Plan Ahead! UT Libraries Announces Phased Access during Special Collections Relocation
Limited Instruction Available for Fall Semester 2026
More information at Special Collections Instruction
As UT Libraries moves archival collections into a new offsite storage facility over the summer and fall months, most materials will be unavailable to researchers and the Special Collections Reading Room will be closed temporarily.
When actual relocation of collections begins, researchers can anticipate these disruptions to availability of collections:
June 22 – October 7. Archival collections are unavailable.
June 22 – July 10. Reading Room is open for rare book use only. Limited reproduction services available.
July 13 – October 7. Reading Room closed to all researchers.
October 7 - October 16. Reading Room open with access to rare books only.
October 19 - November 30. Reading Room open with limited access to archival collections.
In May 2025, UT broke ground on a new high-density, climate-controlled facility to store and safeguard the Libraries’ most fragile holdings: the university’s archives, special collections, and materials of scholarly record that are sparsely held across the state and the nation. Construction is continuing apace, and relocation of materials from the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives is expected to begin in July.
UT Libraries has been preparing for this move for years. Preliminary work has intensified over the past year as staff ensure that collections are properly organized, housed, and cataloged.
Support for Instructors and Fall Planning
We are committed to supporting your teaching during this transition! While physical archival materials are in transit this summer and fall, our Special Collections staff are available for virtual consultations to help you plan your Fall 2026 syllabi.
Digital Alternatives: We can help identify digitized primary sources from our Digital Collections to replace physical items for early-semester assignments.
Advance Requests: Instructors planning to use rare books in late October or archival materials in November are encouraged to submit their requests by June 1 to ensure priority processing.
Instructors and researchers may direct questions to special@utk.edu.