The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) is collecting materials about the Vietnam War. Recently, veteran Christopher Ammons of Clarksville donated his personal papers to TSLA, including photographs, letters and memorabilia. An online exhibit featuring the Ammons collection is now available for viewing.

Ammons entered military service a month after graduating from Clarksville High School. He served two terms in Vietnam from 1967 through 1970. He was part of the First Infantry Division and was stationed at many locations in South Vietnam, where his unit saw extensive combat action.

The Ammons online collection contains wartime photographs, letters from the front lines, military documents typical of the period and souvenirs - including local currency and propaganda leaflets collected by Ammons from his time “in county.”

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The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) will launch new exhibits providing details about the Korean and Vietnam Wars during a Nov. 9 ceremony.

The exhibits will tell the story of those two conflicts through the eyes of two Tennesseans – David Brock, who served in the Korean War, and Christopher Ammons, who served in the Vietnam War. The exhibits - which will be displayed in the lobby of the TSLA building through at least March 1, 2013 - include wartime photographs, correspondence, documents and artifacts provided by each of the men. Through the exhibits, people can learn their personal perspectives on the wars.

The exhibits are free and open to the public during TSLA’s regular operating hours.

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The Tennessee State Library and Archives will be closed Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 23 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Please plan accordingly. The library will be open for its regular hours - 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Saturday, Nov. 24. Following its usual schedule, the library will be closed Sunday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Nov. 26.

In observance of Veterans' Day, the Office of the Secretary of State will be closed Monday, Nov. 12. If you have business with the office or any of its divisions, please plan accordingly.

The office will reopen Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 8 a.m.

Representatives from the Tennessee State Library and Archives and the Tennessee State Museum will be in Jackson Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 to record and digitize Civil War memorabilia owned by local residents for a new exhibit.

Archivists will be at the Carnegie Center for Arts and History, 305 E College in Jackson, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and from 9 a.m. until noon Nov. 2. During that time, they invite area residents to bring in photographs, documents and other artifacts related to the Civil War.

The archivists will scan or take digital photographs of the materials, some of which will be featured in an exhibit titled, “Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee.” The archivists will not actually take possession of the items from their owners.

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The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) has added Career Transitions, an online service designed to help even those with no experience using technology to find jobs or change careers.

“Every day, more than 300,000 Americans get job-seeking help at their public libraries, and they need efficient tools to help them find work,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “With Career Transitions, Tennessee residents will be able to find the answers they need to improve their chances of finding employment, whether they are dealing with job loss, retraining for new skills or looking for a new career path.”

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The Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and the State Library and Archives are again celebrating “Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month” throughout the month of October. The library is exhibiting a display of artwork created by students at the Tennessee School for the Blind (TSB). Sponsored by Art Education for the Blind, a New York-based nonprofit organization, “Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month” is celebrated in October each year. This is the third year the Tennessee State Library and Archives has hosted this free exhibit.

Items on display include paintings, shadow boxes and pottery. In keeping with tradition, the centerpiece of the display is the school’s mascot, Dot, a paper mache tiger made of scraps of braille paper, which was created by TSB students in 2010. The tiger, on permanent loan to the Tennessee State Library and Archives, is meant to be touched, unlike the items in many art exhibits.

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