| Support Libraries | Georgia Public Library Service recognized for publication showcasing genealogy and local history resources in state’s public libraries.
Georgia Public Library Service has been awarded the 2018 Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council Award for Excellence in Advocacy for the booklet, “Georgia Treasures: Exploring Your Genealogy, History and Culture at Public Libraries.” The annual award program recognizes outstanding efforts in archives and records work in Georgia.
“Georgia Treasures” is available at public libraries across the state and showcases the genealogy and local history resources found in numerous Georgia public libraries. The booklet helps bring to light both the physical materials that comprise these important collections and the digitized items available through the Digital Library of Georgia.
Assistant Vice Chancellor and State Librarian Julie Walker says, “We’re delighted for the recognition from Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council for our “Georgia Treasures” project. We’ve long hoped to feature the diverse, distinct, and valuable collections held in Georgia’ public libraries that are so useful for historians, researchers, students, teachers, and genealogists, and “Georgia Treasures” is the result of the hard and creative work of our agency and our colleagues in libraries throughout the state.”
Executive Vice Chancellor Tristan Denley and the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) presented 28 awards during the sixteenth annual Archives Awards ceremony at the Georgia Archives on Oct.16, 2018. GHRAC works to ensure that Georgians of all ages are made aware of the significant historical records located statewide, enhances the preservation and care of these treasures, and improves the access that Georgians have to their records.
About Georgia Treasures
The booklet was inspired by four major public library history and genealogy collections: the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, part of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System; the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library, part of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System; the Genealogical and Historical Room and Middle Georgia Archives, located in Macon and part of the Middle Georgia Regional Library System; and the Ladson Genealogy Library, located in Vidalia and part of the Ohoopee Regional Library System.
Combined, these collections offer nearly 185,000 print volumes and 50,000 reels of microfilm of genealogy, local history and culture, as well as hundreds of original archival collections. An additional six libraries in Athens, Augusta, Brunswick, Savannah, Marietta and Washington are noted for their impressive collections, public programs and reference services.
In addition to physical collections, every public library card holder in the state can access online genealogy tools like HeritageQuest from home through GALILEO – Georgia’s Virtual Library – as well as Ancestry Library Edition at their local library branch. Researchers anywhere also have access to the Virtual Vault, a digital collection of resources from the state library’s sister organization, the Georgia Archives. Links to these resources, as well as to all 48 libraries, can be found at https://georgialibraries.org/genealogy.
About Georgia Public Library Service
Georgia Public Library Service empowers libraries to improve the lives of all Georgians by encouraging reading, literacy and education through the continuing support and improvement of our public libraries. Georgia Public Library Service is a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. www.georgialibraries.org
Pictured L-R: Dr. Tristan Denley, Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, University System of Georgia; representatives of GLPS, and Dr. Toby Graham, Chair, Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC).
