Athens-Clarke County Heritage Room

09/29/2026

Born into slavery on October 29, 1837, Harriet Powers remains a prominent folk artist with her quilts on display in the National Museum of American History and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In honor of her birthday, we're taking inspiration from her traditional applique style and making a community quilt. Whether you're an experienced quilter or this is your first time picking up a needle and thread, you're invited to participate in this creation. Use one of Harriet's designs or create your own to tell a story through this historic medium.

Join us on one of our four dates to participate in this community art.
October 3rd 10am - 3pm
October 6th 5pm - 8pm
October 10th 2pm - 5pm
October 12th 5pm - 8pm

09/14/2026

Join Archives and Special Collections librarian Justin Kau for a review of newspaper sources available to Athens Regional Library System researchers. We will take a look at Georgia Historic Newspapers, the University System of Georgia's free online database that is making major additions of interest to Athens historians, as well as News Bank, Chronicling America, and Newspapers.com. We will compare and contrast old newspapers in their digital, microfilm, and print editions by having a "show and tell" of items from the Heritage Room's vertical files and archival collections. We will also briefly cover the history of Athens newspapers and magazines. This presentation lasts roughly one hour with additional time allotted for attendees to ask questions and view archival materials from our collections.

08/18/2026

We're welcoming History Now! Living History and Interpretation to the Athens-Clarke County Library to discuss the Virginia Declaration of Rights - a Declaration before the Declaration of Independence. Not only are precepts and quotes from it found in the July Declaration, the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution is directly and heavily indebted to it. Through live interpretation, his program illustrates the importance and influence of the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776.

07/29/2026

August is just around the corner and we have a ton of events from the Heritage Room. From book discussions to living history performances, we have something for everyone as we round out the summer.
Visit athenslibrary.org/events for more details on each of these programs.

07/09/2026

We're taking Genealogy 101 online! Join us via Zoom in this introductory course on getting started with your genealogical research. We're offering two beginner friendly sessions that will introduce you to the essential building blocks of genealogy.

Whether you’re just starting your first tree or need a refresher, this class will provide the confidence and structure to help you grow your family history with clarity and purpose.

Registration is required.

July 14th 11am:
https://athenslibrary.libcal.com/event/17129843

July 27th 6pm:
https://athenslibrary.libcal.com/event/17129854

06/29/2026

Let's take your genealogy reseach to the next level with Unearth Your Family's Story: Genealogy 102. We'll dig into the details about Genealogical Proof Standard, learn how to evaluate sources, and tackle beginning techniques of addressing the dreaded brick wall.

This class is best suited for those who have previously attended Genealogy 101 or have a working understanding of genealogy basics.

We'll be offering this class twice this month: July 7th at 6pm & July 20th at 11am at the Athens-Clarke County Library.

06/26/2026

Do you have family heirlooms at home but don't know how to best protect them? We're here to offer some advice. We'll be covering how to take care of artifacts such as Bibles, photos, quilts, scrapbooks, & military uniforms at home - no archival degree required!

Join us at the Madison County Library on June 30th at 6:00pm to learn all about preserving your family artifacts!

06/25/2026

06/23/2026

Missed Dr. Dee Gillespie's lecture on Women's Experiences in the American Revolution? Don't worry, she'll be visiting the Oconee County Library on Sunday, June 28th at 3:00pm!

The American Revolution impacted women living in the British North American colonies, creating new opportunities and bringing hardship to their families and communities.

This talk will discuss both patriot and enslaved women’s experiences as well as how women advocated to be included in the new nation’s vision of equality and liberty.

06/14/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘕𝘰𝘸! 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 program has unfortunately been postponed. Keep an eye here and at athenslibrary.org/events for the rescheduled date.