91ÁÔÆæ

Library seeks community's help to document COVID-19 changes to daily life

May 21, 2020
91ÁÔÆæ's Special Collections & Archives is seeking help from the 91ÁÔÆæ community and others in Northeast Georgia to document the changes to daily life due to COVID-19. An exhibit is planned, and the collection will help future generations see the impact of the pandemic.

Article By: Clark Leonard

Window visits with elderly family members, children as "co-workers," Zoom meetings, and socially distant birthday celebrations mark a few of the ways life has changed since public health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread in mid-March.

These are exactly the type of slice-of-life stories the University of North Georgia's (91ÁÔÆæ) Special Collections & Archives is seeking to compile from 91ÁÔÆæ students, faculty, staff, alumni, and fellow Northeast Georgia community members as part of its effort. Officially launched May 20, the campaign's goal is to form an exhibit while building a collection that can let future generations know how COVID-19 changed life in the region.

Joy Bolt, dean of libraries at 91ÁÔÆæ, said part of the impetus for the project came when she and Allison Galloup, special collection and digital initiatives librarian, sought documents related to the 1918 flu pandemic.

"We were both somewhat surprised to find little in our collection on the subject," Bolt said. "This is one reason why we thought it was important for us to collect information about the experiences of our Northeast Georgia community for future scholars and researchers. It will be there when people want to look back on this time and see how things were for so many of us."

To submit your story, use the library's  and upload your file or email it to archives@ung.edu.

Galloup knows many people will wonder if their items are needed or worth sending. She has a simple message.

"Nothing is too mundane to share. We cannot do this without the community's help. While there may be similarities in all of our stories, each person's experience and perspective is unique," Galloup said. "We're asking you to share whatever you'd like, in whatever format you'd like. Those who would like to participate can submit videos, voice recordings, scans, photographs, or text documents."

She said the library is seeking the types of stories, images and videos people are already sharing on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms.

Galloup looks forward to gathering the stories.

"So much of our world and daily life changed almost overnight," Galloup said. "We want to know how our friends and neighbors responded to these monumental changes."


Cumming library named for McGruders

Cumming library named for McGruders

91ÁÔÆæ's renovated Cumming Campus library was dedicated Nov. 5 as the John and Mary Helen McGruder Library thanks to their lifetime of support to the University of North Georgia and the Cumming Campus.
Phi Kappa Phi celebrates   50-year anniversary

Phi Kappa Phi celebrates 50-year anniversary

91ÁÔÆæ's Phi Kappa Phi chapter celebrated its 50-year anniversary and inducted new members into the organization during the spring semester.
Professor compiles Georgia arts and music archive

Professor compiles Georgia arts and music archive

Dr. Ben Wynne, a professor of history at 91ÁÔÆæ, is compiling a Georgia arts and music archive for higher education and the community. The archive will be housed in the special collections of the library.
State library grant to fund digitizing Cyclops yearbooks

State library grant to fund digitizing Cyclops yearbooks

The Digital Library of Georgia awarded 91ÁÔÆæ a grant to computerize a chronicle of the Cyclops yearbooks from 1975-1995.