Special Collections News

A National Endowment for the Humanities grant-funded project at the University of Georgia will bring new educational opportunities for Georgians to learn about the state’s colonial history, while preserving important historical documents and archaeological collections for future generations. The $743,658 grant funds a three-year project entitled Many Eyes on the Road to Revolution in Colonial Georgia, which focuses on the state’s early history from 1732 to 1798. 

Names and stories of more than 4,500 Georgians who were enslaved can now be discovered by future generations as part of a University of Georgia Libraries project to discover, digitize, and describe pre-Civil War archival materials.

Archivists and students at UGA’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library recently completed the “Finding Their Names” project, supported by a $137,000 National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant to center the lives of enslaved individuals in the historic record.

The sounds and images of Athens’ music scene during the heyday of bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s will return to the big screen this September, appearing more vibrant thanks to a crowd-funded University of Georgia Libraries project to restore the 1986 documentary Athens, GA: Inside/Out.

For the 40^th anniversary of the film, the Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection will host two free community screenings on Thursday, Sept. 24 featuring an introduction by filmmaker Bill Cody, who donated the original 16 mm film and all accompanying negative and sound elements to UGA Libraries’ special collections archive. Tickets to the shows, scheduled for 5:15 and 7 p.m., can be reserved at Cine’s website or at the box office.

The University of Georgia Press is pleased to announce a new endowment to support its undergraduate internship program in book publishing. The Candler Family Experiential Learning Scholarship Fund will provide funding for the university press’s paid experiential learning opportunities for UGA students.

The UGA Press has enjoyed a long relationship with the Candler family. Peter Candler Sr. and Shannon Ilges Candler are founding members of the Press’s Advisory Council. Following their retirement, son Pete Candler joined the council in 2018.

The $100,000 gift from the Ilges Foundation was matched by $50,000 from the UGA Foundation as part of a university-wide scholarship campaign.

“It is truly an honor to be able to support the Press in this way. We are so grateful for all of you and the heroic work you do,” said Pete Candler on behalf of the Candler family.

Behind-the-scenes stories of Hollywood celebrities will be on display at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries through an exhibit of the life and work of photographer Nancy Ellison.

In the display, Ellison’s stories come to life through her portraits and scenes from movie sets featuring legendary actors from Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson to Sharon Stone, along with other icons of the era such as Mick Jagger and Hillary Clinton.

Continuing his support to the state’s college students five years after his retirement, former University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley and his wife Lynne dedicated a study room at the University of Georgia’s Miller Learning Center.

The Wrigley Study is located in the busiest academic building on campus, a UGA Libraries facility named for late Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller. Wrigley served as Governor Miller’s chief of staff for five years.

“Without question, the University of Georgia and our state have benefitted as a result of Steve’s dedication to excellence and long-standing commitment to serving the public good,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said at the naming ceremony. “Steve and Lynne’s generosity has touched so much of the university’s campus, and their investment in our libraries will leave a legacy that will benefit the UGA community for generations to come.”

Books chronicling the suppression of Black literacy in the American South and highlighting the leadership of Black women in battling for human rights around the globe are the 2026 Lillian Smith Book Awards, recognizing the best writing on social justice in the United States.

The 2026 awards, administered by the University of Georgia Libraries, recognize:

• Dangerous Learning: The South’s Long War on Black Literacy (Yale University Press), by Derek W. Black

• Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights (W.W. Norton & Company), by Keisha N. Blain

Records from two of Georgia’s highest-ranking politicians of the 1990s and early 2000s are now freely available to the public, as the University of Georgia’s Russell Library for Political Research and Studies opens collections from U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson.

The collections provide insider perspectives into 21^st century congressional debates, including budget and tax reform battles, the Affordable Care Act, and the Global War on Terror and the 2003-2011 Iraq War, as well as immigration issues and federal agriculture policy. In addition, the collections include campaign memorabilia, constituent correspondence, photographs, and other objects from Chambliss’s and Isakson’s life and service in state politics dating back to the 1970s.

Bulldog fans from every corner of Georgia can relive the history of University of Georgia athletics this summer. Sports memorabilia and other artifacts will be on display at local libraries as part of the “UGA Athletics in Your Town” tour, featuring a traveling exhibit of materials from the UGA Libraries archives.

Featured in the traveling exhibit is the famed “Silver Chalice,” the oldest piece in the UGA Athletics archive. The trophy was awarded to the Georgia football team in 1894 — before they were known as the Bulldogs — after a victory over Auburn University. In addition to tickets and a program from the first game played at Sanford Stadium in 1929, visitors can get a look at a hand-written playbook from the Wally Butts era and football helmets from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1980s. Plus, the exhibit will include memorabilia from UGA’s baseball, women’s tennis, and track & field teams.

This summer, work will begin on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at the Main and McBay Science Libraries at the University of Georgia. Once complete, the projects will enhance the comfort of study spaces at two of UGA’s largest and busiest study facilities.

Due to the construction, patrons can expect noise and disruptions throughout the summer, with the work at the Main Library expected to extend into the fall semester. Some shelving areas will be closed or restricted during construction, but materials may be requested online or through the service desk for pickup at a convenient location.