NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee State Library & Archives is excited to welcome guests to explore their new facility with the launch of Second Saturday Tours beginning Saturday, July 10. The new building is located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N. on the northeast corner of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville.

Second Saturdays at the Library & Archives will feature guided tours of the new building on the second Saturday of each month through October. Tours begin every hour, on the hour, starting at 10 a.m. with the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. This event is free to the public. Reservations are not required.

“With the Second Saturday tours, we hope to introduce more Tennesseans to the Library & Archives and show them what an incredible resource it is for our great state,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I encourage anyone interested in Tennessee history and culture to take advantage of this free, family-friendly event.”

Visitors to the Library & Archives can experience Tennessee’s story through interactive exhibits highlighting the state’s most precious historical documents. The exhibit lobby is open to the public Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. The library, microfilm and manuscripts reading rooms are open for research Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.

"Our staff is excited to show off this beautiful new state-of-the-art facility. It is especially rewarding to demonstrate the new technologies that make it easier for visitors to access and interact with the resources in our extensive collection,” said Chuck Sherrill, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist.

The Library & Archives, a division of the Department of State, collects and preserves books, records and other documents of historical and reference value, focusing on items about Tennessee and Tennesseans.

To preserve Tennessee's history for current and future generations, the Library & Archives houses the archives of state government, documents and recordings from legislative proceedings, records from every Tennessee courthouse, copies of all surviving Tennessee newspapers and records from families, businesses, religious and civic organizations.

The Library & Archives is home to many irreplaceable historical documents, including Tennessee's Constitutions, letters from Tennessee's three presidents, Civil War diaries, records from 55 former Tennessee governors, maps, photographs and original records of the State of Franklin.

For the latest information from the Library and Archives, follow their social media channels: Facebook: Tennessee State Library and Archives and Instagram: @tnlibarchives and the Secretary of State's Twitter account: @SecTreHargett.

For more information about the Library and Archives or Second Saturdays call 615-741-2764, email ask@tsla.libanswers.com or visit sos.tn.gov/tsla/plan-your-visit.