Administrative Sketch: This is an ongoing initiative of the Wiregrass Archives to document the experiences of people in thirty counties of southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia, and northwest Florida as they grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home orders, "social distancing" measures, and re-openings in 2020 and beyond.
Originally inspired by teachers assigning students to reflect on their experiences in this historic era but lacking a repository to collect such rich documentation, the Project will expand to passively gather memoirs, diaries, journals, and other materials in any format from all Wiregrass residents as well as actively document through oral histories the experiences of those who did not produce such materials.
The "Wiregrass under COVID-19 Documentation Project" forms Record Group 255 in the Wiregrass Archives, and is open to researchers as donations of materials arrive and are made available. You can access the online finding aid at https://www.troy.edu/about-us/dothan-campus/wiregrass-archives/inventories/255.html.
You can also find more information about the project here:
Martin T. Olliff, "Wiregrass Archives Seeks Writings on COVID-19 Experiences," Dothan Eagle, March 21, 2020, https://www.dothaneagle.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/wiregrass-archives-seeks-writings-on-covid-19-experiences/article_4a30cafc-84e9-588e-b3d8-e1efd5130e81.html.
Peggy Ussery, "Wiregrass Archives wants to document life during COVID-19," Dothan Eagle, March 25, 2020, https://www.dothaneagle.com/lifestyles/local/wiregrass-archives-wants-to-document-life-during-covid-19/article_8d6514ea-6055-5149-bc48-52d442e8535c.html.
"Wiregrass Archives looking to preserve social history of COVID-19," Troy Today, March 27, 2020, https://today.troy.edu/faculty-staff/wiregrass-archives-looking-to-preserve-social-history-of-covid-19/
"Wiregrass Archives looking to preserve social history of COVID-19," WTVY.com, March 28, 2020, https://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Wiregrass-Archives-looking-to-preserve-social-history-of-COVID-19-569189791.html.
To participate in the Project or discuss it or anything concerning the Wiregrass Archives, contact archives director Dr. Marty Olliff at molliff@troy.edu.