The beloved Main Library in downtown Nashville will reopen Monday, March 30, during normal weekday operating hours of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Customers will be able to access all public areas of the Main Library, except for the Conference Center area. Customers can visit the building, browse the collection, check out materials, sign up for library cards, and use public computers and WiFi.
Beginning on reopening day, customers can also place holds on books and materials to pick up at Main at future dates, get important details about your pending requests and held items. The Main Library will not offer any special events or programming on reopening day.
The Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) owns the garage adjacent to the Main Library, which remains closed. No validated public parking for Main Library customers (1.5 hours free) is available at this time, due to the garage’s closure. NPL is actively exploring options with nearby garages to support public parking needs during this interim period and will continue to provide updates.
In Branch news, Thompson Lane branch will close for maintenance beginning Monday, March 30 and the Green Hills branch is closed for a full renovation through the spring, summer, and fall of 2026.
Restoration experts, environmentalist professionals, and industrial hygienists began working 24 hours a day in 12-hour shifts immediately following the fire to thoroughly assess the Main Library, which measures roughly 300,000 square feet across five levels.
Their impact assessment showed that more than 90 percent of the building sustained very light soot and smoke impact. Light impact occurs when residue found on a surface — a table or furnishing, for example — is so minimal that it cannot at first glance be differentiated from normal dust typically found in any building or workplace. Meanwhile, less than 10 percent of the building — primarily the Conference Center area on the first floor — sustained moderate or heavy impacts. Moderate impact occurs when a surface is still visible through soot, and heavy impact occurs when a surface cannot be seen through soot. Air quality within the Library has been restored to normal. Ninety-nine percent of books and materials housed at the Main Library were fully restorable with a light cleaning. Restoration experts also evaluated artwork and other assets throughout the building.
NPL announced the debut of two new video productions by Nashville Education, Community, and Arts Television (NECAT) based on the Wishing Chair Productions (WCP) 2025 musical adaptation of “Goldilocks” — one of which recently earned Emmy® Award nominations.
“Goldilocks” premiered at the Main Library’s Children’s Theater in spring 2025. NECAT’s new expanded video release features the entire puppet show, plus new scenes and musical interludes, bringing the vintage Tichenor marionettes — and the Wishing Chair Puppet Troupe — closer to the audience than ever before. A second video, “GoldieDoc: A Wishing Chair Stringtacular,” provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, from prop and set design to soundtrack sessions featuring in-house talent and Music City heavy hitters. Studio Manager Cameron McCasland produced both videos for television at NECAT studios.
A creative team consisting of WCP Program Manager Bret Wilson, Musical Director Steve Stokes and Audio Engineer Travis Humbert developed the soundtrack for “Goldilocks.” Wilson’s baritone is on display as the voice of Papa Bear, and Nashville session singer and actor Jenny Littleton (“The Doyle & Debbie Show,” “Dead Sea Squirrels”) voices the titular character with charm and whimsy. Music City performers include Brandon Moore on saxophone (Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood) and Steve Patrick on trumpet (Elton John, Marvel’s “Spider-Man”). Watch both videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@necatnetwork/videos
