Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library

For UGA Libraries, Thomas May’s job centers around film and audiovisual work, but the archivist also enjoys the printed word. In fact, he was named one of the best authors in the state, as a recipient of a 2025 Georgia Author of the Year Award in the science fiction/fantasy category.

May serves as the audiovisual systems archivist and access coordinator with the Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, one of three special collections units at the University of Georgia Libraries. He’s also a novelist, who self-published his debut fantasy novel Alan Dreams of Giants in November.

Books about racial inequality in U.S. higher education are the 2025 recipients of the Lillian Smith Book Awards, administered by the University of Georgia Libraries to honor books dedicated to social justice issues.  

“UGA Athletics in Your Town,” a traveling exhibit of materials from the University of Georgia Athletic Association archives, will be coming to cities and counties around the state of Georgia this summer.

The tour will begin on May 30 in Hart County (Hartwell) and continue through Aug. 1 along the way visiting Fulton County (Alpharetta), Coweta County (Newnan), Muscogee County (Columbus), Cobb County (Marietta), Tift County (Tifton), Laurens County (Dublin), and Stephens County (Toccoa).

Jason Hasty, Athletics History Specialist for the UGA Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, will bring a collection of historic Georgia Bulldogs athletics artifacts to these public libraries as part of a statewide summer tour across Georgia.

The newest members of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame have broken barriers across genres — from journalism to fiction to poetry — and all three have inspired the next generation of writers through teaching and mentoring.

The 2025 class includes Tina McElroy Ansa, novelist and founder of DownSouth Press; Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer; and Tony M. Grooms, poet, novelist, and co-founder of the Georgia Writers Association. Events will be held throughout the year at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries in Athens to celebrate each of the honorees.

Nine­ University of Georgia faculty members have been chosen as 2025 Special Collections Faculty Teaching Fellows, a program designed to help instructors creating active learning courses that allow students to engage with UGA Libraries’ archival materials.

The new cohort reaches a broad spectrum of academic areas, from African American Studies, history, music, religion, Spanish, to geography, political science, and statistics.

“We are delighted to welcome our 10th cohort into the Special Collections Libraries Faculty Teaching Fellows program,” said university librarian and associate provost Toby Graham. “Since 2015, SCL Fellows have developed about 100 archives-based courses and reached thousands of students with hands-on experiences that embody UGA’s commitment to active learning.”

The 2025 Special Collections Faculty Teaching Fellows are: 

This spring, celebrate the spirit of nature with a nostalgic look at the 90s cartoon “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.” Linka, Kwame and the entire action figure gang of environmental activists are on display at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries as part of a special look back at the television program designed to educate and inspire children to take action and save Earth from Eco-Villians that represented real-life environmental dangers. 

A special Family Day event at the UGA Special Collections Libraries features activities for the little ones and a kids’ clothing swap to celebrate sustainability for the adults.

The event, scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, will explore clothing history through the ongoing exhibit From Farms to Fast Fashion: Unraveling the Need for Sustainable Style. Open to all ages, the event will include crafts, a gallery scavenger hunt, and snacks.

To participate in the clothing swap, bring your clean, gently used clothes — size preemie to preteen — to swap with other parents and families.

The University of Georgia’s triple-threat musical theater students have added another skill to their resumes, as their newly installed exhibit goes on display at the UGA Special Collections Libraries.

The Golden Age of Broadway, a class-curated exhibit of classic Broadway musical posters and artifacts, will open in the Rotunda Gallery March 4, and the students will show off their singing, acting, and dancing skills with a special performance to celebrate the display this spring. The free event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 24, and members of the university and Athens community are welcome.

Just months after its installation, the Georgia Music Collections exhibit from the University of Georgia Libraries, currently on display at the new Akins Ford Arena in Athens, has brought home its first award.

The exhibit was recognized as a 2025 Travel Blazer by the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus earlier this month. The award celebrates innovative destination development projects that enhance local tourism.