Genealogy Resources in Odum Library
| Newspapers | Microfilm | Archives
Welcome to the Odum Library Archives and Special Collections genealogy page. From here you can access a wide range of genealogical resources available exclusively to Odum Library, as well as resources from around the web. To access Ancestry.com and some of the databases on Galileo you will need to log in on an (public computers are on the 2nd floor).
Alternatives: | |
Georgia Genealogy
Websites
- (Find United States county clerks marriage licenses, divorce, arrest, public, jail, judicial, probate, criminal, and court records.)
- : African American Genealogy Resources
- (Census records, etc)
- (Thousands of genealogy links)
- (Post WWI - Military Records)
- (Pre-WWI Military Records)
Tips
Newspaper Sources
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Odum library has access to many Newspaper resources, including physical copies (on Microfilm), databases, and websites. Newspapers can be used to look up death notices/obituaries, birth notices, marriages and sometimes divorce notices.
Local News Databases
Valdosta Daily TimesSearch vital records—including birth announcements, death notices, obituaries, engagements, and weddings—from the , covering 1868 to the present. This unified database combines the original VDT index with GENDEX, the historical index compiled by the South Georgia Regional Library
-ProQuest Historical Newspapers
--This index is available through . It allows the user to search through newspapers, including The Times, The New York Times, and the Washington Post from the 1800 and 1900's.
Georgia Newspaper Directory
--Available through .
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Periodicals
--Available through
Georgia Historical Newspapers
--Available through .
Physical News Resources

-Microfilm Access to the following Newspapers at Odum Library:
-New York Times (Cabinet Range #1)
-Wall Street Journal (Cabinet Range #2)
-Valdosta Daily Times (Cabinet Range #3)
-Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Cabinet Range #4)
-Washington Post (Cabinet Range #108)
There are other newspapers available in the microfilm cabinets on the first floor of Odum Library. The microfilm readers are located in the second-floor copy room.
ßÏÀÖÔ° Archives and Special Collections
The ßÏÀÖÔ° Archives and Special Collections also offers other resources, both online and as items within the library.
Years available: 1925-1987.
-Pinecone Annual Physical Copies
Years available: 1925-1987
Located in the Archives on the 4th Floor of Odum Library.
Also available on the .
ArchivesSpace is a searchable Archives database with information on all of our collections.
-School Year Books:
Campus Canopy and Scrapbook are both school publications from 1935-1969. The online index runs from 1935-1970’s (when Campus Canopy became The Spectator). This database is still a work in progress, so it is not complete. The physical copies of the publications are held in the Archives on the 4th floor of Odum Library. |
Special Collections
Lowndes County Liberian Emigrants
Personal Papers
These are contained within the Archives’ Manuscript Collection (MS). They include Civil War diaries, personal correspondence, etc. To search these collections, use .
County Papers
The Archives contains collections and information on the following counties: Lowndes/Valdosta, Colquitt, Glynn, Wayne, Camden, Brantley, and Ware. The Special Collections (also located in the Archives on the 4th floor of Odum Library) also contains a range of books on individual counties. For a complete list of books, search the on the Odum library website. All book call numbers with “SP COL” at the beginning are located in the Archives.
Genealogy in the Special Collections
The Special collections (designated by the SP COL at the beginning of the item’s call number) is located on the 4th floor of Odum Library within the Archives. There are over 91 genealogy related items within this collection.
As part of a grant from LSTA in 2001, ßÏÀÖÔ° Archives and South Georgia Regional Library created a "Union Catalog" of our Special Collections holdings. We also added the books records of the Lowndes County Historical Society. Search or browse these union catalogs for "one-stop shopping."Union Catalog of the History and Genealogy Resources available at:
- Covers Odum Library, The South Georgia Regional Library, and the Lowndes County Historical Society
Here are a few examples of the types of items available:
Personal Materials
Family Histories
-A History and Genealogy of Chief William McIntosh, Jr., and His Known Descendents…by Corbin, Harriet Turner Porter (SP COL CS71 .M152 1967)
Wills
-Georgia Wills, 1733-1860: An index of testators to wills of Georgia recorded in colonial will books and in loose will collections, 1733-1777... by Brooke, Ted O.
Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Obituary and Death Notices
-Wiregrass Obituaries and Death Notices…by Dasher, Wayne (SP COL F292.B45 D37 1998).
-Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Obituary and Death Notices From the Ocilla Dispatch March 1899-January 1901…by Wells, Catherine Fussell (SP COL F292.I67 W45 2001).
Government Materials
Below are a few examples of Government Papers related to genealogy held within the Archive’s Special Collections:
Land Lotteries in Georgia
-The 1833 Land Lottery of Georgia… by Davis, Robert Scott (SP COL F285 .D235 1991).
Land Grants from the British Crown in Georgia
-English Crown Grants in St. George Parish in Georgia, 1755-1775…by Bryant, Pat (SP COL F292.B95 B7).
Grave Registries and Cemetery Information
-A Tombstone Registry of Emanuel County, Georgia…by Dorsey, James Edward (SP COL F292.E5 D67)
-The Cemeteries of Greene County, Georgia…by Armor, E. H. (SP COL F292.G7 A76 1987)
Military Records and Related Materials
-Confederate Soldiers in Colquitt County, Georgia (SP COL E559.4 .C66x).
-9th Virginia Infantry…by Trask, Benjamin H. (SP COL E581.5 9th .T73 1984).
-In Search of Confederate Ancestors: The Guide…by Segars, J. H. (Joe Henry) (SP COL F208 .S44 2005 UDC).
County Histories
-History of Mitchell County…by Spence, M. (Margaret) (SP COL F292.M65 S632).
Misc. Documents
-Passports Issued by Governors of Georgia, 1785 to 1809…(SP COL F285 .B79 1959).
-American Loyalist Claims (SP COL E277 .C624)
Other Items of Interest
-The Georgia Black Book: Morbid, Macabre, & Sometimes Disgusting Records of Genealogical Value by Davis, Robert Scott (SP COL F285 .D38 UDC).
to a complete list of Genealogy related materials within the Special Collections.
Other Library Materials
There are also physical and online resources within Odum Library that are accessible through Odum Library’s GIL Catalog:
◦ Census Records
These records are available on Microfilm in the Government Documents Section of Odum Library. They are also available on CD Rom at the Valdosta-Lowndes County Public Library.)
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Online Book available in the while at Odum Library.
◦ Family Tree Maker
CD Rom available in Odum Library.
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Available through at Odum Library.
https://libguides.valdosta.edu/c.php?g=83977Archives & Special Collections
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William H. Mobley IV Reading Room
Odum Library
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, Ga. 31698
archives@valdosta.edu -
Mailing Address
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31698 - Phone
- Phone: 229.333.7150
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm


