Metro-Atlanta Library Association Meeting

Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 2 PM  

The Atlanta History Center's Kenan Research Center was the location for MALA's summer meeting. Erica Danylchak, Research Manager, greeted us and provided a very interesting and in-depth orientation to the Research Center activities and collections, as well as a gracious tour of the facility.

Erica explained that the holdings of the AHC Library and Archives are broad and include books, manuscripts and special collections relating to the history of Atlanta and the American South. Collecting interests reflect and support interests of researchers and include such topics as the Civil War, genealogy, folk and decorative arts, African-American history, regional photography and architecture, among others. Popular resources include the Atlanta city directories, City of Atlanta building permits, fire insurance and other maps, census, marriage and death records, architectural drawings from prominent Atlanta firms, and an extensive newspaper collection.

Significant collections in the AHS Library and Archives and available at the Kenan Research Center include the Cherokee Garden Library, the Coca-Cola cookbook collection, and the drawings, papers and books of Atlanta architect Philip Shutze, designer of the Swan House, the Temple, the Academy of Medicine, and other Atlanta treasures. AHC is the official repository for selected City of Atlanta and Fulton County records as well.

Terminus is the Keenan Research Center's online catalog. In includes all books, most manuscript collections (over 1000), as well as business and vertical files, and it is searchable by keyword and exact phrase. Descriptive finding aids of the manuscript and archival collections are also available at the Center. A special project for digitizing the photograph collection is underway, with funding from an IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) grant.

One of the highlights of the tour was our visit to the Franklin Garrett room in the Research Center. Mr. Garrett, who earned the designation as "the Atlanta historian", authored Atlanta and Environs and also compiled an Atlanta necrology from a survey of graveyard burial records (1855-1933) within a 30-mile radius of the city, among other valuable projects. He donated his extensive personal library and collectibles to the Center and it has been lovingly and accurately reconstructed within the Research Center.

Erica also told us about the excellent services available to researchers at the Keenan Research Center. Almost 50% of researchers are interested in genealogy and there are ample resources at hand, as well as open stacks for the general reference and book collections. The Center staff in most cases are able to respond to requests for collection materials not in the reading room within 5-10 minutes. Those with complex projects are urged to write ahead so that the staff may amply prepare for such visits. Self-service copying is available for a small fee in the reading room for non-fragile materials, and staff copy archival materials for researchers. All are welcome and there are no fees for those conducting their own research, though a substantial per hour fee is charged for custom research requests.

Funding for the Atlanta History Center is private, with grants for special projects. Volunteers are welcome throughout AHC and the Research Center, and their are also Friends groups. They assist researchers in the reading room, process collections and do data entry, among other projects. There are currently two interns from GSU, and previous interns have included library science and archives students.

The Keenan Research Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5. For more information on the Atlanta History Center and its many fine resources, visit their Website at:
www.atlantahistorycenter.org.

Many thanks to Kate Stirk, MALA VP for programs, who arranged this interesting program.

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