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Berea Sound Archives Fellowship Program (2005-2016)

Overview and history of program, list of fellows, topic, and collections used.

Berea College Special Collections and Archives

Media Archives Fellowships 2023 

Invitation

Scholars, educators, and specialists in diverse fields of study are invited to apply for the 2023 Berea College Media Archives Fellowships.

Description

The 2023 Media Archives Fellowship is an outreach program of the Special Collections and Archives (SCA) department of Hutchins Library at Berea College. The program is designed to increase the scholarly use of SCA’s non-commercial audio and video collections.

Within the SCA at Berea College are thousands of audio and video recordings in many formats. These media assets include oral histories, public addresses, music performances, radio broadcasts, and spoken word recordings. The recordings allow a wide range of inquiry from Appalachian religion, linguistics, and traditional folkways to modern environmentalism and social justice issues. Scholars using the Media Archives are also benefited by access to supporting contextual data found in the print, manuscript, archive, and photographic holdings of SCA.

Details

Two fellowships of $1,400 (for a two consecutive week commitment) will be granted in 2023. The monetary stipend is envisioned as partial support for travel and lodging expenses. It is not designed to pay all the researcher’s expenses.

Applications from current Berea College employees and from scholars residing outside of the United States will not be considered in 2023.

Requirements

The successful candidates must make their own travel and lodging arrangements. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination may be required to enter Hutchins Library.

The successful candidates must allow Berea College to publicize the awarding of the fellowship and details about the proposed project. With permission, SCA will post the fellow’s final report, in whole or in part, as documentation of the Media Archives fellowship program.

Even though many of the SCA audio and visual assets are available online, the successful fellow is expected to work in Hutchins Library a minimum of twenty-eight hours per week.

An informal live or virtual presentation on resources utilized and interim findings will be given by the fellows prior to leaving campus. A final written report reflecting on the fellowship experience and project outcomes must be submitted within 60 days after completing the residency.

Timeframe

The 2023 Media Archives Fellowships will take place between July 1 2023 and June 30, 2024.


Deadline for proposals

To be considered, proposals must be received on or by February 2, 2023. The successful candidates will be notified promptly.

How to Apply

There is no standardized application form. Applicants are asked to submit a proposal that includes:

  1. Contact information and notes about the applicant's background and interest in the subject area of the fellowship

  2. A summary of the proposed project and a project title

  3. A project timeline including the proposed residency period

  4. A description of the anticipated use of Berea collections. Please discuss specific collections and their relevance to the project.

  5. Anticipated research outcomes and audiences (e.g., print publication, audio/video documentary, exhibition, public event / performance, teaching, web-based resource, etc.)

  6. Successful applications will demonstrate originality, in-depth use of Berea College SCA resources, and potential to add to existing knowledge of Appalachian individuals, communities, cultures, genres, or practices.

  7. Three letters of recommendation from colleagues familiar with the applicant's work. For graduate and post-graduate degree students, the recommendations must include the professor directing the applicant's research or the department chair.

Proposals or inquiries should be sent to:

Harry Rice    riceh@berea.edu

CPO Lib
Berea College

Berea, KY  40404

Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College only admits academically promising students with limited financial resources—primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia—but welcomes students from 41 states and 76 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges, so students work 10 hours or more weekly to earn money for books, housing and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” speaks to its inclusive Christian character.