GRU Libraries have been adventuring back in time for Georgia Archives Month. And what an adventure it has been!
Our Georgia Archives Month celebrations are part of a statewide effort to raise awareness of the importance of archives and archival collections in Georgia and the nation. The theme for Georgia Archives Month 2014 is Sweet Tea and Southern Breezes. Archives preserve the public record, the history, and the culture of our great state, and sometimes it’s the lighter side that merits our attention. Come see how Augustans partied in the past, with or without their sweet tea in hand, at the third floor display by Special Collections in Reese Library.
October 7 found the Libraries “Gravely Mistaken” as we adventured back to the 1850s for a book talk with Janis Ann Parks, author of the book “Gravely Mistaken : Tales of Medicine, Mishaps and Body Snatching in Augusta, Georgia.” The novel is based on the true story of Grandison Harris who, as a slave and a freedman, worked for the Medical College of Georgia as a “cadaver man” (read grave robber). The story follows two medical college students as they try to pull a ghoulish prank on Harris that goes awry. In her talk, Ms. Davis spoke on the role of archives in providing the information that makes historical fiction a window into past worlds. For a scary and mesmerizing read for Halloween, come check out the book or purchase signed copies at the GRU Bookstore for the history, mystery, and scary story lovers on your Christmas list.
On October 11, area students came to the library for the National History Day Georgia Research Round Up. High school and middle school students planning to compete in National History Day came to Reese Library to learn what resources and treasures the Libraries possess that they might use for their original research projects. Erin Prentiss, User Engagement Librarian, and Jennifer Putnam, Reference Assistant, took students on a tour of the library and worked with them to develop research skills needed for their projects. Carol Waggoner-Angleton, Special Collections Librarian, and Renée Sharrock, curator of Historical Collections and Archives, introduced the students to archives etiquette and the types of materials that archives can provide by using examples from the Libraries’ own collections.
If you haven’t been adventuring with the GRU University Libraries for Archives Month, you have one last chance on October 30 at 7 p.m. Meet in front of Bellevue Hall on the Summerville Campus for the second Shine a Light on GRU Ghosts tour. Relive the stories of our famous local ghosts in a walk through the Summerville Campus. Who knows, maybe our ghosts will join us for the walk in the gathering gloom. The only way to find out is to be there or be scared!
