Georgia Archives Collection Development Policy

The Georgia Archives collects published materials which provide information on the history of the state of Georgia. Many of these published materials are also available at public and academic libraries throughout the state. The Georgia Archives acquires these published materials to support research efforts and they may not be retained permanently. Because the history of Georgia is often closely tied to the history of the region, the Archives also collects selected general Southern history reference materials.

The Georgia Archives welcomes donations of published materials which meet the criteria of its Collection Policy described below. All donations are subject to review by the Archives Collection Development Committee before being placed in the collection. Materials which do not meet the following criteria will be returned to the donor.

Format

Bound: The Archives does not accept books with spiral, comb, loose-leaf or staple binding because these bindings deteriorate quickly when the books are used.

Updates: The Georgia Archives does not accept updates or additions that need to be attached or tipped in to original completed works. Updates, additions and indexes should be published as sequels or included in new additions and they must be hard-bound.

CDs/Electronic Records: The Georgia Archives does not accept CDs due to issues of software compatibility and compliance with licensing agreements.

Indexing: All books must have an index and table of contents.

Pagination: Pages must be printed double-sided and numbered.

Quality: The Collection Development Committee reviews all materials, and inaccurate, unverifiable or poorly organized information will not be accepted.

Availability: Currency and duplication of information on the Internet will be taken into consideration in reviewing works. Works with out-of date information or information duplicated on the Internet will not be accepted.

The Georgia Archives collects published works on the following topics:

Georgia local and state histories: The Archives collects local and state histories, including abstracts of various records. Works referencing Georgia Archives record holdings will receive special emphasis.

Religious organizations: The Archives collects selected works documenting denominational and individual church and synagogue activity in Georgia. The Archives does not collect souvenir publications.

Family histories: All family histories must be hard-bound. The Georgia Archives accepts gifts of family histories for families with a strong Georgia connection. The Collection Development Committee will look for evidence of the following sources to indicate a strong Georgia connection:

• State or county records, such as property, tax, probate, or marriage record
• Georgia church or cemetery records

Any person who donates a family history to the Georgia Archives assumes all responsibility for the use of any personal information, such as addresses, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses, included in the work. Authors are encouraged to obtain formal permission from all living persons whose personal information is cited in the book. The Georgia Archives makes published records available to all researchers and is not liable for the use of this information. The Georgia Archives does not collect family newsletters or reminiscences.

Ethnic works: The Archives collects works documenting the cultures of African-American, Native American and other ethnic groups in Georgia.

Biographies: The Archives collects biographies of Georgians who had a major cultural, economic, political or social impact on society.

Military history: The Archives collects selected works referencing Georgia troops or military actions which took place in Georgia.

Other: The Archives collects selected works that document other aspects of Georgia, including but not limited to material culture, folklore, archaeology, politics, economics, and architecture which support the Archives' original records and manuscript collections.

Patriotic societies: The Archives collects selected lineage books and other publications of patriotic societies with Georgia descendants.

Legal reference: The Archives collects selected publications documenting legal history and activity in Georgia, including dictionaries, glossaries, and other reference works.

Neighboring states: The Archives collects selected published volumes relevant to the history of Georgia. Specifically, we collect selected statewide indexes for Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and county indexes for those counties bordering Georgia. We also collect selected abstracts and histories of states along the migration route to Georgia:

• South Carolina, 1730-1810
• North Carolina, 1770-1810
• Virginia, 1770-1810
• Pennsylvania, 1770-1810
• New Jersey, 1770-1810
• Maryland, 1770-1810
• Rhode Island, 1750-1775

The Georgia Archives does not collect:

• Bibles
• Textbooks
• Family newsletters
• Single newspaper or magazine issues
• Reminiscences
• Fiction