Interior of the John Bulow Campbell Library. —Courtesy of Columbia Theological Seminary

The John Bulow Campbell Library at Columbia Theological Seminary is one of six institutions to receive the fifth set of service grants awarded in a program intended to broaden partner participation in the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG). The DLG solicited proposals for historic digitization projects in a statewide call, and applicants submitted proposals for projects with a cost of up to $7,500.00. The projects will be administered by DLG staff who will perform digitization and descriptive services on textual (not including newspapers), graphic, and audio-visual materials. This subgranting program was presented the 2018 Award for Excellence in Archival Program Development by a State Institution by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC).

Columbia Theological Seminary will digitize the following from its C. Benton Kline Special Collections and Archives:

The Joseph R. Wilson papers, late 1800s (containing the sermons of Joseph Ruggles Wilson, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta from 1858-1870 and father of President Woodrow Wilson); John Newton Waddel papers, 1821-1881 (materials belonging to John Newton Waddel (1812-1885) and his father Moses Waddel (1770-1840), both Georgia Presbyterian ministers and educators); and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. Presbytery of Hopewell minutes, 1797-1866 (minutes from Georgia’s first Presbytery belonging to the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) and Confederate States of America (PCCSA) from the period following the Revolutionary War through the Civil War).

Other recipients and their projects include:

Dougherty County Public Library (Albany, GA)

Digitization of city directories for Albany, Georgia, dating from 1922-1949.

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum (Atlanta, GA)

Description of archival documents that highlight notable events and accomplishments during Jimmy Carter’s presidential administration from 1977-1981 that include the Camp David Accords (1978), the hostage crisis in Iran (1979-1981), the Panama Canal Treaties (1977-1978), the president’s daily diary (1977-1981), presidential directives (1977-1981), presidential review memoranda (1977-1979), and legislation towards the progression of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

National Civil War Naval Museum (Columbus, GA)

Digitization of a ledger from the James H. Warner Collection containing correspondence from Warner, commander and superintendent of the Confederate States Naval Iron Works (sometimes referred to as the Columbus Iron Works) which operated from 1862-1865. The ledger also includes entries as late as 1866 as Warner worked with the United States Navy in turning over naval equipment to the United States government.

University of Georgia Map and Government Information Library (Athens, GA)

Digitization of Sanborn fire insurance maps produced in 1923 for 21 Georgia towns and cities in 17 counties.

Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections (Valdosta, GA)

Digitization of Georgia deeds and plats representing southeastern and south Georgia counties(including Camden, Glynn, Wayne, Brantley, Ware, and Worth counties) dating from the 1700s-1899.

Preference in the selection process was given to proposals from institutions that had not yet collaborated with the DLG. Dougherty County Public Library and the National Civil War Naval Museum are both new partners for the DLG. Sheila McAlister, director of the Digital Library of Georgia, notes: “Since the start of DLG’s subgranting program in 2016, we’ve funded 26 projects and added 10 new partners. Documenting the entire state, the collections illuminate the lives of Georgia’s African-American, LGBTQ, and Asian-American communities, as well as the state’s educational, political, cultural and industrial past.”

 

About the Digital Library of Georgia

Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia https://dlg.usg.edu/ is a GALILEO initiative that collaborates with Georgia’s libraries, archives, museums and other institutions of education and culture to provide access to key information resources on Georgia history, culture, and life. This primary mission is accomplished through the ongoing development, maintenance, and preservation of digital collections and online digital library resources. DLG also serves as Georgia’s service hub for the Digital Public Library of America and as the home of the Georgia Newspaper Project, the state’s historic newspaper microfilming project.

 

About Columbia Theological Seminary

Columbia Theological Seminary “exists to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the Church and the world.” As an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Columbia Seminary is a community of theological inquiry, leadership development, and formation for ministry in the service of the Church of Jesus Christ. Columbia Seminary offers six graduate degree programs and dozens of courses and events as a resource for church professionals and lay people through The Center for Lifelong Learning. For more information, please visit www.CTSnet.edu.