Frequently Asked Questions
What newspapers are included in the Georgia Newspaper Project?
The Georgia Newspaper Project attempts to locate, catalog, and film every newspaper issue printed in Georgia from the eighteenth century to the present. For historical newspapers there are many gaps in our holdings because there is no surviving print copy of the newspaper available to microfilm, but we are always looking for old newspapers that have not already been microfilmed. Some current newspapers, such as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Augusta Chronicle, are filmed by commercial microfilming agencies and are not available through the Georgia Newspaper Project.
What steps are involved in microfilming newspapers?
Microfilming newspapers is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. For current titles, subscriptions are established and maintained to ensure that every issue of the paper is available for filming. Older titles are sought out from collectors, libraries, local governments, or wherever else they can be found. Once acquired, the newspapers are prepared for filming by sorting them into chronological order, noting missing issues, cutting them out of bindings, repairing paper tears and other damage, and ironing them flat. For ongoing titles, issues are accumulated to fill up an entire roll of microfilm before being prepared and filmed. The filming itself is done page by page, followed by developing, quality control checks, and duplicating. The Georgia Newspaper Project adheres to all ANSI/AIIM standards to produce film with an LE500 rating (life expectancy of 500 years).
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If I have a copy of an old Georgia newspaper, can I donate it to the Georgia Newspaper Project?
We welcome donations to make our holdings more complete. You should contact us first to make sure we have not already filmed issue(s) you have.
How can I find out which newspaper titles have been filmed by the Georgia Newspaper Project?
If you have not already done so, please view our Microfilm Holdings list. Please note that this list does not include complete issue-specific information. For issue-specific information, please consult "The Georgia Newspaper Project Holdings List" at the University of Georgia Libraries or contact us.
Can I purchase photocopies of newspaper pages from the microfilm?
Yes, you can do this by coming to the basement of the Main Library at UGA where there are copiers attached to microfilm reader machines. This service is not available by mail or fax.
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Can I purchase a photograph or a scan of a certain page or picture from a roll of microfilm?
This can be done, but you must pay the cost of purchasing a copy of the entire roll of film ($35), as well as other fees, since we will have to make a copy that can be cut down to a few frames.
What methods of payment are accepted? Can I be billed for orders or do I need to pay in advance?
Cash, checks, and money orders are accepted. Credit cards are not accepted. We usually request payment before processing the order but exceptions are sometimes made. Please contact us for more information.
To what address can I send my order/check for microfilm copies?
Send it to Georgia Newspaper Project / University of Georgia Main Library / Athens, GA 30602. There is no formal order form; just designate which titles and dates you need.
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How are the reels of microfilm divided, i.e. by month, year, etc.?
This varies from paper to paper. For example, some weeklies have a years' entirety on a reel, and some dailies have only a half-month on a reel. Please contact us for more information.
I want to do research on my family history, but I don't know which newspapers might have information. What should I do?
For most Georgia newspapers, there are no indexes to tell you which issues contain articles about specific names, topics, etc.; researchers must find this information by painstakingly going through each issue of the relevant papers. The Georgia Newspaper Project can give you information about which newspaper issues we have microfilmed and can supply copies of, but we cannot perform research. Please view the list of researchers who have indicated a willingness to do research for a fee.
Do the University of Georgia Libraries microfilm anything besides Georgia newspapers?
Filming the newspapers is the main priority; however, we do occasionally take on non-newspaper projects for preservation purposes. Recent projects include local church records, documents from the collections of Richard B. Russell and Lamartine G. Hardman [originals housed in UGA's Russell Library], and the diaries of the founders of Spelman College [originals housed at Spelman College].
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