[1] Established in 2000 by the University of Georgia Libraries’ Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Hall of Fame existed as a virtual presence until 2012, when it was given a physical space within the university's Richard B. Russell Building.
[2] The Georgia Writers Hall of Fame accepts public nominations.
[3] New inductees are elected by a board of judges convened by the University of Georgia librarian.
Writers are eligible for nomination if they were born in Georgia or if they produced an important work while living in the state.
[4] It was hoped by the University of Georgia Libraries that the program "would attract donors by bringing living authors to campus and celebrating those of the past; also the ceremony and exhibits, ideally growing each year, could draw in funds for the Libraries' much-needed new buildings and its endowments, along with opening up possibilities for cultural programs and attracting additional writers (or their estates) who might choose to house their archives."