Tennessee State Library & Archives TSLA

Overview

The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) is the official state library and archives of Tennessee, a unit of the Tennessee Department of State administered under the Office of the Secretary of State. Founded in 1854, TSLA is one of a small number of U.S. states where the library and archives functions are jointly administered. Its mission is to collect and preserve books and records of historical, documentary, and reference value and to encourage library development throughout the state.

History and Founding

The Tennessee State Library was founded in 1854 through the efforts of its first state librarian, Return Jonathan Meigs, who had previously served as librarian of the Tennessee Historical Society. Early collections focused on acquiring rare books; Meigs also developed the library's first classification system. In the early twentieth century, the Tennessee State Archives—previously existing more as a concept than an institution—received legislative attention and funding. In 1919, Tennessee's General Assembly merged the Department of Archives and History with the State Library to create the TSLA, with John Trotwood Moore as the first State Librarian and Archivist. A purpose-built Library and Archives Building opened in 1953, designed by H. Clinton Parrent Jr. and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. A new, larger facility at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North opened following legislative approval in 2017.

Collections and Holdings

TSLA holds nearly 700,000 print volumes, over a million photographic images, thousands of vertical files, and extensive microfilm, audio recordings, and legislative audiocassettes. Archival and manuscript collections contain 27 million official records and 4.8 million manuscripts occupying some 31,000 cubic feet of space, dating from pre-statehood days to the present. Notable holdings include Tennessee's Constitutions, letters from Tennessee's three U.S. presidents (Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson), Civil War diaries, records of 55 former governors, original records of the State of Franklin, and virtually every book published about Tennessee. TSLA also holds the most comprehensive collection of Tennessee newspapers in existence, dating to 1791. Official records from every Tennessee courthouse are available, as are audio recordings of legislative proceedings since 1955.

Digital Resources

The Digital Tennessee platform (digitaltennessee.tnsos.gov) provides access to state government publications, newspapers, online exhibitions, and educational resources. TSLA also partners with Ancestry.com to provide online access to vital records, land grants, tax lists, and other genealogical materials.

Access and Hours

Library, microfilm, and manuscript reading rooms are open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. The TSLA also operates the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LABM), providing audio, braille, and large-print materials delivered by mail.