Executive

Over a five-year period, World War I ravaged Europe, the Middle East and parts of North Africa, overturning governments and costing millions of lives. The United States joined the battle in 1917, eventually mobilizing more than 4 million soldiers and countless civilians who provided support for the war effort on the home front.

Connecting families with records that tie them together is often a barrier in African-American research. On Feb. 17, the Tennessee State Library and Archives will host a free workshop on African-American genealogy. Patrons will watch Discovering the Missing Threads and Patches in my Family’s History: A Pre-recorded Webinar and Discussion featuring Deborah Abbott, Ph.D. Abbott is a professional genealogist who specializes in advanced African-American research, manuscript collections and genealogy methodology. She has also been highlighted on various projects with Ancestry.com.

The 2017-2018 edition of the Tennessee Blue Book is dedicated to Governor Bill Haslam. Gov. Haslam, a native Knoxvillian, was elected as Tennessee’s 49th governor in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 with the largest victory in modern Tennessee history. Major accomplishments from his two terms include tremendous strides in higher education and economic development as well as a historically low unemployment rate.

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office is pleased to announce the winners of its 2017 civics essay contest, an annual initiative created to encourage students to be actively engaged citizens. Students were asked to write about citizenship with length requirements varying by grade level. Winners will receive a TNStars 529 College Savings Program scholarship and a trip to the State Capitol this spring. First place winners receive a $500 scholarship, with second and third place winners receiving $250 and $100 respectively.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist Chuck Sherrill and other state leaders officially broke ground on the new home of the Tennessee State Library and Archives Monday.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is proud to recognize 11 new graduates of the Tennessee Archives Institute. The archives development program annually hosts this two-and-a-half day series of workshops on the principles and practices of archival management and records preservation. In order to graduate from the program with a certificate of archival management, archivists must complete three years of training. The institute provides participants with opportunities to interact and exchange ideas with other archivists and records keepers from across the state.

Six years of year-over-year growth coupled with historically low unemployment rates indicate Tennessee’s economy won’t slow down anytime soon, according to a report released by the Secretary of State's office. There were 9,326 new entity filings in the third quarter of 2017, representing a 4.8 percent increase compared to the same time last year. Initial filings have had positive year-over-year growth for 24 consecutive quarters. Domestic limited liability corporations (LLCs), which are up 12.4 percent this quarter, account for more than half of all new entity filings.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery, III and law enforcement partners in 24 states announced a settlement with VietNow National Headquarters, Inc., an Illinois nonprofit corporation, resulting in the organization’s termination.

Thanksgiving is a time when many of us reconnect with family members and share stories. At the Tennessee State Library and Archives, families can also explore stories of their relatives who lived generations ago. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the staff at the Library and Archives is encouraging Tennesseans to visit the library and celebrate “Family History Day” by learning more about genealogical research.

The Linebaugh Public Library System is receiving a $100,000 Library Construction Grant from the Tennessee State Library and Archives to create a new Technology Engagement Center, the first of its kind in the state of Tennessee. The $2.2 million addition will be located on the grounds of Hobgood Elementary School with easy mass transit access.