Now that it’s been transferred to the University System of Georgia and will be staying open to the public for research, the Georgia Archives wants people know about the many resources it has that can’t be found elsewhere.
You have to visit the Archives in order to access these items; contrary to what some people think, all state and local records of genealogy interest are not on the Internet.
The Archives has several thousand published family histories. The Daughters of the American Revolution Collection contains one-of-a-kind records, such as copies of family Bibles. The microfilm of county courthouse records is the only such collection in the state, with only a small fraction of it found online.
If you come to the Georgia Archives, you have access to printed and microfilmed records of almost every Georgia county up to around 1900 (where extant), all in the same place.
The Friends of Georgia Archives and History and the Georgia Genealogical Society are working with the Archives on special projects concerning various needs and to help increase the staff.
So now is a good time to come check out the Archives on your own for a day of research or organize a visit by your local genealogical or historical society. The main thing is: Get the word out that this great facility is open and welcoming researchers.
The Georgia Archives is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. It is located at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, across the plaza from the National Archives at Atlanta.
Underappreciated records
The Jan. 10 Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn Seminar will examine what you can learn from underutilized and underappreciated records at the Archives. Presented by the Georgia Archives staff, this should help attendees learn more about what is available there. The seminar will be at noon and is free; bring your own lunch. For further information, check www.georgiaarchives.org or call 678-364-3710.
Genealogy conferences
Attending a national conference is always worth it, so if you have never done so, now is the chance. The National Genealogical Society Conference will be held May 7-10 in Richmond, and registration has already begun; see www.ngsgenealogy.org. The Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference will be held Aug. 27-30 in San Antonio, Texas; see www.fgsconference.org.
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