By: Maddie Schmidt
In the basement of McKee Library, tucked away from the view of most visitors, worn books and faded paper line the shelves, preserving works from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. Commonly referred to as “the vault,” the area is more accurately an archive spread across a few rooms that holds many important historical documents, posters, books, postcards and other written materials from Southern’s history.
Bethany Howard, public services librarian at McKee Library, explained that one of the goals of the vault is to preserve the historical books and documents that are relevant to the history of Southern and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. These documents include archived issues of the Southern Accent, Columns and Legacy publications, with the latest document going back to 1902.
Much of the collection in the vault focuses on the 19th century, the period when a group of Millerites founded Adventism. It includes many historical documents and books from the early Seventh-day Adventist Church that give context to its emergence in relation to society and other historical events occurring at the time, such as the Civil War.
“It’s important to remember our past, whether it was good or bad, so that we don’t repeat our mistakes in the future,” said Howard.
Howard shared that one of her favorite items from the vault is a check signed by Abraham Lincoln, which is displayed alongside other memorabilia related to Lincoln in an exhibit on the main floor of the library.
Several exhibits in various parts of the library showcase items from the archives. Some are on permanent display, while others are rotated in and out regularly.
Many of the items are accessible on the third floor of the library in the Center for the Study of 19th-Century America. These resources are useful for students conducting research, especially history majors who use the center to research their individual projects.
Aly Lopes, senior history major, said that she and all of her classmates were recently given a tour of the vault by Howard, who encouraged them to use the vault resources for their capstone projects.
“There’s an extremely old, massive Bible in there [and a newspaper] from the Civil War written on flower wallpaper due to the lack of regular paper,” stated Lopes in an email to the Accent. “There’s some fascinating stuff, even for those who are just curious.”
According to Howard, these historical documents and items are acquired in one of two ways. Sometimes, university donors will bring in collections that they would like to see added to the vault. Other times, the library will purchase items from well-established organizations to add to the collection.
Many collections that are stored in the archives have also been digitized, so students and researchers have easier access to them. According to Howard, the library is working to digitize more of their collection to keep their fragile items in the best condition possible. Items that are not accessible on Southern’s website, however, are still available to use for research purposes. Those who are interested can fill out an online form to request access to these items.
According to Stan Cottrell, technical services librarian for McKee Library, it is important to have access to these materials and to prioritize growing the physical collection that makes up the vault. Cottrell said that in a world where technology is evolving at a rapid pace, it is easy to lose these historical items. He believes that if societies rely on technology to preserve history, it could all be lost eventually.
“We now are the most documented era,” said Cottrell, “but in the future, we could be the least documented era ever.”
Lopes stated that not only is it crucial to keep track of these historical documents, but it is also important to recognize the value of them. Having these resources at their disposal gives students the opportunity to connect with the history of Southern and Adventism as a whole.
“Having these materials provides a direct link to the past, Adventist and otherwise, for students, faculty and the university itself,” Lopes stated. “It is necessary to understand our roots before moving forward successfully, and our archives hold pieces of those roots right here on campus.”
