Citing budget cuts, Georgia Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, announced on September 13 that the Georgia Archives will be effectively closed to the public beginning on November 1. Access to the archives will then be available by limited appointments only.
The Georgia Archives was established in 1918 and houses a rich collection of primary and secondary sources in addition to state documents recording Georgia government activities. After November 1, Georgia will become the only state in the union to not make a public archives freely available to its citizens.
If this gets your dander up like it has ours, please consider signing the following petition!
The Governor of GA: Leave Our State Archives Open to the Public (Change.org petition)
For more information about the Archives, its imminent closure, and public response, please see the following sources.
ALA President Expresses Deep Concern and Dismay About Closure of Georgia Archives to the Public (American Libraries Magazine)
Georgia Threatens Closure of State Archives (Society of American Archivists - don't miss their letter of protest to the Governor!)
Georgians Against Closing State Archives (Facebook group)
Friends of Georgia Archives and History (Don't miss their list of action items!)
Supporters Rally Against Georgia Archives Closure (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
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