Built as a memorial to all veterans of World War II, the Library and Archives building was constructed at a cost of $2.3 million.

On November 17, 2003, the Tennessee State Library and Archives building was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its educational significance and its neo classical architectural design.

[2] After more than fifty years of being located on Capitol Hill, the need for a larger facility to house collections, improve climate control and provide better handicapped access became necessary.

Designed by Tuck-Hinton Architects, the new building is located next to Bicentennial State Park on the corner of Rep. John Lewis Way and Jefferson Street.

[4] The new 165,000 square foot facility includes a climate-controlled chamber for storing historic books and manuscripts with a space saving robotic retrieval system.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives currently holds nearly 700,000 print volumes, over a million photographic images, thousands of vertical files, microfilm reels, and legislative audiocassettes.