Georgia Open History Library: From Colony to Statehood

FAIN: HZ-265200-19

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. (Athens, GA 30602-1589)
Lisa Bayer (Project Director: September 2018 to July 2024)

In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the digitization and creation of freely-accessible ebooks for 50 titles on the history of Georgia.

The Georgia Open History Library (GOHL) will publish open digital editions of 50 out-of-print volumes of broad historical and intellectual significance to the colonial and early statehood periods in advance of the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Our title selection includes rare primary documents along with scholarly studies of the period, all enhanced with new material representing diverse voices in contemporary scholarship. When shared broadly in a permanent, accessible, discoverable format via multiple online platforms, the collection will be an invaluable resource to both general readers and scholars. A key component of our promotional strategy is public-facing programming with a diverse group of statewide organizations, colleges, universities, historical societies, academic organizations, and public and research libraries.

Associated Products

From Colony to Statehood: The Georgia Open History Library (Exhibition)
Title: From Colony to Statehood: The Georgia Open History Library
Curator: Jan Hebbard
Abstract: Monday, September 20, 2021 - Friday, December 10, 2021 | 08:00 am - 05:00 pm In 2026, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. In anticipation of this event, the University of Georgia Press has developed the Georgia Open History Library: From Colony to Statehood in the New Union. This resource provides free digital access to 45 out-of-print volumes focused on Georgia from the colony’s founding through the American Revolution. On display in the Hargrett Gallery of the UGA Special Collections Building, this exhibit showcases a selection of original manuscripts and rare books held by the Hargrett Library documented in these newly digitized volumes. Touch screens in the gallery provide access to digitized versions of these resources hosted in the Digital Library of Georgia. This display was made possible with support from the Humanities Open Book Grant, a program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://www.libs.uga.edu/events/colony-statehood-georgia-open-history-library

The Power of Digital Libraries and the Contest over Historical Narrative (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: The Power of Digital Libraries and the Contest over Historical Narrative
Abstract: Digital libraries of primary sources enrich our understanding of the sheer diversity of the American experience. In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States , historian Catherine Kerrison will address the broad historical and intellectual significance of curated open digital resources, which allow both scholars and an informed public to challenge the narratives of those who would erase the complexity of our early national history.
Author: Dr. Catherine Kerrison
Date: 10/20/2021
Location: Zoom (virtual)
Primary URL: https://youtu.be/0PLyioOMAHw

Georgia Open History Library (Web Resource)
Title: Georgia Open History Library
Author: Lisa Bayer, UGA Press
Abstract: The Georgia Open History Library (GOHL) includes open-access digital editions of single-authored scholarly titles and two multivolume series, comprising almost fifty individual volumes in history and primary documents. The open text library was generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026. Our title selection, not surprisingly, focuses on the colony and eventual statehood of Georgia and its relationship with other groups, colonies, countries, and the new Union. It includes studies of Adams and Jefferson; the American Revolution in Georgia; the Creek Nation; the papers of Revolutionary War general Lachlan McIntosh and the colony’s visionary founder James Edward Oglethorpe; and records of the German-speaking Protestant Salzburger settlement.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://ugapress.manifoldapp.org/projects/project-collection/georgia-open-history-library

The Georgia Open History Library (Web Resource)
Title: The Georgia Open History Library
Author: Jan Hebbard
Abstract: In 2026, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. In anticipation of this event, the University of Georgia Press has developed the Georgia Open History Library: From Colony to Statehood in the New Union. This resource provides free digital access to the 45 out of print volumes focused on Georgia from the colony's founding through the American Revolution in Georgia; the Creek Nation; the papers of Revolutionary War General Lachlan McIntosh and the state's founder James Edward Oglethorpe; and records of the German-speaking Protestant Salzburger settlement. This digital exhibit showcases a selection of original manuscripts and rare books held by the Hargrett Library documented in these newly digitized volumes. A physical exhibit of these materials is currently on display at the UGA Special Collections Building; high resolution scans and transcriptions of these documents can be found in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://digilab.libs.uga.edu/scl/exhibits/show/georgia-open-history-library

The Georgia Open History Library: From Colony to Statehood (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Georgia Open History Library: From Colony to Statehood
Author: Katherine Stein
Author: Lisa Bayer
Abstract: Funded by the NEH, the Georgia Open History Library features enhanced open digital editions of 45 out of print books on the colony and statehood of Georgia. Topics include the American Revolution; the Creek Nation; the papers of Lachlan McIntosh and James Edward Oglethorpe; and records of the Salzburger settlement. The ebooks are available via Affordable Learning Georgia, the Digital Public Library of America, and Manifold Scholar. Our presentation will cover the range of the collection; online access points; uses for students, teachers, scholars, and citizens; and connections to primary documents housed at UGA’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Date: 10/08/2021
Primary URL: https://youtu.be/KhlQBUOi8G4
Conference Name: 2021 Georgia Libraries Conference

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