Campus and Student Organizations - Getting Your Records to the Archives: Guide

Students are the lifeblood of Berea, but while the Special Collections and Archives has extensive records of administrative and academic departments, student organizations are underrepresented. To ensure that the history of student life, as seen through the eyes of students, is sufficiently documented, student organizations should donate their inactive records to the Archives. These records are essential to fully documenting and understanding Berea because they tell a story of the college that is in a large part missing from its official records.

The Archives will preserve your records and make them accessible to future generations. Your organization’s materials will be housed in acid-free folders and boxes, stored in proper environmental conditions, and made research searchable through the Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog. Once donated, records become property of the Archives and cannot be removed without permission. However, materials are accessible in the Archives reading room located on the first floor of Hutchins Library.

The Archives collects:

• charters, founding documents, and mission statements

• by-laws and constitutions

• histories

• minutes and minute books

• newsletters and reports

• scrapbooks

• memos and correspondence

• event planning files

• certificates of recognition

• publications produced by the student organization

• promotional materials, event posters/flyers, event programs

• photographs of the group, members, meetings, and events

• membership lists and membership registers

• sound recordings or videos of group events

• summary financial data, such as final budget statements or annual financial reports

The above list represents the types of materials the Archives collects. However, your organization is unique and may have other types of records that document who you are and what you do on campus. If you are unsure if something should be sent to the Archives...ASK!

The Archives does not collect the following:

• active records (records still in use or regularly referred to by the organization)

• bank statements and financial papers

• t-shirts, pins, plaques, or other three-dimensional objects

• college-wide memos, announcements, etc., unless they relate directly to the organization or events in which the organization participated or organized

• publications produced by other groups, such as The Pinnacle or The Chimes

If your organization's records fit into the types of material that the Archives collects, please contact us to begin the process of transferring these records. Be sure to contact us before sending records to the Archives - do not send records to us without prior notice.

If you have questions about whether these records belong in the Archives, we are available to consult with you and review your organization’s records.

In addition to consultations, we can provide you with an "Archival Tool Kit" of supplies to help you organize and arrange your materials for transfer to the Archives.

If you are ready to donate materials, would like a consultation, and/or would like to request an Archival Tool Kit of materials, contact Lori Myers-Steele (see Contact Information below) or stop by the Archives in Hutchins Library.

Q. What can be considered correspondence?

A. Letters, postcards, memoranda, notes, e-mail, and any other form of written communication, sent and received.

Q. Who should I contact if I have specific questions or my organization wants more information?

A. Contact Lori Myers-Steele at binkleyt@berea.edu or Ext. 3267 if you have questions or would like to set up a consultation.

Q. What should I do about electronic/digital records? 

A. Given the preponderance of digital information in today’s world, it is important that we collect this information. Therefore, we are interested in acquiring not only your organization’s paper records, but also your digital information. PDFs, word processing files, photographs, sound recordings, and video can all be transferred to the Archives. Contact us for more information. 

For the 2021-2022 academic year please contact Tim Binkley:

binkleyt@berea.edu

859.985.3267

Special Collections and Archives is located on the lower level of Hutchins Library (behind the Writing Center)