New Special Collections Center and StoryCorps StoryBooth Now Open at Main Library (2007)

About the Special Collections Center

Known for oral history initiatives including the Civil Rights Oral History Project, the Library of Congress Veteran’s History Project, and the Nashville Business Leaders project, the new center, located on the second floor of the Main Library, features interview rooms that will expand the reach of the center as it documents Nashvillians’ lives and their participation in history.

The SCC serves as an access point for the library’s extensive, historic collection of non-book materials, from newspaper photographs and recordings made by Civil Rights era leaders and a map of Nashville drawn by bookseller William A. Eichbaum in 1857, to hand-blocked posters promoting Helen Hayes' appearance at the Ryman Auditorium in the 1930s.

The center features a large screen displaying a digital slideshow of items from its holdings, which patrons can request to view in the center. A copy of Nashville StoryCorps interviews will also be archived in the SCC, accessible to the whole community.

“The SCC will provide much-needed space for researchers interested in using the wonderfully rich resources held by the Special Collections Division, as well as providing library staff with space for recording and processing oral history interviews,” said AimeeJames, manager of the Nashville Room and SCC. “The popularity and success of our oral history projects is steadily increasing, yet there is so much work left to be done, so many more stories to capture and preserve. That is why we are so excited about hosting StoryCorps—it provides a way to extend our collection of oral histories to so much more of the community than we would otherwise be able to do on our own. The fact that the SCC and StoryCorps are launching at the same time is evidence of Nashville's interest in and support for efforts to collect, preserve, and provide access to its rich historical legacy.”

The SCC is made possible through the generous contributions of Judy and Steve Turner and the Martin Foundation.

About the StoryCorps StoryBooth

On October 6, Nashville Public Library became only the second institution in the nation to host a “StoryBooth,” an outpost of StoryCorps, the award-winning national project that encourages Americans to listen to each other by sharing the stories of their lives in sound.

Select interviews gathered at StoryBooths — small freestanding recording studios placed in public spaces across the country — are broadcast on National Public Radio. The interviews also added to the StoryCorps archive at American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress s in Washington, D.C., building an oral history of America.

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as a StoryBooth location,” said Donna Nicely, director of Nashville Public Library. “This project underscores our library’s vision to preserve and share across generations the wisdom, culture and history of our community."

“Our city is rich with human stories that cross all cultural lines, from the brave stand of local students in the Civil Rights movement to the fascinating and colorful development of the music industry to the family stories of the people who live in our city today. Nashville is a great place to explore the fabric of America.”

The Nashville StoryBooth is located in the Nashville Room on the second floor of the downtown Main Library, 615 Church St. Interview slots are open to the public by reservation only beginning October 6, 2007. Reservations can be made by visiting storycorps.net. The library can assist those without computers in making reservations; visit any library branch or call 862-5800.

People participate in StoryCorps in pairs—often friends or loved ones—with one person interviewing the other. Any topic can be discussed, from funny family stories, memorable experiences and life lessons learned, to documenting participation in an historic time or event. The trained StoryCorps facilitator guides the participants through the interview process and handles the technical aspects of the broadcast quality digital recording. At the end of the forty-minute session, the participants get a CD of their interview and—with their permission—a second copy is sent to the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress where it becomes part of the nation’s oral history archive.

Select excerpts of interviews recorded in the Nashville StoryBooth may, with permission of the participants, be broadcast locally on Nashville Public Radio/WPLN (90.3 FM), and nationally on NPR's Morning Edition or All Things Considered.

Media partners for the Nashville StoryBooth include Nashville Public Radio/WPLN (90.3 FM) and wpln.org, The Tennessean and tennessean.com. The Nashville StoryBooth is made possible through the generous contributions of Irene and Ridley Wills, Bridgestone/Firestone, and Ann Patchett.