Nashville Public Library
Nashville Public Library (NPL) is the public library system serving Nashville, Tennessee and the metropolitan area of Davidson County. In 2010, the Nashville Public Library was the recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.[2] The library was named the Gale/Library Journal 2017 Library of the Year.[3]
Nashville Public Library
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Public library
1901
Main Library, 20 Branches, Metropolitan Government Archives of Davidson County, Talking Library
1.5 million (Davidson County)
32,080,600 [1]
Terri Luke (Interim)
366 [1]
There are 20 library branches in the Nashville Public Library system. They are:
Programs and services[edit]
The Nashville Public Library features a variety of public programming. The library offers puppet shows in the Main Library as well as throughout the Nashville community.[14]
The library offers digital collections, e-book and audiobook downloads, language learning services, and computer classes. There are a variety of book clubs hosted throughout the library system.
In 2010, the Nashville Public Library began partnering with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to offer the students access to the public library materials. Called "Limitless Libraries," this program offers access to approximately 1.5 million information resources.[15]
The Main Library's Special Collections Division contains several archival and oral history collections highlighting Nashville history. Among them, the Civil Rights Room, documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Nashville,[16] and an oral history collection documenting the 2010 Tennessee floods in Nashville.
In 2017, NPL eliminated overdue fines in order to increase accessibility of book borrowing.[17]
Friends of the Library and Library Foundation[edit]
Friends of the Nashville Public Library is a non-profit that offers memberships and supports the library through book sales. The Friends of the Nashville Public Library offer support for the summer reading program as well other programs and collection development.[18]
The Nashville Public Library Foundation is a non-profit founded in 1997 to raise funds for the Nashville Public Library. Depending on private donors, the Nashville Public Library Foundation offers funds for various programs, services, and building improvements in the library system.[19] These include funding of the Bringing Books to Life pre-school literacy program, the Special Collections' Civil Rights Room, and $5 million in collection development funds.[20]
On December 2, 2015, The Nashville Public Library unveiled the new Kidman-Urban Puppet Stage in the children's section of the library, made possible by a donation from Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, long time supporters of the library.[21]