Library & Research Facilities

The current Sherrod Library, containing the major learning resources that support the university’s program of teaching and research, opened in 1999. The collections include one-half million volumes, over one million microforms, over 12,000 periodical subscriptions (electronic and print), more than 350,000 federal and state documents and maps, audiovisual media, and the state depository collection of K-12 state-adopted textbooks. All of the materials in the collections can be found in the MILLENNIUM catalog, which is accessible from any Internet-connected computer. Over sixty computers (including 25 laptops) are distributed throughout this state-of-the-art, wireless building which has more than 1,800 seats. A study room open 24 hours a day is accessible with a student ID. (423) 439-5309. https://libraries.etsu.edu/

The ETSU at Kingsport Library has a collection of over 25,000 volumes and maintains subscriptions to over 100 periodicals. (423)392-8010

The Medical Library is located in Building 4 of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The library has a seating capacity of 213 and houses a collection of over 96,000 books, journals, computer databases and media which support the academic, clinical, and research programs of the College of Medicine. https://www.etsu.edu/medlib/ (423) 439-6252

A campus history project initiated in the late 1920s created a repository that ultimately emerged as the B. Carroll Reece Memorial Museum. Its initial collections were made up of art and artifacts which had been collected and housed by the Department of Art and Design and Sherrod Library. The museum is a component of ETSU’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Services and has been accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1972.

Exhibits include annual quilt exhibitions, items from the permanent collections, contemporary art, and traveling displays. The museum is at the junction of Stout Drive and Gilbreath Circle on the East Tennessee State University campus. All events and admission are free to the public. Allow one hour minimum. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday-Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., closed holidays and the week of December 25. Phone: (423) 439-4392. www.etsu.edu/reece/

The George L. Carter Railroad Museum is located in 113 Campus Center Building on the ETSU campus in Johnson City. Devoted to the region’s historical ties to railroads, the museum is dedicated to the memory of George L. Carter who built the Clinchfield Railroad through 275 miles of mountainous terrain to carry coal from Eastern Kentucky. In 1909, when the state’s selection committee visited the area while searching for a site for a proposed teachers college, Carter offered his 120-acre farm and $100,000 toward the establishment of the school, which became ETSU. The Museum is open Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Phone: 423-439-3382.

The Archives of Appalachia is a repository for memories - the written words, images, and sounds that document life in southern Appalachia. They steward nearly two miles of rare manuscripts, 250,000 photographs, 90,000 audio and moving image recordings, and 14,000 books. Nearly 2,000 patrons visit the Archives in person each year, and 65,000 more from over 50 countries engage with our holdings online.

The Gray Fossil Site and Museum is a dynamic hub for science and education in northeastern Tennessee. The world-class paleontological site in our backyard preserves a one-of-a-kind window into the Appalachian Highlands five million years ago and makes the museum an invaluable resource for paleontology research and education. 

The Slocumb Galleries are educational exhibition venues of the Department of Art & Design under the College of Arts and Sciences at East Tennessee State University.

The ETSU operating budget provides funds for assistance to faculty and staff members for individual research projects. These funds are administered by the Research Development Committee which evaluates applications for research grants, summer stipends, and grants-in-aid.