Nashville Public Library
Encyclopedia
Nashville Public Library is the public library
serving Nashville, Tennessee
and the metropolitan area of Davidson County
. In 2010, the Nashville Public Library was the recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
authorized cities of a certain size to establish and maintain free public libraries and reading rooms. With this authority, in 1901, the Howard Library became Nashville’s first free circulating library. Also in 1901, Andrew Carnegie
offered to donate $100,000 for a new library building if the city would take care of its maintenance. The city accepted those terms and, in 1904, the Carnegie Library
Building was completed on Polk Avenue. Andrew Carnegie enabled the building and opening of an additional three branches between 1912 and 1919. Two of those buildings are still in use today at the North Branch and the East Branch.
The Carnegie Library Building was razed and replaced with the Ben West Public Library in 1963. The Main Library was housed in the Ben West
building for 38 years.
In 2001 the new Main Library Building, designed by Robert A. M. Stern
was opened.
The library offers digital collections, e-book and audiobook downloads, language learning services, and computer classes. There are a variety of book clubs hosted throughout the library system.
In 2010, the Nashville Public Library began partnering with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
to offer the students access to the public library materials. Called "Limitless Libraries," this program offers access to approximately 1.5 million information resources.
The Main Library's Special Collections Division contains several archival and oral history collections highlighting Nashville history. Among them, the Civil Rights Room, documenting the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) in Nashville, and an oral history collection documenting the 2010 Tennessee floods
in Nashville.
The Nashville Public Library Foundation is a non-profit founded in 1997 to raise funds for the Nashville Public Library. Depending on private donors, the Nashville Public Library Foundation offers funds for various programs, services, and building improvements in the library system. These include funding of the Bringing Books to Life pre-school literacy program, the Special Collections' Civil Rights Room, and $5 Million dollars in collection development funds.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
serving Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and the metropolitan area of Davidson County
Davidson County
Davidson County is the name of two counties in the United States:* Davidson County, North Carolina* Davidson County, Tennessee...
. In 2010, the Nashville Public Library was the recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
History
A succession of public libraries, known by a variety of names, served the people of Nashville. The early libraries were generally small, offered a narrow range of services, and operated on a fee schedule. In 1897 that the Tennessee General AssemblyTennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
authorized cities of a certain size to establish and maintain free public libraries and reading rooms. With this authority, in 1901, the Howard Library became Nashville’s first free circulating library. Also in 1901, Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
offered to donate $100,000 for a new library building if the city would take care of its maintenance. The city accepted those terms and, in 1904, the Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
Building was completed on Polk Avenue. Andrew Carnegie enabled the building and opening of an additional three branches between 1912 and 1919. Two of those buildings are still in use today at the North Branch and the East Branch.
The Carnegie Library Building was razed and replaced with the Ben West Public Library in 1963. The Main Library was housed in the Ben West
Ben West
Raphael Benjamin West was mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1951-1963. West was born on March 31, 1911, in Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee the son of Martha Melissa and her husband James Watt West....
building for 38 years.
In 2001 the new Main Library Building, designed by Robert A. M. Stern
Robert A. M. Stern
Robert Arthur Morton Stern, usually credited as Robert A. M. Stern, is an American architect and Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture....
was opened.
Branches
There are 20 library branches in the Nashville Public Library system. They are:- Bellevue Branch Library
- Bordeaux Branch Library
- Donelson Branch Library
- East Branch Library
- Edgehill Branch Library
- Edmondson Pike Branch Library
- Goodlettsville Branch Library
- Green Hills Branch Library
- Hadley Park Branch Library
- Hermitage Branch Library
- Inglewood Branch Library
- Looby Branch Library
- Madison Branch Library
- North Branch Library
- Old Hickory Branch Library
- Pruitt Branch Library
- Richland Park Branch Library
- Southeast Branch Library
- Thompson Lane Branch Library
- Watkins Park Branch Library
Programs and Services
The Nashville Public Library features a variety of public programming. The library offers a puppet shows in the Main Library as well as in the community.The library offers digital collections, e-book and audiobook downloads, language learning services, and computer classes. There are a variety of book clubs hosted throughout the library system.
In 2010, the Nashville Public Library began partnering with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, or MNPS, is a school district that serves the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Over 74,000 students are currently enrolled in the district's 71 elementary schools, 36 middle schools and 15 high schools.- Demographics :...
to offer the students access to the public library materials. Called "Limitless Libraries," this program offers access to approximately 1.5 million information resources.
The Main Library's Special Collections Division contains several archival and oral history collections highlighting Nashville history. Among them, the Civil Rights Room, documenting the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) in Nashville, and an oral history collection documenting the 2010 Tennessee floods
2010 Tennessee floods
The May 2010 Tennessee floods were 1000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, south-central and western Kentucky and northern Mississippi as the result of torrential rains on May 1 and 2, 2010...
in Nashville.
Friends of the Library and Library Foundation
Friends of the Nashville Public Library is a non-profit that offers memberships and supports the library through book sales. The Friends of the Nashville Public Library offer support for the summer reading program as well other programs and collection development.The Nashville Public Library Foundation is a non-profit founded in 1997 to raise funds for the Nashville Public Library. Depending on private donors, the Nashville Public Library Foundation offers funds for various programs, services, and building improvements in the library system. These include funding of the Bringing Books to Life pre-school literacy program, the Special Collections' Civil Rights Room, and $5 Million dollars in collection development funds.