Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Athens, GA: Inside/Out 40th Anniversary Restoration

Join the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection on Thursday, September 24th at Cine for free screenings of the newly restored Athens, GA: Inside/Out. The 1986 documentary features interviews and concert footage of notable Athens bands, including R.E.M., Pylon, and The B-52s. The film was directed, written, and shot by Tony Gayton, a first-time director who recently graduated from University of Southern California before beginning this project. The film was produced by Bill Cody. 

Seeking Intrinsic Essence, Whatever Direction: A Conversation with Nancy Ellison

Join the Hargrett Rarebook and Manuscript Library on Thursday, September 10th at 6pm for a conversation with acclaimed American portrait and special photographer Nancy Ellison, in celebration of our newest exhibition Seeking Intrinsic Essence, Whatever Direction: The Photography of Nancy Ellison. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Free parking can be found in the Hull Street Deck after 5pm. 

More on Ellison and the exhibition below:

Constitution Day 2026

On Friday, September 18, 2026, the American Founding Group and the School of Public and International Affairs will host a celebration of Constitution Day. The centerpiece of these festivities is a lecture by Richard Primus, Theodore J. St. Antoine Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan Law School.

Beth Tobin on Loving Insects

Join the UGA Special Collections Libraries and the University of Georgia Press on Tuesday, October 13th at 6pm for a talk with Beth Tobin on her new book Loving Insects: John Abbot's Drawings and Natural History Collecting in the Atlantic World, 1760s-1840s. This work uncovers the life and work of an early, overlooked American artist, naturalist, and specimen hunter, and recognizes Abbot as a major figure in early American natural history. 

This event is free and open to the public! Parking in the Hull Street Deck is free after 5pm. 

2026 Student Spotlight Reception

Join the UGA Special Collections Libraries for an opening reception to celebrate a series of new case exhibitions curated by UGA   undergraduate students! Enjoy food and drink in the exhibition hallway and meet student curators inside the galleries to learn more about their displays.

This event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please contact Jan Hebbard, jhebbard@uga.edu.

Historic Board Game Night

Join the UGA Special Collections Libraries and the UGA Libraries Student Success Team for a night of games on Tuesday, March 24th from 5:00-7:00PM in the Sidney Samuel Thomas Reading Room at the Miller Learning Center (MLC). Pizza, snacks and drinks will be provided.

At the event we will hear lightning talks (3 minutes) on five historic games from students in Dr. Akela Reason's "Hands-on Public History" HIST 4760/6760. Following this introduction, students in the course will lead play on replica games represented in the holdings of the UGA Special Collections Libraries. 

Ada Cheng Performance: The Trouble With My Hair

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ada Cheng, a.k.a The Renegade Ada Cheng, back to UGA to share her latest performance piece with us. The Trouble with My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am is an intimate exploration of Cheng's gender, sexual, and racial identities and boundary-making through her evolving relationships with her hair and her stylists. Blending theatrical storytelling and narrative art, Ada Cheng playfully brings the audience on an emotional and thought-provoking journey of self-discovery and self-love through her struggles with her hair.