Davidson County series, 1940-1987
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject

Materials housed in Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library.

In library use only. Available by appointment.

Abstract: A wide variety of materials, from 1940 to 1987, documenting Davidson County subjects and used by Nashville Banner reporters for reference during their daily work. Items were originally housed in the Banner Clippings Files and were removed for preservation purposes by Nashville Public Library staff to form this collection.

Scope and content: The Nashville Banner Reporter Reference Files, Davidson County Series has information about topics, places, organizations, and county government (including consolidated Metropolitan government) that received news coverage in the Nashville Banner newspaper from 1940 to 1987. Formats include press releases, brochures, booklets, reports, telegrams, clippings and magazine articles, and flyers. Quantity of materials is usually less than five items for each topic. Some items are photocopies.

All the materials in this collection were originally housed in the Banner Clippings Files, but were removed by library staff for preservation purposes. Thus, although the Banner Reporter Reference Files is a separate collection, due to its size, it nevertheless bears a very close relationship and indeed should be viewed as an extension of the Banner Clippings Files. Information in both instances was compiled and used by reporters at the Nashville Banner as references when writing about significant events of the time. Researchers are advised that due to its being a much more comprehensive resource, the Banner Clippings Files will likely be a more useful and productive source of information than the isolated items to be found in the Banner Reporter Reference Files.

A few items of special note include: brochures discussing the proposed J. Percy Priest Dam site along with maps displaying location information; items about the DuPont plant in Old Hickory; policy information on use of deadly force by Metro Police (ca. 1982); and a staff schedule for Nashville Banner photographers and reporters during desegregation of local elementary schools (ca. 1960), filed under its original heading "Segregation." For a complete list of subjects, please refer to the finding aid for this series.

Cite as: [item description, file title], Series III. Davidson County Series, Nashville Banner Reporter Reference Files, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library

Irby C. Simpkins, Jr., and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. transferred any copyright they held in Nashville Banner materials to the Public Library Board in 2002. However, this collection may contain items for which they did not hold copyright, such as wire service items, booklets and brochures, and others, and therefore rights were not transferred to the Public Library Board. In either case, items in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code)

Irby C. Simpkins, Jr., and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr.;,Gift;,1999.,Acc. RT-102

The Nashville Banner newspaper began publication on Apr. 10, 1876 and ceased publication Feb. 20, 1998.

In English.

Finding aid available in repository;,folder level control.,https://assets.library.nashville.org/documents/finding-aids/Special_Collections_Division_Finding_Aid_BannerDavidsonCountySeriesFA.pdf

In possession of Irby C. Simpkins, Jr. and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. until donated to the Nashville Public Library in 1999.

Forms part of the Nashville Banner reporter reference files.

process;,2013-2014;,Jennifer Quier;,removal of items from Clippings files, rehouse, preliminary inventory.

process;,2016;,Poppy Krump, intern;,initial physical processing and conservation work.

process;,2017;,Quinntana Slaughter, intern,final processing and formal finding aid

No further accruals are expected.