As a student at UC Berkeley, Helen Kirkby was no stranger to the libraries.
Kirkby, who studied political science and history, remembers digging through the Free Speech Movement papers for a research project, poring over old newspaper articles on a microfiche reader, and studying medieval manuscripts from The Bancroft Library.
Morrison Library, tucked within Doe, was her “hidden gem” — a favorite place to visit between classes or catch up on work.
Trier Mortlock used the libraries in a slightly different way.
“If I’m being honest, when I came to the library, it was mostly an excuse to spend time with Helen,” said Mortlock, who studied mechanical engineering.
Kirkby and Mortlock’s love story unfolded as undergrads, having met at Crossroads dining hall during their first year.
After graduating from Cal in 2018, Kirkby and Mortlock moved to Southern California. But when it came time to plan a marriage proposal, Mortlock knew it had to be in Berkeley.
“I always knew Morrison Library was Helen’s favorite spot on campus,” Mortlock said.
In November, Mortlock and Kirkby were visiting Berkeley for the weekend “under the not-so-subtle guise of celebrating our anniversary,” Mortlock said. For the occasion, Mortlock created a book for every year of their relationship. He had planned to present each book — filled with stories and photographs — to Kirkby in the library. The last book held the message: “Will you marry me?”
“I got too excited about asking the question, so I may have skipped a couple books,” Mortlock said. (She said yes.)
As a final surprise, Mortlock flew in their family and friends to celebrate.
“The proposal was perfect!” Kirkby said. “I had my suspicions that it was coming, but was blown away by all the thoughtful details he put into the weekend.”
Kirkby had already cherished Morrison Library, but now the library will “forever be an extra special place for both of us on campus,” she said.
The couple recently moved back to the Bay Area. Mortlock finished his Ph.D. last year and now works as a research scientist at a national laboratory. Kirkby is a public defender in Santa Clara County. Although Kirkby went to Stanford for law school, the couple still roots for Cal in the Big Game.
For Kirkby and Mortlock, Morrison was the perfect place for this memorable milestone in their storybook romance — and the beginning of a new chapter in their Cal love story.
“We feel so lucky to have found each other at Berkeley and to be each other’s forever ‘Calentines,’” Mortlock said.