Tennessee State Library and Archives
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Tennessee State Library and Archives
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| Location | 403 7th Ave. N., Nashville, Tennessee |
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| Coordinates | 36°9′56″N 86°47′7″W / 36.16556°N 86.78528°WCoordinates: 36°9′56″N 86°47′7″W / 36.16556°N 86.78528°W |
| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1953 |
| Architect | Parrent, H. Clinton, Jr.; Rock City Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 03001154 |
| Added to NRHP | November 17, 2003 |
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.
The state library's original home (after a short stint in the Davidson County 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.
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 audio, 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.
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