Athens State Archives

03/18/2026

Time for anther peek !👀

that archival work isn't just about the old and dusty things? 🙂University archivists collect material in real time as a way to document the functioning of the university and its relationships with those whom it serves. 🗃️

Our latest example: the University Archive was included in a swag-bag giveaway of material from the university's most recent Quality Enhancement Program, Experiential Learning. 🧑‍💼

While processing this material for inclusion in the Quality Enhancement Program collection, archivists "learned by experience" that 3D puzzles are misleadingly tricky to return to their "original order"! 😉

03/09/2026

Our Collection Connection for March is a beautifully striated carved marble paperweight that comes from the collected papers and ephemera of Dr. Angeline Nazaretian.

Dr. Nazaretian held several roles during her tenure at Athens, including serving as a coach for several women's sports teams and later in Alumni Affairs. 🏐🏀The new Alumni Welcome Center, named in her honor, is located in the home in which she resided just on the edge of campus near Clinton and Beaty Streets.

Ephemera and paper collections in archives can help us glimpse how an individual chose to express their personality with the material in their surroundings. 🏺🪆🖼️ Things like souvenirs from travel, ticket stubs from concerts, even matchbooks and paperweights help researchers attempt to understand how individuals from the past documented their experiences. 📝

We can imagine this paperweight sitting on Dr. Nazaretian's desk, being privy to many conversations during her long tenure. If it could talk, what would it say? 🤔

To view materials in the Angeline Nazaretian Collection, make an appointment with the university archivist by visiting our website at https://libguides.athens.edu/archives

03/03/2026

Today we hear much about the excitement that accompanies heading off to college; finally, that first taste of freedom! 😎

However, the incoming class might have been surprised to see the Special Requirements and Special Prohibitions listed in the catalogue for Athens Female College, 1904-1905! 🫢

Does this remind you of your own campus experience? 🤔 Does anything seem too strict? 🤯How might it measure up to the expectations of Athens bound co-eds today? 🐻💛💙

💻See the full version of the 1904-1905 catalogue online by visiting our digitized collections on JSTOR at https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34025607

03/02/2026

Looks like the perfect read for this early spring weather! 🌷🐦

We're highlighting our fabulous Athens State faculty with their selections for the the Dr. Catherine Wehlburg Inauguration Faculty Book Collection.

Dr. Sara Cline, Professor of Biology & Pre-Health Advisor, selected Nature's Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy for her pick in the Dr. Catherine Wehlburg Inauguration Faculty Book Collection

Come by the library to check it out!

02/25/2026

Mark your calendars! A ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of Brown Hall will be held on Monday, March 30 at 10:00 am.

A ribbon cutting for Pillar & Paw will follow in the Sandridge Student Center.

We hope you will make plans to join us!

02/23/2026

✍️why not give it a shot? Open to everyone!🐻💛💙

✨✒️Now accepting submissions to the 2nd Annual Writing Contest sponsored by the Athens State University Writing Center. This is your chance to be published in Athena's Web, a literary journal of creative works by Athens State University students, staff, faculty and community!

🏆The winner of the Athena's Web writing contest will be announced at the 4th Annual Summer Writing & Arts Summit Open Mic! (June 25-26, 2026) 🎤☀️

This year's theme is "Roots and Routes." We're looking for works that explore the intersection of history, heritage, and personal or collective journeys. This may include reflections on the roots of your culture, family, or personal identity, and how these roots influence your path forward. 🌳🗺️


Open to the public. ⏰ Deadline April 1st.

Enter here ----> https://forms.gle/BCkwjBVdtmPqfWyg6

02/23/2026

Exciting news! 🐻💛💙☕️

Exciting news! HeBrew's Coffee Shop is now open! Visit us upstairs in the Sandridge Student Center.

This week hours: 7:30am-4:30pm

02/23/2026

🐻💛💙

Throwing it back to when we had the privilege of hosting Lilly Ledbetter for International Women’s Day.💙

Her visit left a lasting mark on our campus, just like her fight for equal pay left a lasting mark on our nation.

Now, we invite you to join us for a special screening of the movie that tells her powerful story. Come be reminded that one voice can spark real change.

🎬 Tickets available here: https://events.humanitix.com/womensday

02/19/2026

How about a quick peek behind the scenes in the University Archive?👀

When working to preserve paper based records for ongoing access, an important first step for archivists is the removal of metal fasteners such as staples and paperclips, sometimes even straight pins!🖇️📎🧷

While these fasteners group documents together in a useful manner, their degradation via rusting, bending and oxidization can cause staining on the paper, and pose a risk of tetanus for any researcher--or archivist--handling the materials. 🚨

All of this work ensures that the information on the material remains useful, and safe, for future researchers and archivists to use. 🗃️🤓

02/11/2026

Our next Collection Connection comes from the Athletics series within the larger Student Life collection in the University Archives.

This photograph circa 2003 features Hebrew the Bear, Athens State University's mascot, at a home basketball game. 👀If you look closely, you can see that Hebrew is sporting a bit of a different look, and offering to "ref for food". 👀Perhaps that's some commentary on the game officiating?😆

🤓Records like this photograph help archivists and researchers get a clearer picture of what student participation in campus activities might have involved. ⚽️🏈🤼🏋️In particular, this photo gives researchers an image of what the mascot costume looked like during the early 2000s as well as what activities the mascot would be engaged in. 🏀⛹️‍♂️

We can make a judgement about this Hebrew's "personality" or "style" as humorous judging by the photo. 🐻But we'll not comment on whether or not we should make judgements about the officiating.😉😆

The Athletic programs were discontinued in the early 2000s, making this one of the last photographs of collegiate competitive athletics at Athens State. 📆🏆

Make an appointment with the University Archivist to view this photograph or other items from our collections. 💻

Stay tuned for more Collection Connections!

02/05/2026

Today we're highlighting the 1899 Annual Announcement of Athens Female College. 📖This catalog, another of the oldest items in the university archive, is also one of the few we have that date before 1900.😮

The photo takes a glimpse of the prescribed course of study for a student enrolled in the Mistress of English Literature program. 👩‍🏫How does the course of study sound to you? Fun? Challenging? Practical? Surprising?🧐 Or, as the authors indicate, "logical?"🤔

You can read the full document by visiting our Digitized Collections on JSTOR at https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34025606

02/02/2026

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