Tennessee State Library and Archives
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), established in 1854, currently operates as a unit of the Tennessee Department of State. According to the Tennessee Blue Book, the Library
and Archives "collects and preserves books and records of historical, documentary and reference value, and encourages and promotes library
development throughout the state." This mandate can be found in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10, Chapters 1-8.
Although most states operate their libraries and archives as separate agencies, Tennessee
is one of a handful of states whose library and archives are administered jointly.
courthouse) was in the capitol building, while the archives were formerly housed in the basement of the state's War Memorial Building.
The current Library and Archives Building, designed by H. Clinton Parrent, Jr. and opened in 1953, sits across the street from the Tennessee State Capitol
in downtown Nashville
. Built as a memorial to all veterans of World War II
, the Library and Archives building was constructed at a cost of $2,300,000.
Tennessee's General Assembly joined the Department of Archives and History with the State Library in 1919 to create the State Library and Archives.
, braille
and large print formats, as well as players for the audio books. The LBPH's collections are loaned to Tennesseans who have physical disabilities which prevent them from using standard print. The materials are delivered to the individual patron's home address utilizing the U.S. Postal Service's "Free Matter" mailing privilege.
Disabilities which make a Tennessee resident eligible to use the service are: blindness
; visual disability
; manual dexterity problems, which prevent holding a book and/or turning pages; and reading disabilities
.
The Tennessee LBPH is a cooperating library with the National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped/Library of Congress
.
TSLA holds the most comprehensive collection of Tennessee newspaper
s, which dates to 1791.
. The new building, to be designed by Tuck-Hinton Architects, will be one of several cultural institutions flanking the Bicentennial Mall, including the Tennessee State Museum
and the Museum of African-American History and Culture.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and Archives "collects and preserves books and records of historical, documentary and reference value, and encourages and promotes library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
development throughout the state." This mandate can be found in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10, Chapters 1-8.
Although most states operate their libraries and archives as separate agencies, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
is one of a handful of states whose library and archives are administered jointly.
History
The state library's original home (after a short stint in the Davidson CountyDavidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
courthouse) was in the capitol building, while the archives were formerly housed in the basement of the state's War Memorial Building.
The current Library and Archives Building, designed by H. Clinton Parrent, Jr. and opened in 1953, sits across the street from the Tennessee State Capitol
Tennessee State Capitol
The Tennessee State Capitol, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is the home of the Tennessee legislature, the location of the governor's office, and a National Historic Landmark. Designed by architect William Strickland, it is one of Nashville's most prominent examples of Greek Revival architecture...
in downtown Nashville
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...
. Built as a memorial to all veterans of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Library and Archives building was constructed at a cost of $2,300,000.
Tennessee's General Assembly joined the Department of Archives and History with the State Library in 1919 to create the State Library and Archives.
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH)
In 1970, a new division of TSLA, the Tennessee Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped (LBPH) was established. This division's collections consist of public library type books and magazines in audioAudio file format
An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a computer system. This data can be stored uncompressed, or compressed to reduce the file size. It can be a raw bitstream, but it is usually a container format or an audio data format with defined storage layer.-Types of...
, braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
and large print formats, as well as players for the audio books. The LBPH's collections are loaned to Tennesseans who have physical disabilities which prevent them from using standard print. The materials are delivered to the individual patron's home address utilizing the U.S. Postal Service's "Free Matter" mailing privilege.
Disabilities which make a Tennessee resident eligible to use the service are: blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
; visual disability
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
; manual dexterity problems, which prevent holding a book and/or turning pages; and reading disabilities
Reading disability
A reading disability is a condition in which a sufferer displays difficulty reading resulting primarily from neurological factors. Developmental Dyslexia, Alexia , and Hyperlexia.-Definition:...
.
The Tennessee LBPH is a cooperating library with the National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped/Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
Holdings and collection highlights
The Tennessee State Library and Archives currently holds nearly 700,000 print volumes, over a million photographic images, thousands of vertical files, microfilm reels, and legislative audiocassettes. Archives and manuscripts collections are housed in nearly 40000 feet (12,192 m) of storage. The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped holds approximately 240,000 items.TSLA holds the most comprehensive collection of Tennessee newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, which dates to 1791.
Future planning
Plans are currently underway for the Library and Archives to relocate to a new building adjacent to Nashville's Bicentennial Mall State ParkBicentennial Mall State Park
Bicentennial Mall State Park is an urban state park located in the shadow of the State Capitol in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.The 19 acre park, designed to complement the Tennessee Capitol Building, gives visitors a taste of Tennessee's history and natural wonder...
. The new building, to be designed by Tuck-Hinton Architects, will be one of several cultural institutions flanking the Bicentennial Mall, including the Tennessee State Museum
Tennessee State Museum
Tennessee State Museum is a large museum in Nashville depicting the history of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Starting from pre-colonization and going all the way to the 20th century, the museum describes the American Civil War, the Frontier, and the Age of Jackson. The museum includes an area of...
and the Museum of African-American History and Culture.
Tennessee State Librarians and Archivists, 1854 to the Present
- W.B.A. Ramsey, ex-officio librarian (1854–1855)
- F.N.W. Burton, ex-officio librarian (1855–1856)
- R.J. Meigs, State Librarian (1856–1861)
- John E. Hatcher, State Librarian (1861)
- Augustin Gattinger, State Librarian (1864–1869)
- W.H. Wharton, State Librarian (1869–1871)
- Mrs. Paralee Haskell, State Librarian (1871–1879)
- Mrs. Robert Hatton, State Librarian (1879–1887)
- Mrs. Sue P. Lowe, State Librarian (1887–1891)
- Mrs. Linnie Williams, State Librarian (1891–1895)
- Mrs. Irene Ingram, State Librarian (1895–1897)
- Miss Pauline Jones, State Librarian (1897–1899)
- Miss Jennie E. Lauderdale, State Librarian (1899–1901)
- Mrs. Lulu B. Epperson, State Librarian (1901–1903)
- Miss Mary Skeffington, State Librarian (1903–1919)
- John Trotwood Moore, State Librarian and Archivist (1919–1929)
- Mary Brown Daniel Moore, State Librarian and Archivist (1929–1949)
- Daniel M. Robison, State Librarian (1949–1961)
- William T. Alderson, Jr., State Librarian (1961–1964)
- Sam B. Smith, State Librarian and Archivist (1964–1969)
- Wilmon H. Droze, State Librarian and Archivist (1969–1972)
- Katheryn Culbertson, State Librarian and Archivist (1972–1982)
- Olivia K. Young, State Librarian and Archivist (1982–1985)
- Robert B. Croneberger, State Librarian and Archivist (1985–1986)
- Edwin S. Gleaves, State Librarian and Archivist (1987–2005)
- Jeanne Sugg, State Librarian and Archivist (2005–2010)
- Charles Sherrill, State Librarian and Archivist (2010-current)
External links
- Tennessee State Library and Archives Official Site
- Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) (highlights from the collections of TSLA)
- TSLA Online Catalog
- Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
- Tennessee State Library and Archives Exhibit on Women's Suffrage
- Tennessee State Library and Archives at FamilySearch Research Wiki for genealogists