R. F. Sink Library 38 Screaming Eagle Blvd Fort Campbell, KY (270)798-5729 Hours of Operation Tue - Thu - 10AM - 8PM Fri - Mon - 90AM-5PM Closed holidays -------------------- Circulation (270)798-7466 (270)798-5729 Reference (270)956-3344 (270)956-3345 (270)956-3346 Technical Processing (270)956-3347 Interlibrary Loans (270)956-3350 Acquisitions (270)798-4827 Children's Programs (270) 956-3348 Administration (270)798-1217 Fax (270)798-0369

Situated on Screaming Eagle Boulevard just across the street from Division Headquarters and next to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, the Robert F. Sink Memorial Library has been at
the heart of Fort Campbell’s life since it opened to the public in 1967. The facility is named for Lieutenant General Robert Sink, a pioneer in the Army’s use of paratroopers in combat. The general is the character “Colonel Sink” in the best-selling book and popular television series,“ Band of Brothers”. The library was built literally in a year and a day. It was part of an ambitious program to construct four new libraries in two and half years. Designed by the Nashville architectural firm Donald Cowan and Associates and decorated by interior designer Mary Nikas from Atlanta, the new facility boasted walnut paneling and a marble moat. It was a showcase for the Army Library Program. The new millennium saw a major renovation and upgrade in 2000. This project provided a new central heating and air-conditioning system, new electrical connections and lighting, new carpeting and painting the entire building. The facility now has a staff of sixteen employees and is open fifty-four hours each week.

Sink Library offers a host of services. First-time visitors can apply for library cards at the main desk in the entrance lobby. Circulation staff process requests for library cards from new customers in a matter of minutes. A photo ID proving an individual’s status is all that is needed to get a library card. Sink Library usage is open to active-duty military and their family members, military retirees, civilian employees and contractors and students enrolled in the programs at the Army Education Center. Each family is allowed one library account established in the sponsor’s name. College students, who are not military dependents, need to provide proof of academic registration when applying for library cards. The circulation team directs patrons to new books in the collection and reserves items that are checked-out. They also show patrons how to use the online catalog available at the various OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) terminals throughout the facility.

The Reference Room has eighteen computers providing Internet access, a computer devoted to word-processing, a CD burner, a scanner and three terminals designed to keep children occupied while their parents work on projects. In addition to surfing the Net, patrons can access a host of online databases funded locally by Sink Library or by the Community and Family Support Center in Alexandria, VA. All of these databases may be accessed after hours through the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) webpage. Kentucky Virtual Library is another collection of over thirty databases where a student may search magazine and journal articles from thousands of publications. Check with the three reference librarians for assistance in using these databases and instructions on how to access them off-site. A vital part of Sink Library’s mission is supporting the academic programs of the Fort Campbell Army Education Center, one of the Army’s largest such facilities. The staff is available to give library orientations for classes or to set up special demonstrations of the available services at the request of faculty. The Reference Department also houses the Operation Iraqi Freedom News Collection. This is a compilation of over six hundred articles obtained from various Internet news sources chronicling the actions of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. Each article has been indexed by date and soldier’s name. Also, there is a complete run of the Iraqi Destiny newsletter published by the public affairs office while the division was in Iraq. Soldiers interested in professional development will find the complete collection of the titles included in the Chief of Staff of the Army Reading List. The 101st Collection, in a special section of the lobby, contains works dealing with the history of the Division and of affiliated units stationed on Fort Campbell.

Sink Library is understandably proud that the facility was designated as the Command Reference Center in 2003 for the new Southeast Region established under the IMA reorganization. As a command reference center, the library is responsible for supporting the reference and information referral programs in all of the field libraries in the Southeast United States. This means that Sink has become a digital library. The staff participates in QuestionPoint, a 24/7 interactive reference service. By going through AKO, a soldier can send in a reference question to QuestionPoint from anywhere in the world. Sink’s reference staff answers questions through this service three mornings each week.
On a local basis, questions can be emailed to the Ask-a-Librarian service.

Books automatically come to mind when talking about a library. Sink Library has a collection of nearly 70,000 volumes. Titles in the collection cover every conceivable subject area. While the aim of the facility is to provide the Fort Campbell community with the equivalent of a general public library found in Anytown USA, the collection is understandably strong in military history and topics of interest to the soldier and his or her family. The Acquisitions Librarian sees to it that the latest best-sellers are available for check-out. Patrons can request titles they would like to see added to the collection. Also, the Interlibrary Loan program enables Sink Library staff to request books on temporary loan from other libraries. These include more esoteric and out-of- print materials not on hand in the Fort Campbell facility. The facility stocks nearly three hundred popular magazines and a dozen newspapers. These include all of the local papers and such standards as the New York Times and Washington Post. The library also provides a wide array of audio-visual materials for check-out. These include videos, DVDs, compact discs and books- on-tape. All materials may be checked out for thirty days.

Making life better for Army families has always been at the center of Sink Library’s mission. Consequently, the staff offers a variety of programs throughout the year. These include an open house for National Library Week each April and a visit from Santa before Christmas. The staff also organizes displays and supports the special emphasis events hosted by the Equal Opportunity Office throughout the year. The facility contains a Children’s Room designed for beginning readers up through third grade. The adjoining Juvenile Room holds books for kids in fourth grade through junior high school. A Children’s Story Time is offered every Thursday at 10:30am and 1:30pm. The high point of Sink Library’s programming is the Summer Reading Program. Designed for children going into kindergarten through the fourth grade, the program meets each Wednesday for five weeks and culminates in a pizza party for the participants. This endeavor involves all the members of the library staff along with volunteers. The Summer Reading Program usually starts on the first Wednesday after the Fourth of July. Call the library in June for details.

In the finest tradition of General Sink, the library staff also supports the soldier in the field. Sink Library is a distribution point for DA Book kits. These are small boxes of approximately twenty- five paperback books provided by CFSC. Newly enhanced kits include compact discs, books-on- CD, DVDs and magazines. Any deploying unit going on maneuvers stateside or departing for a mission overseas is eligible to receive these kits. Just have a designated unit rep telephone the library and ask for the Acquisitions Librarian. During the deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Sink staff made a special effort to distribute books from these kits to the departing soldiers. They went out to Campbell Army Airfield at all hours of day and night and handed out nearly 22,000 books.

Just as it personified the latest thing when it opened its doors in 1967, the Robert F. Sink Library continues to be on the cutting edge of providing the latest in library and information services and technologies. Whether it’s finding a technical manual for a soldier in the field, supporting a research project for an Austin Peay student, providing a best-seller for a family member or retiree, or introducing a child to the joys of reading, the people at Sink Library are dedicated to providing the best for the best at all times. Information is our business. Air assault!