NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The popular Second Saturday tours of the new Tennessee State Library & Archives on the northeast corner of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville are back this Saturday, Sept. 11.
Second Saturday guided tours begin every hour, on the hour, starting at 10 a.m. with the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. This family-friendly event is free to the public. Reservations are not required.
During the tour, guests will have the opportunity to explore the Library & Archives' exhibits, see the state-of-the-art equipment in the new conservation lab, walk through the grand reading room and see the high-tech Automated Storage and Retrieval System in action.
"We are excited that so many Tennesseans have joined us for our first two Second Saturday events," said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "If you haven't toured the new Library & Archives, I encourage you to come out this Saturday to see for yourself what an incredible resource it is for our great state."
The Library & Archives, a division of the Department of State, collects and preserves books, journals, maps, photographs, records and other documents of historical and reference value, focusing on items about Tennessee and Tennesseans.
The Library & Archives is home to many irreplaceable historical documents, including Tennessee's three Constitutions, letters from Tennessee's three presidents, records from 55 former Tennessee governors, the archives of state government, records from every Tennessee courthouse and the original records of the State of Franklin.
The Library & Archives' wide-ranging collections include more than a million photographs, 5,000 maps, 360,000 books and journals, the state's largest collection of microfilm negatives and the most comprehensive collection of Tennessee newspapers, the earliest of which date back to 1791.
"With the Second Saturday tours, our staff give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at our collections and the new technologies we are using to preserve our state's history for current and future generations," said Chuck Sherrill, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist.
The new Library & Archives is located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N., in Nashville. The lobby, featuring interactive exhibits highlighting the state's most precious historical documents, is open to the public Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.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.
For the latest information from the Library & 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 & Archives or Second Saturdays, call 615-741-2764, email ask@tsla.libanswers.com or visit sos.tn.gov/tsla/plan-your-visit.