Library

Access Our University Library

The Fisk University John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library is the academic hub of the university, working to support the academic programs by providing books, electronic resources, and other materials. The present building was completed in 1969 and opened in January 1970. It houses over 240,000 volumes. Special Collections is a major national resource for the study of the African-American experience.

The digital portal to the Julius Rosenwald Fund Archives is scheduled to launch by the summer of 2023. The Rosenwald archives are currently closed to patrons as we complete the digitization process. Please consider joining our mailing list if you would like to receive a notification of the portal launch. We appreciate your interest and support.

Fisk Library Hours of Operation

Library Regular Hours
Monday - Thursday | 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Friday | 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday | 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sunday | 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Computer Lab Regular Hours
Monday - Thursday | 8:00 am - 9:30 pm
Friday | 7:45 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday | 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Sunday | 2:00 pm - 9:30 pm

*Hours are subject to change. For additional information, call 615-329-8640.
Library hours during examination periods and breaks will be posted.

Library Services

This resource is the key to accessing library holdings. This system allows students to search the catalog by author, title, keyword, subject, words in a title, author and title, and reserve lists. The library catalog identifies materials in the Franklin Library which includes Special Collections. These materials include books, government publications, electronic journals, music scores, maps, and more.

The Franklin Library Catalog
The access services desk is located on the first floor. The circulating books are located on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Students with valid IDs may check out books and reserve materials. Items on reserve must be used in the library.

Located on the first floor. This is a collection of reference materials including books and periodicals. These materials do not circulate.

Located on the 2nd floor, these collections of rare materials draw patrons and scholars from around the world. The African-American collection, which includes books, manuscripts, archives and oral histories, is a major source for the study of the African-American experience. These materials must be used in the Special Collections reading room.
Learn About the Archives

The John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library is a selective document repository of publications by the United States government. The collection contains printed materials, microfiche, CD-ROMs, and periodicals. Fisk students can begin their search by using the Government Documents Research Guide.

Access to a global catalog of library collections is available online through worldcat.org. Circulating books can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. In addition, Fisk students, faculty, and staff have access to Belmont’s Lila D. Bunch Library and Vanderbilt’s Libraries including direct loan privileges. Ask at the Access Services desk about Belmont’s Library and how to obtain a Vanderbilt access card for entrance during evening hours.

A dynamic collection of electronic resources that change with the needs of our users are available to Fisk students. A full list of Databases the library subscribes to, including trial access can be found here:

Database A-Z

Administrative Contacts

Department Phone: 615-329-8731

DeLisa Minor Harris
Director of Library Services
615-329-8734

Access Services Contacts

Department Phone: 615-329-8640

Ester McShepard
Night Supervisor
615-329-8640

 

Technical Services Contacts

Department Phone: 615-329-8734

Paul Springer Jr.
Library Assistant for Technical Services
615-329-8733
pspringer@fisk.edu

 

Special Collections & Archives Contacts

Department Phone: 615-329-8730

Diona Layden
Special Collections Librarian
615-329-8730

Schuyler Carter, MURP
Library Assistant for Special Collections
615-329-8646
scarter@fisk.edu

Joshua Williams
Archivist
615-329-8733
jawilliams@fisk.edu