Treasures from the UGA Library’s Vault

The presentation is a power point revealing some of the remarkable treasures from our Special Collections – most people know little about the rich materials and collections that we have. These slides show the depth and strength of our holdings.

The UGA Library has very rich and varied special collections. In the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, our strength is from the Colonial to the Confederate Era with a tremendous Civil War collection, including maps, journals, letters, photographs, etc. There are also thousands of other collections – some that document the history of theater from around the world through costume and set designs; the largest collection of Margaret Mitchell materials; and additional collections from Georgia authors and other important people of our state. However, we also document the lives of regular people from all areas of our state.

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies has over 300 collections of politicians, observers, and political organizations. It is the repository for both the Democratic and Republican parties for the state of Georgia and has some truly fascinating materials within this library.

Our third special collections library is the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection. This archive is the third largest media archive in the country, behind UCLA and the Library of Congress. The core of this collection consists of the Peabody Award entries for the last 70 years, which truly comprise the history of broadcasting. In addition, we have the raw news film footage of WSB from the 1950s through the current, and the collections from Peabody winners and other important companies and organizations in the region. This collection is heavily utilized for documentaries.

I also discuss the electronic access that everyone has to these materials, and about preserving your own materials.

Chantel Dunham, Director of Development, University of Georgia Libraries

Chantel Dunham is the first Director of Development for the University of Georgia Libraries. Starting from scratch 20 years ago, she has enjoyed the challenge of establishing a Board, finding prospective donors, creating unique events, and igniting some enthusiasm for this hidden “treasure” of the University of Georgia. Prior to this, Chantel owned a corporate gift business in Southern California, and a corporate travel company in Maui, Hawaii.

Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Chantel has a degree in Public Relations from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She serves on the Georgia Women of Achievement Board of Trustees.

Since working with the University of Georgia Libraries, she has been involved with the planning and fundraising for the $45M Special Collections Libraries Building which opened in February of 2012. She has developed an active and generous Board of Visitors and has helped develop and endow the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame program as well as created signature engagement events like White Glove Dinners and travel programs around the state and beyond that have attracted the University’s top donors.

Chantel is also the Director of Development for the UGA Press and The Georgia Review.