Augusta Public Library Local History and Genealogy

An Ecological History of the Savannah River Valley
Saturday, April 25  1:00 pm
Carol Eldridge of the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory will be here to present a program on the natural history and ecology of the CSRA. She will discuss major habitats of the area, including, wetlands, bottomland hardwood forests, and sand hills. Accompanying Ms. Eldridge will be several live animals native to the various habitats. Great program for the whole family! The event is free and open to the public. Please call (706) 826-1511 for details.

The Georgia Heritage Room regrets to announce that the program FROM DEVIANCE TO DEATH ROW: A HISTORY OF WOMEN’S IMPRISONMENT scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, 19th at 2:00 pm has been cancelled due to illness. The program will be rescheduled so please stay tuned.

The Paine College History Club will host its annual Living History Re-enactments on Saturday, March 28, 2015, at the historic Cedar Grove Cemetery. This year’s participants will present noted African Americans from the CSRA like Amanda Dickson-Toomer, one of the wealthiest black women in the late 19th century, and other prominent local figures in African-American history like Rev. Dr. C.T. Walker and Dr. T.W. Josey. “We ar…e excited to host this re-enactment that showcases important figures in African-American history,” said Triest Fisher, president of the Paine College History Club. “Each made significant contributions to our community and we welcome everyone to join us for this event.”

Don’t forget to join us in the main auditorium of the Headquarters Library on Saturday at 11:00 am for SLAVES SONGS OF AUGUSTA, presented by Robert Hester with musical accompaniment by local African-American choral group Creative Impressions.

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In honor of Black History Month, the Georgia Heritage Room of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library will exhibit a collection of rare and antique books on African-American history from the Elvin Thompson collection. The exhibit will run through the month of February in the Heritage Room on the 3rd floor. The library is located at 823 Telfair St.

Laney Museum will host it’s Annual Historian Awards program on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 5-8 p.m. Dr. Mallory Millender, former French professor and campus historian for Paine College, will be honored. He continues a quest to uplift and preserve the city’s history by researching the historic institution. This event is free and open to the public.

Reese Library will host a discussion titled “Brown vs. Board of Education: A Panel on School Segregation and Integration” on Wednesday, February 25, at the JSAC Coffeehouse of GRU Summerville campus from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A little over 60 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was illegal in the landmark case of Brown vs. Board of Education. Join us as we listen to the stories of African Americans who experienced school segregation and those whose lives were transformed by school integration. Parking will be free. For more information about this event, please contact Erin Prentiss at 706-667-4912.

Sodexo will host a cooking demo at the Terrace Cafe’s Magnolia/Dogwood Room on Friday, Feb. 27, at noon. The Terrace Café is on the second floor of the Georgia Regents Medical Center.

The Georgia Heritage Room will also present “Slave Songs of Augusta” on Saturday, February 28, at 11 a.m. at the Headquarters Auditorium. The program will be presented by Robert Hester with musical accompaniment by Creative Impressions.

Barnes & Noble will host Black History Month Story Time with Mayor Hardie Davis on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. at Augusta Mall. There will be cookies, arts and crafts available for children.

Redcliffe Plantation hosts March 7 event. Tour the historic 1859 mansion at Redcliffe Plantation of Beech Island, S.C. and learn what life was like late in the Civil War for well-to-do Senator’s wife and refugee, Virginia Clay. The 4 p.m. tour is followed by a special presentation and discussion of Mrs. Clay’s popular memoir “Belle of the Fifties” and its vivid descriptions of Redcliffe’s African-American inhabitants. Limit of 35 people. Register in advance by calling 803-827-1473 or e-mailing redcliffe@scprt.com.

Watch for finalized details on the upcoming March Cedar Grove Cemetery tour to be conducted by the History Club of Paine College. For those of you who have visited the past tours, it’s a treat to see the students in fine fashion wear of the times as well as to hear their recitation of some of the more memorable inhabitants of Cedar Grove.

For anyone interested in starting their family history project, the Georgia Heritage Room will host a Beginner’s Genealogy workshop on Saturday, February 21st at the Main Library downtown in the 3rd floor computer lab. The class will begin at 10:30am and last approximately one hour. We will cover important first steps including, how to fill out a Pedigree Chart and conducting family interviews. We will discuss strategies for staying organized and resources that are available to you here in the library. If you have any questions, please call (706) 826-1511.

Press Release
19 February 2015

Augusta-Richmond County Public Library Expands Genealogy Resources

SALT LAKE CITY—Augusta-Richmond County Public Library announced today it is the newest FamilySearch affiliate library. The new description means library patrons will have greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources available through FamilySearch.

FamilySearch is the world’s largest repository of free genealogical records and manages the famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land and court records of genealogical significance from over 130 countries.

FamilySearch is extending access to its collections by circulating microfilms of the historic records through select public libraries. The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library is now one of those libraries. It is a priceless resource for local residents interested in discovering their family tree.

“Less than 5% of the world’s genealogical records are available online, and most family history researchers cannot afford to travel to an archive nationally or worldwide to find the historic records they are seeking,” said Paul Nauta, FamilySearch public affairs manager. “If FamilySearch has filmed the records they need, then as far as they will need to travel to view them is the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library.”

FamilySearch has over 200 camera teams filming historic records in 45 countries on any given day. These records are then circulated to public patrons through FamilySearch centers worldwide, like the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library. For example, FamilySearch has filmed over 60% of the Civil Registration (birth, marriage, and death records) of Italy. If you have Italian ancestry, chances are you will be able to extend your Italian research by conveniently using the FamilySearch films through the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library.

There is a nominal fee of $7.50 to order microfilm. Once the film arrives, patrons use the microfilm readers at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library to peruse it. The library staff can assist patrons see what films are available, place film orders, and answer research questions. Patrons can also search the Family History Library Catalog online at FamilySearch.org to see what records FamilySearch has available to order through the library.

Augusta-Richmond County Public Library
Georgia Heritage Room
(706) 826-1511

In light of the recent news that Georgia’s only female death row inmate will be executed later this month, the Georgia Heritage Room is presenting, From Deviance to Death Row: A History of Women’s Imprisonment. Kelly Gissendaner who was sentenced to death in 1998 following a conviction for enlisting her lover to kill her husband, will be the second woman in Georgia’s history to be executed. The first, Lena Baker, was electrocuted in 1945 for killing her employer, but later pardoned when it was determined she acted in self-defense.

Join us on Thursday, March 19th at 2:00 pm as Dr. Allison J. Foley, Associate Professor of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work at GRU, discusses female imprisonment and the death penalty.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4818124

Reese Library will host panel discussion on Feb. 25

Reese Library will host a discussion titled “Brown vs. Board of Education: A Panel on School Segregation and Integration” on Wednesday, February 25, at the JSAC Coffeehouse from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A little over 60 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was illegal in the landmark case of Brown vs. Board of Education. Join us as we listen to the stories of African Americans who experienced school segregation and those whose lives were transformed by school integration. Parking will be free. For more information about this event, please contact Erin Prentiss at 706-667-4912.

The Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library is hosting the Opening Doors: Contemporary African-American Academic Surgeons traveling exhibit from the National Library of Medicine. This exhibit celebrates the contributions of African-American academic surgeons to medicine and medical education. It was developed and produced by the NLM and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture. The Opening Doors exhibit is free and open to the public. January 31, 2015 will be the last day of the exhibit.

The Greenblatt Library at GRU’s Health Sciences campus off of Laney-Walker is open:

•Mon-Thu: 7:30 a.m. – Midnight
•Fri: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
•Sat: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
•Sun: 12:00 noon – 12:00 midnight

For more information, please call the library at 706-721-3441.