ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 5 0 8 /C & R L News N a sh v ille : Music city— and m ore! B y S h ir le y H allb lad e A profile o f the city that will host ACRL’s 8th National Conference N ashville! K now n a ro u n d th e w o rld as th e h o m e o f country m usic an d th e G rand O le O pry, T e n n essee’s capitol city offers this heritage along w ith m any o th er attractions for th o se w h o a tten d ACRL’s 8th N ational C onfer­ e n c e , A p ril 11– 14, 1997. S p rin g is a n e x c e p tio n a lly p le a s a n t tim e to v is it th is grow ing, dynam ic city situ­ ated o n th e C um berland River a m id th e r o l li n g h ills o f Middle T ennessee. D eveloping from its roots as a transportation an d trad­ ing center, Nashville today is a v i b r a n t M id -S o u th c ity w h o s e m ajo r in d u stries in ­ clude tourism , printing an d publishing, music production, education, health care m an­ a g e m e n t, a n d a u to m o b ile tech n o lo g y . T h e N ash v ille/ D avidson C ounty area served b y a m e tro p o lita n g o v e rn ­ m en t has a p o p u latio n o f a p ­ p ro x im a te ly 530,000. M ore th an o n e million p e o p le live in th e eight-county M etropolitan Statistical Area, the fastest grow ­ ing in th e state. T he Nashville area is intersected b y three m ajor Interstate highw ays. Its m o d e m airport is served by 16 airlines. It is accessible, easy to reach, an d a great place to v i s i t . . . if not stay. A g lim p s e o f N a s h v ille . Fifty percen t of the n atio n ’s p o p u latio n lives w ithin 600 miles o f Nashville. T he city’s strong a n d diversified econom y p ro m p ted Inc. m aga­ zine to list Nashville as o n e o f th e te n b est cit­ ies in w hich to start a business. Capitol of the “ Volunteer State” In 1796 T ennessee b ecam e th e 16th state a d ­ m itted to the Union. The state earn ed its nick­ n am e after the call w e n t o u t in 1848 for v o lu n ­ teers to fight in th e M exican War. T e n n essee’s q u o ta w as 2,800; m ore th an 30,000 T en ­ nesseans resp o n d ed . Settled in 1779, Nashville served as th e state’s capitol from 1812– 15, an d th e n p e r­ m anently, b eginning in 1843. T he stately capitol building, p e rch ed o n a hill o v erlook­ ing th e d o w n to w n area, is a sym bol o f T e n n e s s e e ’s rich history an d Nashville’s p art in it. T he capitol w as th e site of major d eb ate an d th e focus o f national attention in 1920 w h en T ennessee b ecam e the 36th an d deciding state to a p ­ p ro v e p a s s a g e o f th e bill granting w o m en th e right to vote. In Ju n e o f this year, o n th e occasion o f th e 200th anniversary of T en n essee’s statehood, th e n e w Bicentennial Capitol Mall w as d ed i­ c a te d as a p erm an en t m o n u m en t to th e cel­ ebration. A 19-acre u rb an p ark an d o u td o o r history m useum reaching n o rth from th e capi­ tol, th e n ew mall offers a 250-foot granite m ap Shirley H a llb la d e is associate d irector o f libraries a t V a n d e rb ilt University in Nashville, a n d co c h a ir o f the CRL 8 th N a tio n a l C onference Local A rra n g e m e n ts C om m ittee; e-mail: hallblade@ library.vanderbilt.eduA mailto:hallblade@library.vanderbilt.edu Septem ber 1 9 9 6 / 5 0 9 o f th e state, an am phitheater, and o th er attrac­ tions. N ashville’s skyline offers a mix of m o d e m an d historic buildings. T he city has a rich Afri­ can American heritage. T here are m ore th an 70 parks in Nashville an d m any lakes a n d o th er o u td o o r recreation o p ­ portunities in the area. T he su rrounding area has d ozens o f sites re­ lating to th e Civil War. T h e N a tc h e z T r a c e P a rk w a y , a 450-m ile historic trail beginning in Natchez, Mississippi, has its northernm ost term inus in Nashville, an d w as com p leted in Ju n e o f this year. “ Athens of the South” This nicknam e w as first attributed to Nashville b ecau se o f its early reputation as a cen te r of trade an d education in the Mid-South. The nam e b ecam e m ore perm anently associated w ith th e city after a replica o f the P arthenon w as built as p art o f th e state’s centennial exposition in 1896. Nashville’s P arthenon is the w orld’s only full-size re p ro d u c tio n o f th e original G reek tem ple. It stands today in Centennial Park as a cultural landm ark housing art galleries a n d e x ­ hibitions. In 1990 a 42-foot statue o f A thena w as a d d e d an d n o w graces the P arthenon’s in­ terior. It is said to b e the largest ind oor statue in th e W estern w orld. Nashville’s reputation as a geographic cen ­ ter o f e d u catio n continues. The Middle T en ­ n essee area has m ore than 20 colleges a n d u n i­ versities a n d m y riad tech n ical a n d tra in in g program s. Nashville itself is hom e to m ore in­ stitutions o f ad v an ced learning p e r perso n th an alm ost any o th e r city in th e country. E leven institutions offer graduate studies program s. T he city’s artistic an d cultural heritage is e n ­ h an ced by several fine art m useum s, historic hom es, an d v en u es for th e perform ing arts. “ The District” N ashville’s d o w n to w n a rea is e x p e rie n c in g major dev elo p m en t a n d offers a dynamic, vi­ b rant setting for ACRL’s conference. An area new ly d u b b e d “T he District” includes Second A venue (form erly M arket Street), low er B road­ way, a n d historic Printer’s Alley. This area has o n e o f the largest concentrations of Victorian com m ercial structures in the U.S. R ecent d e ­ velopm ents include dozens of restaurants, v e n ­ u es for dancing an d listening to music, th e ren o ­ v ated Ryman Auditorium (original h o m e o f the G rand O le O pry), a n d a n ew 20,000-seat arena. In just the p ast tw o years, d o w n to w n Nashville has se e n high-level activity in historic building In 1990 a 42-foot statue of Athena w a s added and now graces the Parthenon’s interior. It is said to be the largest indoor statue in the Western w orld. renovation, relocated local businesses, an d high- profile additions like a H ard Rock Cafe an d P lanet H ollyw ood. A self-guided, tw o-m ile w alking tour, cour­ tesy o f the M etropolitan Historical Commission, offers visitors th e oppo rtu n ity to trace th e ur­ b a n history o f Nashville. T he to u r starts at Fort N ashboro, a log stockade that w as th e site of th e original settlem ent that later b ecam e N ash­ ville. T he route is m arked o n city sidew alks w ith a bright green line. D ow ntow n trolleys offer visitors an o th er w ay to view “T he Dis­ trict” as w ell as th e Music Row area. “ Music City, USA” T here is n o denying th at Nashville a n d music, especially th e traditions o f country m usic an d bluegrass, are intertw ined. Today, a w ide spec­ trum o f m usic is perform ed a n d reco rd ed here, transform ing the “Nashville so u n d ” an d ex p an d ­ ing w ell b ey o n d its roots. T he country stereotype is understandable. Music Row is the center o f th e country m usic industry; N ashville-based c o u n try artists are k n o w n a ro u n d th e w orld. C ontem porary re­ cording artists such as Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, a n d G arth B rooks m ake their hom e in N ash­ ville. Tourists flock to visit Music Row an d the C ountry Music Hall of Fam e an d Museum, as w ell as th e G rand O le O pry, n o w located in the O pryland com plex n ear th e airport. Music Row includes m any recording studios, the m ost fam ous being RCA’s historical Studio B, p reserv ed as a m useum . This is th e place w h e re Elvis, Dolly Parton, a n d Roy O rbison reco rd ed som e o f their biggest hits. R eopened this y ear after m ajor renovation, Studio B has b e g u n to turn out live recordings again. N ashville has b eco m e a recording a n d m ar­ k eting cen te r for contem porary Christian m u­ (Nashville cont. o n p a g e 5 1 6 ) 5 1 0 /C & R L News For complete details, check with us. CQ Weekly Report. REUTERS N inety-nine percent o f Capitol H ill’s offices get Congressional Q uarterly Weekly Report. A nd so do th e vast m ajority o f th e largest college and university libraries. You see, the m o st tru sted source on the Hill is also a favorite o f patrons like yours. Scholars, researchers an d students alike know we’ve covered Congress for over 50 years, w ith o u t taking sides. T he facts they get are ju st th a t— unbiased an d always complete. You’ll find news and analysis...roll call votes...sum m aries o f key bills...current status o f m ajor legislation and appropriations...and more. So give y our p atro n s th e very best to o l for tracking action in Congress. For a free sample issue o f CQ Weekly R eport o r m ore inform ation, call (800) 432-2250 ext. 456 o r E-mail to droots@ cqalert.com . Congressional Quarterly • 1414 22nd Street, NW • Washington, DC 20037 6LCS47 mailto:droots@cqalert.com 5 1 6 /C&RL News its version o n July 10; $2.17 billion w as a p p ro ­ p riated to p ay for th e o p eratio n s o f th e H ouse, Senate, a n d legislative b ran ch agencies, includ­ ing th e Library o f C ongress a n d th e G overn­ m en t Printing Office. T he H ouse rep o rt languag e stressed th e use o f electronic form at a n d telecom m unications technologies a n d that the Legislative B ranch w as “striving to w ard a C yberC ongress m o d e w h e re ­ by information can b e shared m ore easily am ong th e ag en cies a n d w ith th e p u b lic at larg e.” G o v e rn m e n t P rin tin g O ffice. T he .Senate a ccep ted th e sp en d in g levels ap p ro v e d b y th e H ouse: $29,077,000 for th e Office o f th e Super­ in te n d e n t o f D ocum ents. T he largest share o f this go es for th e o p eratio n s o f th e Federal D e­ pository Library Program . This is a red u ctio n o f $1,230,000 from FY 1996 an d $1,750,000 less th a n th e Public P rin ter re q u e s te d . C ongress d e n ie d th e $500,000 req u ested for technology g rants to h e lp depositories m ake the transition to a m o re electronic program . T he re p o rt also reflects th e H ouse a c cep ­ tan ce o f a five- to seven-year tim e fram e for the m ove to electronic form at reco m m en d ed by th e G overnm ent Printing Office, the library com m unity, an d o th ers (reversing last y e a r’s p u sh b y th e H ouse for a tw o-year transition to a m ore electronic d e p o sito ry program ). L ib rary o f C o n g ress. T he Senate p a sse d a total o f $331,758,000 for th e Library o f C on­ gress in FY 1997. This includes $62,641,000 for the Congressional Research Service; $44,964,000 for b o o k s for th e b lind a n d physically h an d i­ cap p ed ; an d a total o f $33,402,000 for th e co p y ­ right office (including th e authority to sp e n d $22,269,000 in receipts.) T he Senate in clu d ed $928,000 for th e American Folklife C enter (sam e level as FY 1996). T he Senate p assed its ver­ sio n o f H.R. 3754 re au th o rizin g th e Folklife C enter fo r tw o years. In passing its version o f H.R. 3754, th e H ouse instructed th e Library o f C o n g ress to p r e p a r e a p la n to tra n sfe r th e Folklife C enter to th e Sm ithsonian Institution. D ifferences in th e tw o versions o f th e bill will b e resolved in conferen ce b e tw e e n th e Senate an d H ouse. T he H ouse version o f th e bill in­ cludes a total o f $330,758,000 for the library. ■ T h is re p lic a o f th e P a r th e n o n is t h e o n ly full-size o n e in th e w o rld . (Nashville cont. from page 509) sic a n d m any types o f music are perfo rm ed a n d reco rd ed here. It is a significant player in th e m usic “jingle” field an d is h o m e to several artists an d a c ts w ith p o p , ro c k , a n d rh y th m & b lu e s e m p h a se s. N ashville m usicians are sig­ nificant parts o f the ro a d e n ­ tourages o f m any out-of-tow n perform ers, a n d m any music v ideos are ta p e d here. Blue­ grass, blues, jazz, p o p , classi­ cal, a n d o p e ra — it’s all part of the Nashville m usic scene. Convention city T ourism b ro u g h t m ore th an nine m illion visitors to N ash­ ville in 1995. N ashville has b e c o m e a p o p u la r conventio n site for associa­ tions an d m eetings o f all kinds. ACRL’s 8th Na­ tional C onference site is h e a d q u a rte re d in the h eart o f d o w n to w n Nashville at th e C onven­ tio n C enter a n d the adjoining R enaissance H o­ tel. O th er hotels, alo n g w ith restaurants, shops, a n d a variety o f entertainm ent options, are avail­ able w ithin w alking distance. A sh o rt ride by trolley o r taxi offers visitors m ore options. T h e lo c a l a rra n g e m e n ts c o m m itte e h a s p l a n n e d a n u m b e r o f events a n d tours d esig n ed to acq u ain t confer­ en ce atten d ees w ith Nashville a n d its surroundings. Future articles in th e News will p ro ­ vide further detail a b o u t as­ pects o f Nashville’s cultural at­ t r a c t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g a r t m u seu m s, libraries, m usical h e rita g e , lo c a l re s ta u ra n ts , an d th e en tertain m en t scene. In th e m e a n tim e , y o u c a n learn m ore ab o u t Nashville by visiting its In tern et sites. (Ed. note: th e ACRL N ational C on­ ference h o m e p a g e at h ttp :// w w w . a l a . o r g / a c r l . h t m l is linked to the Nashville C onvention a n d Visi­ t o r s B u r e a u h o m e p a g e a t h t t p : / / nashville.m usiccityusa.com /tour.) Y our Nashville area library colleagues are d elig h ted that ACRL has c h o se n to h o ld its 1997 conferen ce in o u r capitol city. C om e join us in “Music City, USA” an d enjoy all that Nashville has to offer. ■ http://www.ala.org/acrl.html