The Tennessee State Library and Archives is offering a behind-the-scenes look at their new facility on the northeast corner of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville this Saturday.
The family-friendly Second Saturday tours will be led by Clayton Altom, Director of Tennessee Library for Accessible Books and Gordon Belt, Director of Public Services.
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.
During each Second Saturday 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.
"If you haven't visited the Library & Archives, I encourage you to bring a friend and join us this Saturday for our free Second Saturday event," said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "Anyone interested in Tennessee history and culture would enjoy exploring this incredible resource 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The Library & Archives is home to many irreplaceable historical documents, including Tennessee's three Constitutions, letters from Tennessee's three presidents, records from 55 former Tennessee governors, the archives of state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.
"Our team at the Library & Archives is passionate about preserving Tennessee's history and making it accessible to current and future generations," said Jamie Ritter, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist. "Our Second Saturday tours allow us to share our collections and show guests the latest technologies we use."
The 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 The lobby, featuring interactive exhibits highlighting the state's most precious historical documents, is open to the public Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.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.