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Historic Georgian African American newspapers dating from 1886-1926 are now available freely online, thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

The Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) is pleased to announce that it has completed the digitization of two historically significant Georgia African American newspapers as part of a National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The digital images will be included in the Library of Congress’ newspaper site: Chronicling America http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ and the DLG’s own site: Georgia Historic Newspapers (GHN), http://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/. 

“NEH grants help strengthen and sustain American cultural life, in communities, at museums, libraries, and historic sites, and in classrooms,” said former NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “As the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary in 2026, NEH is proud to help lay the foundations for public engagement with America’s past by funding projects that safeguard cultural heritage and advance our understanding of the events, ideas, and people that have shaped our nation.”

The newspapers include:

Featured images:

Savannah Tribune of November 10, 1888, celebrates Republican Benjamin Harrison’s presidential victory: https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn84020323/1888-11-10/ed-1/seq-1/



Athens Republique of January 7, 1922, covers Athens’ 59th Anniversary of Emancipation celebration and looks back on Booker T. Washington’s legacy: https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/2012233098/1922-01-07/ed-1/seq-1/

The GHN website also includes several other African American newspaper titles published in Georgia ranging from 1867-2018 that were digitized as part of previous grant-funded projects. These titles can be browsed through at https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/types/#africanamerican

African American newspapers from across the country can be found in the Chronicling America website at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/?state=&ethnicity=African+American

About the National Endowment for the Humanities 

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.

Twitter: @nehgov

Facebook: facebook.com/nehgov/ 

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New Collection from the Hall County Library System

Program for the Gainesville High School talent contest, Gainesville, Georgia, 1955 May 17. Hall County Library System Collection, Hall County Library System, Gainesville, Georgia.
Program for the Gainesville High School talent contest, Gainesville, Georgia, 1955 May 17. Hall County Library System Collection, Hall County Library System, Gainesville, Georgia.

We are excited to announce a new collection, the Hall County Library System Collection, which comes from our longtime partner, the Hall County Library System.

It is available at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/CollectionsA-Z/bgh_search.html

This collection was digitized as part of the DPLA’s Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP), which connects public librarians and public library collections with the DLG and DPLA. We appreciate the opportunity to work with Georgia’s public libraries and learn more about the communities that they serve.

Ronda Sanders, who oversees the Sybil Wood McRay Genealogy & Local History Collection of the Hall County Library System describes the history of the Hall County Library System, which serves a county population of over 187,700 people.

“Prior to 1933, the ladies of the Grace Episcopal Church started a small community library in the basement of their church.  The tornado of 1936 destroyed the Grace Episcopal Church along with the library.  Because of this loss to the community, Hall County residents started the groundwork for a public library in Hall County, Georgia. The first meeting of the Hall County Library Board was held in 1937.  In March of 1938, the Hall County Library System officially moved into the basement of the courthouse where it remained until a modern two story library building was dedicated on February 8, 1970.  The library system has always been involved in the preservation of Hall County’s history.”

Photograph of teenagers at the Debuteen Ball, Gainesville, Georgia, 1953 December 30. Hall County Library System Collection, Hall County Library System, Gainesville, Georgia.
Photograph of teenagers at the Debuteen Ball, Gainesville, Georgia, 1953 December 30. Hall County Library System Collection, Hall County Library System, Gainesville, Georgia.

The Hall County Library System Collection contains photographs and memorabilia related to Gainesville, Georgia, Gainesville High School and Riverside Military School, and features photographs, flyers, dance invitations, concert programs, student newspapers and yearbooks belonging to Vera “Buzzie” Bennett, a student at Gainesville High School in the 1950s. The collection also includes a 1819-1926 record book for the Inferior Court in Gainesville, and a 1911 Riverside Military School yearbook.

A large part of the work on the Hall County Library System Collection has been done by library staff and devoted volunteers, including Sybil McRay, Louise White, LoRetta C. Parker, Mary Gallant, Susan Stewart, Tina Dumestre, Adrian Mixson, and Ronda Sanders.

We would like to thank the Hall County Library System for another opportunity to collaborate on bringing their valuable resources to the Digital Library of Georgia, and hope that you enjoy looking through the new Hall County Library System Collection!

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