Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives

Special Collections acquires, arranges, preserves, and promotes the use of rare and unique materials that support the information, instruction, and research needs of the University of Tennessee community.   Special Collections strives to strengthen relationships with multiple communities in Tennessee in order to build an archive that reflects a variety of ideas, information, stories and experience.

Special Collections seeks to provide broad access to collections for scholars in regional, national, and international communities, as well as the general public. The Special Collections Reading Room is open to members of the University of Tennessee community, visiting scholars and community researchers.  

Collections include manuscript and rare books collections, modern political archive, and the University of Tennessee Archives.  All collections are non-circulating and must be used on site.  

In 1957, construction began on a new wing to James D. Hoskins Library, which had served as the campus’ central library since 1931. During planning for that expansion, the decision was made to designate an area for rare books in the new facility. A core collection of early British, European, and American books was assembled in preparation for the grand opening in January 1960. In time, the university’s official archives were moved to Special Collections.

When the main library collections and services were relocated to the expanded John C. Hodges Library in the fall of 1987, Special Collections expanded into the vacated areas in Hoskins Library.  John H. Dobson, previously the library’s chief cataloger, became the first head of Special Collections, followed by James B. Lloyd in 1986, and Jennifer Beals in 2008. 

In the summer of 2009, deteriorating environmental conditions led to the relocation of Special Collections public service areas and rare book collections to the current location in John C. Hodges Library.  Currently underway is the construction of a new Library Storage Annex, a modern climate-controlled facility that will house special collections archival materials and provide ample growth space for the future.

As of October 9, 2023, the Modern Political Archives (MPA) is closed and the collections are unavailable for an indefinite period. The MPA collections, which had been housed at the Howard H. Baker J. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, have been placed in secure storage until completion of the planned Libraries Storage Annex. The Baker School is expanding its operations into the space previously occupied by the MPA.  Selected materials from the MPA will remain available as digital collections.