The  Georgia Center for the Book is the state affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Based at the DeKalb County Public Library in Decatur, the Georgia Center provides collaborative support and focus for the state’s literary community of libraries, authors, educators, publishers, booksellers, and readers, with a particular emphasis on promoting the rich literary heritage of Georgia. Since receiving its affiliate charter in 1997, the DeKalb County center has presented dozens of well-known authors in public forums around the state; inaugurated two statewide literary programs for students; created an “All Georgia Reading the Same Book” program in 2002, which brought thousands of readers to a discussion of one book; developed a “Georgia Top Twenty-Five” reading list; and assisted with the debut of a biannual state literary award.

Tucked away in the northeastern Georgia Piedmont between the Savannah and Broad rivers lies the city of Elberton, also known as the granite capital of the world. Currently, more than 150 sheds and manufacturing plants turn rough blocks of granite extracted from 45 area quarries into finished memorials, markers, and mausoleums. These granite products are subsequently shipped to customers all over the world. At least one monument or marker made from Elberton’s granite has been placed in all fifty states; the granite is also found in several foreign countries.

Published continuously since 1807, Grier’s Almanac is one of Georgia’s longest-running publications. The annual reference work once referred to as a “Bible for the southern antebellum farmer” enjoys a circulation of around 3 million in twelve southern states and is distributed via leading drug and feed-and-seed stores as well as by direct mail. Robert Grier (1780-1848), an amateur astronomer, made his astronomical calculations for the publication, originally known as the Georgia and South-Carolina Almanak, on the plantation property of his father, Aaron W.

In 1961 Hamilton Holmes (center) became one of the first African American students to gain admission to the University of Georgia after a two-year legal battle, led in part by Donald Hollowell (left). Holmes's father, Alfred "Tup" Holmes (right), was an Atlanta businessman. The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print.

While the primary goal of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is to provide a “safe, efficient and sustainable transportation system,” its mission statement commits the agency to “environmental sensitivity.” The consideration of historic and archaeological resources during routine project development is part of this environmental sensitivity. Historic and archaeological resources, often referred to as cultural resources, also factor into special GDOT activities through the Transportation Enhancement Activity program and the Scenic Byways program.