Hutchins Library
Special Collection & Archives
CPO LIB
859-985-3262
Contact:
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One of the most heavily used collections in the archives is the Vertical Files
Collection. This important adjunct collection parallels the three-division organization
of Southern Appalachian Archives, Berea College Archives, and Historical Collections.
It consists of extensive files of clippings and ephemera relating to Appalachian,
College, and City of Berea topics. The department searches nine regional papers
for pertinent articles on these subjects. The articles are marked, clipped, dated,
categorized, and filed, along with appropriate pamphlet and brochure material.
Since 1975, 124,037 such items have been filed. The Appalachian component documents
hundreds of topics and consists of 112 linear feet of material (30 linear feet
alone are devoted to coal and mining subjects). Appalachian scholars have praised
the library's efforts in maintaining these files. Berea College students, however,
are the greatest of users of the vertical files collection, not only for topics
in Appalachian history but college history as well. The local newspapers also
find them a quick reference source for many topics relating to Berea city history.
Because these primary source materials are not indexed by the usual reference
tools, they are identified, collected, and made available to researchers by the
Special Collections staff. Often to the delight of researchers, access to these
vertical files provides the only information available on their topics. |
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