Introduction to Project
Founded by Sara, a member of the Hutchins Library student labour team, this is an informal learning resource driven by the contributions of our international students and immigrant communities based within Berea.
The second day after I arrived in the USA, I visited the Berea College Hutchins Library. It was grand, organized and very welcoming. In Ethiopia, a faded yellow color with cracks in the concrete is the image that is painted within my mind when I recall of my first ever memory of a library. I remember the old books within, overused and under maintained.
Even though the library was not the fanciest, it still sparked my love for books. It was a place of refuge for the students that were looking for an escape. The Hutchins Library is grander, but the community spirit is the same. Since my second semester, I’ve proudly been working with the Library Special Collections and Archives.
Walking the library shelves, I’ve increasingly noticed that the books that were in the library were predominantly representative of Eurocentric fields of study. It made me also wonder how empowering it would be to see some representation of where I am from, my home, in the library.
The lens we see the the world through matters, my feelings were further validated by working on the newspapers within the Janis Ian archives. Janis came out publicly in 1992 coinciding with the release of her Breaking Silence album. Two decades prior, her career was almost ruined owing to being outed by Village Voice newspaper, 1975. 
Held in the archives are community LGBTq press advocating for equality from Scotland, Florida, Los Angeles, Netherlands and Ireland, all celebrating Janis Ian. If we receive our information about culture / people from a narrow minded “Village Voice” source, we’re not open to millions of unique perspectives around us.
That is when the idea of starting the International Book project originated, I managed to obtain a school grant to help fund the start of a collection of knowledge, texts and / or books from different countries. These are not random selections but recommendations from immigrants and international students based here in Berea.
The interviewing experience was an insightful and wholesome experience. I noticed there is a lot of emotions, nostalgia and memories tied to the books they wanted to see in the library. Most echoed that the books were part of their childhood, a blueprint to changes made in their lives, a form of remembrance of their loved ones and many more cherished moments. Some texts may help Americans understand the gravity of leaving one’s home and having to adapt to a new way of life.
We envisioned the project to give a form of voice to the international communities on campus, a chance to share stories, cultures, from our homes. These initial recommendations have been acquired for the library available for you to read & enjoy. But this is a continuous effort, we would like the international community to continue to grow this collection, to give us a unique insight into your home.
With this project, we aspire to incorporate and diversity within the repository of knowledge. Education is the way to freedom, and it can be found all around us. It doesn’t need to be marginalized, but rather utilized to gain different perspectives of understanding the world. In addition, the goal of this project is to give students a form of expression and expressing their identity in the college. We aim to acquire more books in the upcoming semesters to further expand the library's reach and enhance its resources.
It is my hope this is an exchange of knowledge that will continue to grow long after I graduate from Berea College, all the best, Sara.
Participate in the international exchange
International students and immigrant communities are invited to participate in the exchanging of knowledge. We would like to learn about your home, perspective and culture. The books, music and knowledge we acquire through your recommendations only helps us understand the world we share and live within.
If you would like to participate in this knowledge exchange, please reach out to Peter via morphewp@berea.edu .