MARTHA M. BROWN-LOIS H. DANIEL LIBRARY
The MEMORIAL LIBRARY erected in 1927 at a cost of $100,000 was the first library building for the fifteen-year old institution. In 1912 when the school opened, the library was located in one room of the MAIN or ACADEMIC BUILDING. By the end of the 1916 school year, the library had 1,267 bound volumes and 444 pamphlets, several magazines and daily papers. As the book collection grew additional space was provided in the building. When the library moved into its own beautiful facility with its marble columns, bronze lighting fixtures and white marble trimming in 1927, the book collection had increased to and 75 journals.
The second floor of the new library was devoted exclusively to library services, while the first floor was used for temporary administrative offices. By 1932 the library occupied the major portion of the building with a total seating capacity for one 150 persons. The first floor was devoted to housing reference books, periodicals and government documents. On November 23, 1949 an annexation and renovation of the building at a cost of $500,000 was completed and officially named the MARTHA M. BROWN MEMORIAL LIBRARY. Modern equipment was provided throughout the T-shaped Georgian Styled building with a seating capacity of 629 persons, adequate work space, and book stacks for housing over 120,000 volumes.
A new library the MARTHA M. BROWN-LOIS H. DANIEL LIBRARY was erected in 1976 and opened for service during the summer of 1977. This present structure has 82,000 square feet of space with special study and research facilities for faculty and graduate students, and a Special Collections Room which houses the University's historical archives, theses, dissertations, and other special materials.
Brown-Daniel Library
Martha M. Brown, an alumnus of Fisk University 1900 class, was one of the faculty members when Tennessee A & I State Normal School opened in 1912. She served the institution for thirty-three years, directing the library from two rooms and a negligible number of volumes to one of the first libraries erected in a Black state college. During the fall of 1945, Mrs. Brown relinquished administrative duties. She continued to serve the University in the position of Library Consultant until her retirement at the end of the summer term August 1951.
LOIS H. DANIEL
Lois H. Daniel earned the B.S. degree "with high distinction" from Tennessee A & I State College in 1933, the B.S. in LS from Hampton Institute in 1937, and the MA in LS from the University of Chicago in 1945. During her thirty-one tenure, 1945-1976, as Director of the Library, Miss Daniel saw the library holdings grow to include a book collection of 229,302 volumes, subscriptions to 1,588 periodicals, and a microform collection of 4,871 microfilm reels and 3,853 microfiche sheets. One of the accomplishments for which she will long be remembered was the development of the Library Service Program for training school librarians.