Bella Patton, Campus Carrier features editor

Ava Jarrell, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

In the Berry Schools’ 124-year history, many memorable people, places and events have shaped campus culture. With such a long history, thousands of artifacts spanning 12 decades have been found and organized to preserve and protect Berry’s rich past. This often challenging process of artifact decoding and organizing is completed by the staff and students working in the Berry Archives.

Michael O’Malley, Berry’s archivist, described the history of the Archives. He said that the Berry Archives were established in 1986 as a result of Berry faculty and staff wanting to find and process Martha Berry’s correspondence. Much of this correspondence was with the people that funded the Berry Schools and, later, its expansion into the 27,000 acres of today. 

“What eventually became the Archives was initially done in the Ladd Center by an archivist and a couple of staff,” O’Malley said. “The next year, in 1987, the library underwent renovation and built the archives section we are seated in today.” 

O’Malley also mentioned that before the Archives were officially established at Berry, groups were created throughout the years to process and organize artifacts. One of these groups, the Daughters of Berry, worked to preserve the history of the Berry schools before the archives were formally created. 

The archivists and student workers at the Berry Archives often work on different exhibitions and publications about significant moments or milestones in Berry’s history. O’Malley mentioned the “Martha Berry and Her Gardens” exhibit, located in glass cabinets inside the lobby of the Archives, and the publication “Beneath the Chapel Lawn.”

“Working with alumni to create the publication ‘Beneath the Chapel Lawn’ caused awareness of the history of Mount Berry Chapel and made history come alive,” O’Malley said. 

The archives workers help people both in and outside  of the Berry community look for details about different events, people or moments in Berry’s journey. O’Malley said the process normally begins with researchers making appointments or walking into the Archives, which allows time for the archivists to gather materials pertaining to what they are looking for. Then, the researcher registers and the archivist provides materials. 

O’Malley mentioned that some materials can be scanned for later digital use and that researchers can take non-flash photos. Records management and the Archives have also been working on digitizing artifacts since the early 2000’s. However, O’Malley noted that materials cannot be checked out, as the risk of damage or displacement is too high. 

O’Malley also said that some aspects of working in the Archives can be challenging. Working through handwritten messages, for example, is especially difficult due to handwriting sometimes being messy and hard to decipher. Additionally, some pages in handwritten letters are found completely out of order, adding to the challenge. However, O’Malley said that working in the Archives is also rewarding. 

“Working with unique, rich traditions, providing materials and making connections through history are all rewarding,” said O’Malley. “Also, the moment when someone finds just what they’re looking for or makes a connection — the ‘eureka!’ moment — is great.” 

Many professors at Berry also take the opportunity to use the Archives in their classes. Virginia Troy, a Berry professor of art history, described the importance of physical archives in her field. 

“The library has been very important to my work.” Troy said, “I’ve always worked in archives.”

In her class on historic preservation, Troy has integrated the Berry Archives into her curriculum. During the semester, her students each choose one building on campus to research and create a report highlighting the history, architectural significance and current condition of the building, as well as preservation suggestions. With artifacts spanning Berry’s 124-year history, students get a unique change of pace from helpful but often disconnected digital resources in    their research.

“We go to the archives early in the semester so they can use it, then they go back on their own later,” Troy explained. “It’s really helpful. With photos, letters and blueprints, it’s very well-organized, quiet and the materials are readily accessible.”

Troy noted that while the primary analogue resources in the archives are an improvement from the information found using artificial intelligence, students often still take pictures using their phones. She expressed the importance of handwriting and physical media in the digital age. 

Overall, the archives are a place where students, faculty, alumni and the broader community can come together and find pieces of Berry’s history that would not be otherwise publicized. 

“We learn from history, and history shapes our culture,” O’Malley said. “Berry’s unique and rich history becomes a feature of the college, and the archives help with the Berry brand. The Archives is a place to learn about all things Berry; traditions, people and community. It’s a focal point.”