Welcome! We are a cultural repository that values education, research, creativity,
and community engagement. We serve the general public and our university community
as well researchers from around the world. Our materials support scholarly research,
local and family history, and a love of bluegrass, gospel, and old time music. The
Archives maintains almost 10,000 linear feet of manuscripts and records, over 84,000
sound recordings, and nearly 8,000 moving images. In our Special Collections, we have
almost 14,000 books and other printed materials related to the south-central Appalachian
region. Our Reading Room is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.and all material is housed onsite.
In April 1978, ETSU dedicated the new Institute for Appalachian Affairs and the Appalachian
Room in Sherrod Library. The Appalachian Room held rare books and materials related
to the region. On September 1, 1978, the Archives of Appalachia officially opened
to promote an awareness of and appreciation for Appalachian culture and history. Foremost
among those persons instrumental in establishing the Archives were ETSU professors
Thomas Burton and Ambrose Manning whose Oral History Archives of Appalachian folklore,
manners, and customs formed the core of the Archives' early earliest collections.
In 1984, ETSU inaugurated the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services to provide a comprehensive resource for the study of Appalachian history and cultural heritage. The Center included the Institute of Appalachian Affairs, the Reece Museum, and the Archives of Appalachia. Under the direction of the Center, the Archives envisioned broad access to scholarly resources and focused on strengthening its collections to document the full spectrum of the southern Appalachian experience.
In 1998, the Archives moved to its present location in Sherrod Library's new four-story facility. By partnering with the library for increased space and diigtal resources, the Archives expanded its manuscript holdings, initiated a digital preservation program for unique and rare sound recordings, and extended educational and public services.
The mission of the Archives of Appalachia is to support original research, educational
engagement, and artistic creativity that promotes an understanding of the Appalachian
region. The Archives seeks to collect and preserve those records and papers of enduring
value that document Appalachia’s history and cultural heritage and make those materials
accessible to scholars, educators, students, and the general public. The Archives
particularly seeks materials from the south-central Appalachian region including northeast
Tennessee and bordering counties in eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and western
North Carolina.
