John C. Hodges Library, Knoxville

John C. Hodges Library, Knoxville

The John C. Hodges Library, located on Volunteer Boulevard, is the main library of the University of Tennessee. It was established in 1969 and is named after Dr. John Cunyus Hodges, who taught English at UT for 41 years and was a generous donor to the university's libraries. The library's collection comprises over 3 million books, periodicals, and computer resources, including a rare book collection with around 60,000 items, some of which date back to 1481 AD. The University of Tennessee Libraries provides students and researchers with a range of resources, including books, articles, media, technology, spaces, and research expertise.

The Hodges Library's first-floor galleria features several permanent exhibits, such as The Centaur Excavations at Volos, a bronze bust of the late author Alex Haley, and the Alumni Academic Hall of Fame honoring UT alumni. The second floor, known as The Commons, is a collaborative space that provides students with resources such as a media production lab, research assistance, group meeting spaces, and technology services.

The third floor of the library houses the Center for Children's & Young Adult Literature, which features a non-circulating collection of children's and young adult literature that the community is welcome to read on-site. It also houses the Children's and Young Adult Collection, which circulates.

The library's design allows for ample natural light and features Italian and Spanish marble and lightly finished wood. In 1987, the library underwent an expansion that added nearly 250,000 square feet to the original 1969 construction.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Knoxville. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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John C. Hodges Library on Map

Sight Name: John C. Hodges Library
Sight Location: Knoxville, USA (See walking tours in Knoxville)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Knoxville, Tennessee

Create Your Own Walk in Knoxville

Create Your Own Walk in Knoxville

Creating your own self-guided walk in Knoxville is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
University of Tennessee Walking Tour

University of Tennessee Walking Tour

Founded in 1794 as William Blount College, The University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville is one of the oldest public universities in the United States. Nowadays, the UT flagship institution features a mix of historic and modern sites which draw many a visitor to the city.

The campus covers nearly 600 acres in downtown’s west end, including over 200 buildings and a faculty of more than 1,700...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Knoxville’s Historical Buildings

Knoxville’s Historical Buildings

Knoxville is often referred to as "The Marble City" for the abundant supply of high-quality marble used in many of its buildings. Noting the wealth of well-preserved historic homes in the city, prominent American architect John Russell Pope even coined his own moniker for it – the "City of Houses".

Indeed, Knoxville's eventful and sometimes turbulent past, dating from...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour

Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour

A small town with big-city amenities and a vibrant music scene (a mix of country, bluegrass, and rock), Knoxville, or K-Town as it's popularly shortened by locals, is also often referred to as “the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains,” for its proximity to the national park area, whose marble quarries, in the past, gave it another moniker, The Marble City.

Knoxville was founded in...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles