Archives West Finding Aid

In 2000 the Lewis & Clark College Special Collections department began curating exhibits in the Aubrey R. Watzek Library. In addition to curating the exhibits, Special Collections began issuing promotional and explanatory materials including brochures, catalogs, and flyers to support the exhibits. In 2005 the Special Collection initiated a Watzek Library Poetry Reading series. To support these reading the Special Collections designed and printed poetry broadsides for each reader. It was at this time that the department adopted the name Berberis Press as its imprint. The term Berberis is the genus name for the Oregon Grape, which was chosen to represent the intellectual endeavors of the Special Collections because of its close association with the Lewis and Clark Expedition in Oregon. The third aspect of the publishing program featured in this collection are works of scholarship produced by Special Collections and Watzek Library Staff. Not all of these works were published by the Special Collections, but all serve as key works relating to the collections. The bulk of the publications issued by Special Collections were the products of the co-operative work of the Special Collections staff Doug Erickson, Paul Merchant, Jeremy Skinner, and Library Director, James J. Kopp.