An aged photo of a family posing in front of a house.
A picture is worth a thousand words. A simple photo of a family in front of a house can also shed light on the era's society, architecture, carpentry, machinery, textiles, glass-making, landscaping, wildlife, photography itself...

Donating to the Archives

Not only is it a goal to preserve our collection, but we also aim to expand it to further empower our researchers. If you have any materials or artifacts related to the history and life of Appalachia, Northeast Georgia, the military, and the communities surrounding the university's campuses, we look forward to hearing from you!

Since the most crucial steps of preservation occur before the first item is touched, we are passionate about assisting donors as early as the thought of donating occurs to them. We will guide you with an overview of our delicate cataloging and transportation process, walk you through common donor considerations, answer frequent donation questions, and provide you with our evaluations of the historic significance and scope of your items.

Monetary donations

Organizing, preserving, and keeping these collections available is an expensive process, so monetary gifts at all levels are also warmly welcomed and appreciated, as are bequests and other planned gifts, endowments, and larger contributions.

To learn more about donating, contact the UNG Special Collections & Archives.

What We Collect

Holiday Postcard
A postcard showcasing an illustration utilizing several sophisticated printing techniques for its time.

Through the endless march of time, those boxes of "trivial photos", "years-old letters", or "dusty documents" in your office or attic will eventually become some researcher's "tantalizing trove of glimpses into a bygone era."

Microfiche Header for Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson built a company town around their textile mill outside Gainesville and named it after its Massachusetts facility: Chicopee.

The following list serves as inspiration of potentially historical items to watch out for:

Materials of Interest

  • Video and audio recordings
  • Scrapbooks/Photo albums
  • Photographs
  • Maps
  • Letters/Correspondence
  • Genealogical information
  • Diaries and journals
  • Financial records
  • Legal documents
  • Records of student organizations
  • Lecture notes
  • Research notes
  • Professional files
  • Administrative records
  • Reports
  • Planning documents
  • Meeting minutes
  • Governance and policy documents
  • By-laws and articles of incorporation
  • Press releases

Subjects of Interest

  • University of North Georgia
  • Gainesville State College/Gainesville College/Gainesville Junior College
  • North Georgia College & State University/North Georgia College/North Georgia Agricultural College
  • Northeast Georgia
  • Appalachian History and Heritage
  • Military History
  • Local industry (poultry, manufacturing, etc.)
  • Latino History and Culture
  • Asian History and Culture
Vinyl Sign Motivating Gainesville Food Workers
What event in history gave cause to print a vinyl sign (and make a hashtag) for appreciating and motivating local food production workers?

Deed of Gift

A Deed of Gift is a formal document declaring that the physical ownership of an item or collection has been willfully transferred to another party. The document will outline:

  • Details of the original ownership of the item(s)
  • The new party to receive the item(s) (i.e., the UNG archives)
  • Which rights are being transferred (physical rights, copyrights)
  • Additional conditions/requests, if any.

 

1895 Newspaper: The Dahlonega Signal. Showing advertisements with a Transatlantic-like grammar.
A Dahlonega newspaper featuring marketing efforts from over a century ago. Notice the use of first-person voice and Transatlantic-like grammar structure.

Deed of Gift Considerations

Other Common Donation Questions