloved public servant, passed away on September 7, 2019.

There are some moments in history that become powerful touchstones, revisited to reflect and inform a better understanding of the present day. The Russell Library has developed a periodic exhibit series, Now and Then, to revisit pivotal years in modern American history. This summer we invite you to travel back to 1979!

The stories of ordinary children who faced extraordinary circumstances can inspire children today to fight discrimination and intolerance. The Power of Children: Making a Difference, a new exhibition opening April 6th at Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies explores the lives of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White and their impact in making a positive difference in the world.

Congratulations to our folks who recently received National Endowment for the Humanities grants.

We were delighted to learn that the UGA Press and its partners (including Hargrett and DLG) will receive an NEH/Mellon Open Book Grant for the Georgia Open History Library. This project, in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the United States, will allow for the digitization and creation of freely-accessible ebooks for 50 titles on the history of Georgia.

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies will receive funds for the exhibit "NEH on the Road: Power of Children."

This April the Richard B. Russell Library invites attendees to dive into several topical, hot-button political issues during its annual Civic Knowledge, Civic Power series. This program seeks to bolster civic knowledge on campus and in the community by highlighting the critical role Congress plays in American politics and government. The series features short lectures and informal discussions led by faculty members from the UGA Department of Political Science as well as a keynote lecture delivered by Boston College Professor of History Dr. Heather Cox Richardson.