"When we expanded our collection, we wanted not only to collect active participants but also wanted to do retrospective collecting. We are very conscious to collect papers that represent the full diversity of experience and perspective of our culture."
– Sheryl Vogt, Director, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

Room/Area

Giving Level

Status

The Reading Room will be located in the Research Suite and will serve as the nexus for research activity at the Russell Library. The Reading Room is where scholars and students from around the world and right here in Georgia will come to mine some of the richest collections of archival and manuscript material related to modern political history, policy, and culture in the Southeast. The Reading Room will provide patrons with a welcoming ambience for quiet, reflective study and state-of-the-art equipment for efficient research. The room will include relevant, supporting reference materials that will provide researchers with convenient and useful information to assist their work. First-rate security and environmental controls will ensure that all materials are maintained with the same high standards of care and protection under which they are housed in their archival storage areas.

The Rotating Gallery will provide opportunities for library staff to create a framework for understanding the interconnectedness of the themes that have made Georgia what it is today, by presenting the dynamic relationship between politics and land use, between politics and social relations, and among local, state, and international politics.

The gallery will be organized around several broad themes. Within these enduring themes, however, artifacts, documents, and images would change regularly to maintain appropriate preservation standards and to keep the exhibit fresh, dynamic, and interesting to visitors.

In addition to providing an important exhibit environment, this gallery frequently will serve as the setting for welcoming national, regional, and state legislative visitors and other dignitaries to the University of Georgia campus and the Libraries.

The Oral History Studio will not only feature the Russell Library’s growing collection of Oral Histories but will also use state of the art equipment to teach visitors how to create their own oral histories. Interactive displays will allow visitors to view and listen to oral histories documenting Georgia’s modern political and public policy history.

The Film Viewing Room will provide space for researchers and classes to access the Russell Library’s film archive. The room will be supplied with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment to support classroom instruction as well as the Russell Library’s extensive outreach programs.