| Support Libraries | 
Oral histories enable people to share their stories in their own words, and public libraries from Athens to Perry to Bainbridge to Augusta have digitized interviews with community members. You can access them at dlg.usg.edu.
Every year, Georgia’s public libraries support the addition of tens of thousands of digitized newspaper pages to the Georgia Historic Newspapers portal. You can access them at gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu.
Did you know that Clayton, Georgia, was the site of the first maternity hospital for pregnant women? The Rabun County Maternity Home opened in 1942 and accepted all patients, regardless or race or ability to pay. Check out a scrapbook kept by the hospital’s head nurse at dlg.usg.edu.
Many of Georgia’s libraries are collecting community stories–such as oral histories, written narratives, photographs, artwork, and video recordings–about their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can view a listing of the projects at georgialibraries.org/coronavirus-chronicles.
The Auburn Avenue Research Library of African American Culture and History is preserving the history of Atlanta, the civil rights movements, and Southern literature.
Ask a librarian for a copy of “Georgia’s Treasures,” which gives a thorough description of genealogy, history, and cultural collections at Georgia public libraries.
You can now digitize photo negatives, slides, or VHS tapes for free in Macon, Georgia, at the Washington Memorial Library’s new Memory Lab. Many of Georgia’s public libraries can provide expertise on how to preserve family heirlooms and collectibles. Contact your local library to find out how.
