Memorial Day origins stretch back over 100 years

The Challenge Launches Today and Runs Through August 21

Keeping the streets, rivers, and neighborhoods clean in this city over the years hasn't been easy, but one of the ways was with the City Beautiful Commission, that was established in 1953. In honor of Earth Day, here's a look at the commission that helped clean up the streets and neighborhoods in Nashville. 

Sharing Their Story is the Least We Can Do to Say “Thank You”

Our Adult Literacy Initiative Lays the Groundwork for a Better Nashville

Just as it takes many varied pieces of cloth to make a beautiful whole quilt, it takes a diverse group of people to make a beautiful community of many faces.  Nashville Public Library has a number of resources celebrating diversity.

In this month of celebrating women's history, here's part III in the series honoring the work of several Nashville women. 

The Davidson County Sheep Fund Register, 1919-1921 provides interesting insights into Nashville life that is long past.

Celebrate the History of African American Tennesseans with our Library

This is part II in the series on the history of 2nd Ave. I ended the first part at the end of the 19th century, so this is where part II picks up - right when Market Street becomes 2nd Ave.

Everyone knows what it feels like to be hungry and what to do about it but some people are not able to get enough food to eat.  Without enough food, we cannot become who we were meant to be.  We can help others who are in need of good food.

Library Staff Share Lessons Learned in 2020 to Forge Ahead in 2021

Free Online Programs For Homeschooling, Story Times, and More

Most citizens of this city that have lived here for a few years know what I'm referring to when I say the "Edgehill Polar Bears", but do you know the history of them? Well here are the "bear" necessities.

If the commercial demands of winter holidays stress you out, December 2020 offers the chance to embrace a new way to be present with the season.

Thanks to Partnership Between NPL, Operation Warm, and Jones Paideia Magnet Elementary School

Former Service Members Share Proven Tips That You Can Use Now

Catalog Upgrade Makes Your Browsing Experience Even Better

Library’s Adult Literacy Initiative Lays the Groundwork for a Better Nashville

It’s open enrollment season for the health insurance Marketplace (“Obamacare”). Learn more about the benefits of Marketplace plans, and get local, 1-on-1 enrollment help starting November 2. 

La directora del departamento para niños, Pat Bashir, ayuda a las familias hispanas a descubrir todo lo que la NPL puede ofrecer

Klem-Marí Cajigas es el punto de encuentro personal para las familias descubriendo a NPL

Children’s Manager Pat Bashir Helps Hispanic Families Discover all that the Library can Offer

Read this story in Spanish.

NAZA Team is Reimagining the Way Youth Learn and Lead in the Next Decade

Nashville Logs More Than 13 Million Minutes in the Face of COVID-19

Klem-Marí Cajigas Serves as a Touchpoint for Families to Discover NPL

But Read to Rise Continues, and It’s Always the Perfect Time to Join

While September is normally my month for educational posts, I'm bypassing that this year for something different - new images and footage! As a continuation from a previous post with old photos, this post includes a slideshow of a collection I've been processing the past few weeks, plus some new footage from our Audiovisual Heritage Center. 

NAZA Funds 1,100 Free Program Slots for Middle Schoolers

I originally wrote this blog post for March, 2018, because for some unknown reason, genealogy research seems to pick up around the end of February through March. Well, the trend has occurred again during quarantine, and this time makes more sense - you're home and you figure, why not? For whatever reason, we welcome the frequency of usage of our genealogy records. Here's a list of our most helpful and commonly-used materials, and some other tips when doing family research, with a few new additions. 

Keep calm and homeschool on with the help of Nashville Public Library's Children's Department. Put your mind at ease knowing we have your back when it comes to at-home learning. Check out these amazing resources and programs geared for homeschool families with questions. 

Part III in the series of "What Have Metro Archives Been Up to During Quarantine." This last part covers Kelli and Carissa's project of creating portable digitization kits. 

As we round the corner to our virtual opening on August 18, we're capping off our Nashville Voices series with one last story—a powerful testimonial from a powerful woman.

The Brooklyn Heights Community Garden that Nella Pearl Frierson founded nurtures more than local produce.

Part II in the series of "What Have Metro Archives Been Up to During Quarantine." This time, we're taking a look at Ken and Kelley's projects...and their at-home "coworkers". 

The world knew Reverend C.T. Vivian and U.S. Rep John Lewis  as giants. But, before they were icons, they were young men beginning a journey in Nashville. 

We celebrate and remember what Reverend C.T. Vivian and U.S. Rep. John Lewis did for Nashville and for Nashville Public Library.

Founder and President of Thistle Farms Devotes her Life to Healing Women

Scavenger Hunts, Busy Bees, and a Return to the Library Feature in This Month’s Update

Chelle Waller Uses Past Mistakes as a Foundation to Build a Better Life

Part III in the Dury Business and Family blog posts: Christine has translated more pages from Katharina Dury's diary. 

Female CEO Brings Health Care Access to the Community

We're baaaaaack!

Growing Families and Growing Vocabulary on the Menu in This Month’s Update

This month's Nashville history post is letting photography do the talking, with a variety of slideshows for all to enjoy. Starting with a tribute to all medical workers for their dedicated service during these trying times, to finishing with a little more of "Some Good News - Archives Edition." 

Lauri Newell doesn’t think of her life as extraordinary.

“But then again,” she says, “I’m getting to nurture my family and our dreams at the same time."

Studio NPL Staff Create 900 Mask Extenders for Front-Line Workers

Submit Your Proposal by Friday, May 15

With the extra time on our hands after a month of quarantine, maybe there are other things we can spend our time on, like preserving family ephemera. This is an assisted blog post from my coworker, Christine Irizarry, who writes about the importance of family letters. And the latter part talks about preserving your family records. 

Homeschool, Birthdays, and Books Fill Up this Month’s Update

NPL Thanks its Elective Workers During National Library Week

We Celebrate our Community During National Library Week

Borrowing John Krasinski's idea of reporting "Some Good News" during these troubling times, here are some historic news clippings from past pandemics or epidemics that have affected Nashville. But instead of including news articles about the actual devastation from the illnesses, these are more positive stories during the same time frame or at least examples of positives from the desolation.  

Author Jessica Young Loves a Work in Progress

Calling all weather nerds! Free online classes about cool weather stuff!

Votes for Women Sets the Stage to Explore Women’s Rights

Votes for Women Sets the Stage to Explore Women’s Rights

Are you prepared for what's coming? Three elections between now and the end of the year! Get ready to answer your kiddos' questions with these books from the library.

In honor of African American History Month, and to highlight a few individuals in Metro Archives' new display on Nashville women, this blog post is dedicated to a few notable women of Music City.

Caralyn L. Uses Yoga, Meditation, and More to Overcome Medical Challenges

Oral History Available in the Library’s Special Collections

2020 is an important anniversary year for a couple of reasons. Most notably is the 19th Amendment, which we'll be celebrating with a new permanent exhibit in Special Collections (in addition to a few other temporary exhibits in the building). But another important Amendment went into effect 100 years ago this month that had a long-lasting impact on the country, and that's Prohibition.

"I find that regularly practicing tai chi is relaxing and helps to reduce stress. It has helped to improve my focus, muscle strength, flexibility, and balance." -Ann Hargis, Tai Chi instructor

The 19th Amendment, then and now. Nashville Public Library, then and now.

A hundred years after women won the right to vote, the library asks Nashville, what's next?

Votes for Women opens at the Main Library in 2020.

Nashville Students Benefit from Collaboration with Operation Warm

One Opening for Spring 2020 Internship Left

Something wicked this way comes...in the form of this blog post. It's the spookiest time of year, which means this blog post is filled with everything Nashville-Halloween-related from food to ghost stories. Read on, if you dare.

Library now Accepting Applications for Spring 2020 Internships

La gerente del departamento de niños, Pat Bashir ayuda las familias hispanas a descubrir todo lo que la biblioteca puede ofrecer

The City read more than 18 Million Minutes During Library’s Summer Reading Challenge

Marina, patrocinadora de la sucursal de Southeast, anima todas familias latinas a que visiten la Biblioteca.

Southeast patron Marina encourages all Latino families to visit the Library

Activist Osta Underwood's papers reveal how important planning and preparedness are to organizing a movement.  

New exhibit of Gary Layda's photography at Main showcases change in Nashville from the 1980s to the 2010s. 

This year's theme "Support Changes Everything" reminds us that the whole community plays a part in breastfeeding!

If you read May's blog post about the Dury family, here is part II of the series that takes a sharp look at Katharina Dury's 19th-century diary. 

In addition to being a groundbreaking, trendsetting partnership between the public library and public school systems, Limitless Libraries also sponsors an annual bookmark and poster contest in celebration of School Library Month. Check out the 2019 winners!

Nashville's history with theatre and the performing arts is long and storied. You can find treasure after treasure documenting this history in NPL Special Collections. On May 25, Special Collections is playing its own role in the story.

Be Well at NPL values making health information and wellness opportunities accessible to all, which is why we are thrilled to partner with the All of Us Research Program, a national effort to speed up medical breakthroughs and create a future of medicine that can tailor to our unique differences.

One of the hidden gems in Metro Archives is the collection of Nashville Tennessean magazines in bound form.

The Jack Gunter Civil Rights Photography Collection is now open to researchers!

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.

The publication of a new picture book biography of Pura Belpré is the perfect opportunity to learn about this trailblazing librarian and storyteller.

Happy National Nutrition Month! Join us as we kick off new, dietician-led cooking classes in our library branches.

For every workshop, class, story time, and bookshelf you see at Nashville Public Library, there are two sets of hands at work. One belongs to a Nashville Public Library employee. The other belongs to one of the library’s volunteers.

Born in rural Kenya and educated in the United States, Wangari Maathai was the first woman in East Africa to earn a doctoral degree, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and is the founder of the Green Belt Movement. Her incredible story is the subject of several picture book biographies for children.

The Nashville Room has a small exhibit of photographs to celebrate the availability of a new collection documenting the activities of the YWCA Blue Triangle Branch. Come see our resources!

One of our most-utilized resources here in Special Collections is the Nashville Banner clippings: articles about every aspect of Nashville life from the 1950s through the 1990s. In this post, I use Banner clippings to tell you the story of two popular types of night spot entertainment: mechanical bull riding and karaoke!

In the 1950s and 60s, Church Street was a bustling shopping center that truly went all out for the holiday season. 

Exploring the holdings of Main Library’s Special Collections, I stumbled upon a local figure I hadn’t heard of before—Robert Churchwell. Hired by the Nashville Banner in 1950, Churchwell was the first black journalist and full-time reporter for a Southern newspaper.

Since 1988, December 1 has been World AIDS Day. Help break down stigma by checking out some library material on HIV/AIDS health information, its history and early activism, and the personal experiences of people living with and affected by this virus. 

While most of us are used to getting our yearly flu vaccine to help prevent that pesky illness from infecting us, there was once a time when that vaccine didn't exist. And the consequences were catastrophic.

The award-winning creators of Last Stop on Market Street reunite for a beautifully poignant and timely book about family, what we hope for, and what is possible.

Every October, the Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word, turns our “it city” into “lit city.” With three days of thoughtful, exciting programming, this event has long been a fall-time favorite, appealing to more than just bookworms. I investigated the roots of this community-building festival using primary and secondary sources from NPL Special Collections.

Southern Festival of Books is fast approaching, and this is its 30th anniversary! Check out my picks for this year.

In celebration of the Library's Summer Challenge theme of "Being a Reading Rockstar," this month's Nashville history post takes a look back at the arts' festival that used to entertain the streets of Nashville long before Lightning 100's "Live on the Green" was around...

Community of Many Faces is Nashville Public Library’s celebration of the rich diversity of our great city! All programs are free, fun, and educational for the whole family. Check out these community partner highlights whose events aim to inspire reading, advance learning, and connect our community. For an entire list of events with locations and times, visit our events calendar.

Take a look at how familes can celebrate the holidays through library events and materials. 

Nashville Public Library, through Nashville After Zone Alliance (NAZA), provides free, quality afterschool programs for the critical window of time between 3 and 6 o'clock.

Nashville Public Library is excited to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Ryman Auditorium and host Ryman Auditorium: Soul of Nashville, a brand new art exhibit exploring the iconic venue’s rich history. The exhibit is on display at NPL’s Main Library downtown from October 21 through February 25. 

You've heard of Big Data? This is how it works.

1 in 5 adults in the United States will experience a serious mental health issue in their lifetime. Though stigma and shame can prevent us from seeking help, NPL and the local mental health service community are here to provide information, validation, and hope.

With 16 free, weekly classes to choose from, get out your mat (or borrow one of ours) and join NPL for a summer of yoga! We've also got books and DVDs you can use at home.

Nashville may be known as Music City, but we also LOVE our professional sports – whether the boys have sticks, bats, or footballs, fans will turn out to cheer on our local teams.

Be informed. Learn about your rights in a digital age during Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7.

Though its expansive campus can be seen from the fast lanes of I-65 S just past Armory Lane, Father Ryan High School hasn't always called their Norwood Drive location home. On top of possessing photographs of the previous location's building and demolition in our clippings' file on the school, Metro Archives also holds several other treasures that easily tell stories about the school's past.  

Children’s Day/El día de los niños, also called Día (Diversity in Action), is an annual national event that is celebrated on or around April 30^th that highlights the importance of literacy throughout all cultures and languages. Libraries and organizations around the country celebrate this day with a variety of events to showcase the beauty of diversity within their communities.

Meet some of the women from Nashville that have been serving our country for more than 100 years.

In this country’s present political and cultural climate, there are some people who think it’s acceptable to discriminate against people who may be Muslim or from the Middle East. This, of course, is wrong. People are people, and they all deserve respect, safety, and understanding. The children's books below portray Muslims and the Middle East in the light they deserve: positive, honest, open, and respectful.

Recent events have brought the world's attention to the presence of refugees in the United States. The children's picture books featured in this blog post share what it’s like to be a refugee from a child’s perspective, and are wonderful to share with children of all backgrounds.

Sonia Manzano, better known to millions of children and adults as “Maria” from Sesame Street, is also the author of several books for young children. Discover them with Nashville Public Library!

December 10th is Human Rights Day and the library has the information to help you answer "What is that?"

Look for ways to step back from the December madness and give yourself a break

I love this cookbook for so many reasons--its fun, veggie-filled recipes, its attention to fixed grocery budgets, and its PDF version with a creative commons license for online sharing.

A scrapbook attributed to a member of the Whalley family provides a rare and unique glimpse into Nashville's theatrical history.

Do you ever get to the bottom of a page and have no idea what you just read because your mind was wandering? While the book may be interesting, you find yourself worrying about the future or dreaming of the past? Come back to the present moment with the simple practice of mindfulness. 

98 years ago today, one of the deadliest train wrecks in American history happened just West of Nashville.

Tom Tichenor continues to influence Nashville's libraries and communities through his imaginative hand-made puppets and love of performing.

...and dancing, and meditation, and gardening, and more. With Be Well at NPL, we're stepping up as a key player in advancing community health.

During May 1-2, 2010, Nashville received more than 13 inches of rainfall, forcing the Cumberland River, and several others, over their banks.

This week is National Library Week, and the American Library Association has selected "Libraries Transform" as its theme. While the Nashville Public Library has received widespread recognition in recent years, we have a long history of innovation and outreach to our community.

The main library is alive with the bright colors of local artists, but it isn’t your average show. 

Food plays a big role in creating community, especially in Nashville.