GCSU’s Holly Croft appointed to state Historical Records Advisory Council

GCSU's Holly Croft appointed to state Historical Records Advisory Council

Ina Dillard Russell Library Monday September 16, 2024

Holly Croft, associate director of Georgia College & State University's Special Collections, was recently appointed to a three-year term on the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council by Gov. Brian Kemp.

By executive order, Kemp selected Croft to serve as one of the council's 12 members through June 2027. The group meets once a year but works online to review applications for funding, choose worthy preservationists for annual awards and tend to other historical state issues.

"When asked if I'd be interested, I was surprised," Croft said. "The GHRAC doesn't often have openings. Getting sworn in and being able to serve the public in this capacity is a privilege. It's rewarding to help people see the incredible history we have in the state of Georgia. By understanding the past, we can move more confidently to the future."

The council-formerly known as the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board-was created in 1993 for the preservation of historical records throughout the state and to ensure citizens know how to access this information. To do this, members work closely with educators, local governments, historical repositories and professional organizations.

The council also offers $2,000 to $5,000 grants for implementing projects that identify, preserve and provide access to historical records within the state. Its yearly award program recognizes exceptional efforts by historical archivists and organizations in Georgia.

Croft earned a degree in English from the University of Georgia and a master's in library and information science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She's a past president of the Society of Georgia Archivists and also served as a Georgia Heritage Responder, preserving historical sites during disasters.

At Georgia College since 2016, Croft first worked as the university's digital archivist in Ina Dillard Russell Library then as interim associate director for Special Collections. She officially took on that role in May and also teaches library science.

In university Special Collections, Croft's in charge of safeguarding the archival repository and materials required for record keeping and documenting Central Georgia's history.

"We collect items and oral histories in order to tell as complete a story about this area as we can," she said. "To do that, we work outside the university with a variety of people, capturing website pictures and packing up collections from dirt floor basements in historic houses."

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