Nashville Public Library history

In 1897, the Tennessee General Assembly authorized cities of a certain size to establish and maintain free public libraries and reading rooms.

Nashville's first public library was the Howard Library, established in 1898.

By 1899, the Howard Library was circulating books, but borrowing was not free, like it is today.

With this authority, in 1901 the Howard Library became Nashville’s first free circulating library.

1904 - Carnegie Library of Nashville opens to the public at 225 Polk Ave. on September 19.

1905 - Children's Story Hour begins.

One of our most prized possessions at the Metro Archives is a rare cookbook compiled for the first Tennessee State Fair, held in Nashville at the fairgrounds in 1906.

1914 - South Branch Library was opened in the old Montgomery Bell Academy Building at South Park.

1915 - North Branch Library opens at the southwest corner of Monroe Street and 10th Avenue.

1916 - Negro Branch Library opens at 12th and Hines Avenue.

And though the Nashville Chapter received their official charter in 1917, their relief work for local troops and citizens began long before then.

1919 - East Nashville Branch opens at the junction of Main and 11th Streets.

The first school to train dogs to be service animals for the assistance of the blind opened in Nashville on January 29th, 1929, as "The Seeing Eye."

1931 - Business Branch of library established in old Chamber of Commerce Building.

1938 - Tom Tichenor's first marionette show Puss in Boots premiers on November 19.

1941 - State Library Project furnishes a bookmobile which makes weekly demonstration rounds through Davidson County.

1947 - Bookmobile service starts and Young Moderns Department for teen-agers opens.

1948 - Music Department established.

1949 - Library begins lending 16mm films on July 23.

1950 - Nashville Public Library begins free service to county patrons, who had previously paid $2 for a book card.

1951 - Library begins lending fine art prints.

1952 - A new branch building is constructed at the entrance of Hadley Park and is named the Hadley Park branch.

1953 - Business Information Service begins.

1958 - Business Branch created in the new Chamber of Commerce Building.

1959 - Nashville Public Library formally turned over to the city.

1961 - On September 16, City Council approves building of new Main library and five new branches at a cost of $2.5 million.

1962 - WPLN’s first broadcast airs on December 16.

The Carnegie Library Building was razed and replaced with the Ben West Public Library in 1963.

1964 - Two lots purchased for the construction of two additional branch buildings; one on Lebanon Road in Donelson and one at 12th Avenue South and Horton Street.

1965 - Thompson Lane Branch opens, bringing the number of branch libraries to seven.

1966 - Donelson Branch opens.

1968 - Edgehill Branch opens.

1969 - Green Hills and Inglewood Branches open.

1976 - Looby and Bordeaux Branches open.

1977 - On June 5, Main Library named for Ben West.

1984 - Bellevue Branch opens.

1986 - Metro Archives opens.

Prior to her 1991 historic election to the State Senate, Harper served 8 years on Davidson County's Metro Council.

1992 - Southeast Branch opens.

1993 - Pruitt Branch opens.

1995 - Hadley Park Branch is completely renovated, doubling in size.

Founded in 1997 as a 501(c) 3 organization, Nashville Public Library Foundation has raised more than $50 million to advance the impact and reach of NPL programs and initiatives.

October 28, 2000 - New Green Hills Branch opens.

The new Main Library Building, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, was opened in 2001.

The Nashville Room's Special Collections wing is home to many invaluable resources, including a collection of nearly 200 oral histories about the 2010 flood.

2011 - New Goodlettsville Branch Library opens to the public.

2014 - New Southeast Branch opens.

2015 - New Bellevue Branch Library opens.

2016 - Renovated Edmondson Pike reopens.

A proud recipient of the 2017 Library of the Year Award, more than 350,000 Nashville residents own a library card and visit the Library’s 21 branches nearly 4 million times per year.

2018 - Renovated Madison Branch reopens.

Celebrate Native Heritage Month with these 2019 releases.

2020 is an important anniversary year for a couple of reasons.