Tours
St. John's Bible Tours
Wednesdays at 3:00 PM by reservation at https://bctrace.com/explore/. Tours may be scheduled at other times by contacting Tim Binkley.
The Saint John’s Bible is a modern masterpiece combining the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination with an ecumenical Christian approach to the Bible rooted in Benedictine spirituality. In our St. John's Bible tours, participants handle, view, and contemplate the sacred texts and artworks within all seven volumes of Berea College's Heritage Edition St. John's Bible.
New Online Resources
Please visit our new Oral History Collections home page. (12/2023)
Southarts: In These Mountains Central Appalachian Arts and Culture
The South Arts In These Mountains collection documents various aspects of folk arts and culture in the central Appalachian counties of Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina through the use of audio / video recording and photography.
Conducted during the period 2019-2021, the interviews document a wide range of artistic expression including pottery, puppetry, hip-hop and rap music, ukulele music, tattoo arts, food preservation, clogging, chair caning, quiltmaking, hair braiding, basketry, preaching, and land use. In addition to the work of individual artists, folk arts education programs are also documented. (12/2023)
Social Media Links
Upcoming Events
November 6, 2025: Berea Folklife / Special Collections and Archives presents sound artist Brian Harnetty. Noon in the Hutchins Library Flex Space.
Research Fellowships and Awards
The Special Collections and Archives Media Archives Fellowship program awards fellowships to one or two researchers annually. Stipends are $1,400 for a one-week study visit. Full details are available on this linked page. UPDATE: The Application Deadline Has Been Extended Until July 15, 2025.
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The Special Collections and Archives Undergraduate Research Awards program recognizes outstanding original papers or projects that make substantive and creative use of SCA's media collections. Winning entries receive $500.
Full details are available on this linked page.
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NEW IN 2025! The bell hooks Papers Residency
NOTE: THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THIS PROGRAM HAS CLOSED.
Special Collections and Archives, in partnership with the bell hooks center, now offers travel stipends to scholars, educators, and practitioners in diverse fields who desire to spend a week on campus studying the bell hooks papers.
Full details are available on this linked page.
Current Exhibitions
bell hooks: global phenomenon. Staff exhibit in the SCA hallway curated by Lizzie Doerr, opened June 2025.
Berea's Early History, 1855-1920, by Alivia J. West, '2023. Student exhibit in the SCA hallway.
