Perspective Online

Blynne Olivieri, Head of Special Collections, Ingram Library

Blynne Olivieri feels privileged to head Special Collections in Ingram Library. “I came to UWG for the collections and for the opportunity to connect people with the collections through digital initiatives but I am staying here because the students, faculty, and staff are the most committed, hard-working, and courteous people I’ve ever met.”

Blynne Olivieri Special Collections includes the university’s archives, local and regional collections, the Georgia Political Heritage Program collection, topical collections relating to the fields of humanistic psychology and parapsychology, and rare printed materials.

Because of the national caliber of the collections--the papers of politicians Bob Barr and Newt Gingrich and psychologist William Roll as examples--people come from all over the world to use Special Collections materials in production of newspaper articles, books, and documentaries. Whoever you are and for whatever reason, whether it is genealogical research or you are a fan of Tom Murphy and want to read his letters, you can come to UWG to use Special Collections. “We collect, preserve, and make these materials accessible to everyone,” says Blynne. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, or what academic degrees you may or may not have. Special Collections is for use by the people.”

The most important part of her job, Blynne emphasizes, is “getting these primary sources into the hands of UWG students. I want them to feel confident in physically handling rare materials and to be able, intellectually, to place a Civil War letter written by a Carroll County resident into the larger historical context.”

Blynne came to UWG in December 2012 to lead digital projects as a special collections librarian. In October 2013 she became head of Special Collections. Previously Blynne served as Pacific Northwest Curator at the University of Washington from 2009 to 2012. She holds a master’s degree in Art History (2007) and a master’s degree in Library and Information Science (2009), both from the University of Washington. She is also a Certified Archivist and active on the Budget and Development Committee of the American Library Association’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS).

Born in Fresno, California to a history professor and a public school teacher, Blynne was the youngest of four children. Her parents’ focus on education included learning thresholds for each child before they left home for university which included: how to safely handle and shoot a gun, how to sew, how to bake bread, and how to ride a horse. These skills (except for the baking part) were largely unused in Seattle where Blynne spent the bulk of her childhood and adulthood. Blynne is married to an artist and stay-at-home-dad, Mike, and they have two children aged 10 and 8.

“UWG is the place for me. Where else in the world would a student hang out for 3 minutes to hold open the door for me as I’m coming in the Library’s Starbucks entrance?”

If you have family photographs or papers, or other local history materials, Blynne would love to hear from you.


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