Dorothy Judith Berry

I currently serve as the Digital Curator for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. I graduated from the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology with an MA and the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University, with an MLS. In 2020-2021, I was honored with Library Journal’s “Movers and Shakers” award, and the Society of American Archivists’ Mark A. Greene Emerging Leader award.

My work has focused on the intersections of information discovery and African American history, ranging from newspaper database research on the earliest mentions of African American concert music performances, to inventory design for the cosmetic kit of Hollywood's first Black woman makeup artist, to exhibit curation highlighting transatlantic art inspired by African American film.

Cultural heritage materials open the door to history in visceral and unfettered ways. I am committed to a career of expanding access to those materials through creative and innovative ways focusing on digital and physical methodologies that unite stakeholder communities with their often displaced heritages.