Digging into Georgia History with the Digital Library of Georgia

Jill Adams, Jonesville Middle School, Bowdon, GA

     As a middle school media specialist, finding supplementary materials for our Georgia History classes is an almost impossible task.  During the Georgia Educational Technology Conference on November 15-17, 2006, I attended a session on the Digital Library of Georgia presented by Edward Johnson from Georgia HomePLACE.  Mr. Johnson provided an overview of the many resources available and how to use them.  After the session I could not wait to explore the site on my own and share the information with our students and teachers. 

     The Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) is based at the University of Georgia and is a part of GALILEO, the state’s virtual library.  The DLG is an attempt to provide access to Georgia’s history by digitizing resources previously available only through libraries, museums, archives, newspapers, magazines, government documents, private collections and various other resources.  The library, accessible at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu, currently has “500,000 images and pages of text in 90 collections from 55 institutions and 80 government agencies.”  They are continuously adding new materials in their attempt to make information from Georgia’s past available to everyone.

     Collections featured in the DLG include Vanishing Georgia, Georgia Aerial Photographs, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia Towns and Cities, 1884-1922, New Georgia Encyclopedia and GeorgiaInfo to name a few.  My favorites are Vanishing Georgia and the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.  In Vanishing Georgia, you will find almost 18,000 photographs.  From 1975-1996, archivists from the Georgia Division of Archives and History took a bus around Georgia and invited residents to bring photographs showing examples of local history.  These photographs were copied and digitized in an attempt to preserve the photographs and make them available to everyone. 

     The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are an amazing source of information as well.  Through the maps, users can gain a wealth of information about a particular town or city.  The town is thoroughly mapped with all buildings labeled as to their purpose.  The street names are also on the maps.  By using the color coded key, you can tell what materials the building was made of, how many windows and doors it had and even if it had an elevator!  Users could compare and contrast the changes in a town by using maps from different years.

     Regional libraries are encouraged to create collections from their local information.  Mr. Johnson shared two noteworthy collections.  “Thar’s Gold in Them Thar Hills”: Gold and Gold Mining in Georgia contains documents and images about gold mining in Georgia and was prepared by the Chestatee Regional Library System.  The Three Rivers Library System submitted a collection of 84 photographs showing how J.A. Jones Construction Company constructed cargo ships during World War II.  This impressive collection is titled Ships for Victory:  J.A. Jones Construction Company and Liberty Ships in Brunswick, Georgia.    

     The DLG is extremely easy to navigate and offers users several ways to browse for information.  They can find information by topic, time period, county, institution, media types and collections.  One of the easiest is the county browse.  After choosing a county, you may then choose one of the collections listed to find information relevant to your search.

     Anyone who studies, teaches, or just has a love for the history of Georgia will find this website a tool that cannot be lived without.  I am thrilled with the information that I have found in the Digital Library of Georgia and cannot wait to share this valuable resource with my colleagues and students. 

Works Sited
"Welcome to the Digital Library of Georgia." Digital Library of Georgia. 20 Nov. 2006. University System of Georgia. 20 Nov. 2006 <http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu>.

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