The William Ralston Listening Library and Archive is located on the second floor of duPont Library at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. The state-of-the-art facility offers an unparalleled teaching and learning resource and was created in memory of beloved Sewanee professor Fr. William Ralston, C’51. The Library houses an expansive collection of physical format recordings inside what many reviewers and audiophiles consider to be the best publicly-available audio playback space in the world. The Ralston Listening Library exists to bring a stunning, life-changing sonic and aesthetic experience to students and visitors. The Library's mission is entirely philanthropic, designed to spread appreciation for great music and audio to those who would not otherwise have the access or knowledge.

The William Ralston Listening Library and Archive is primarily funded by individual donations. We are grateful to the friends and music lovers who financially support the best listening experience possible for our students, faculty, and guests.

Every gift made helps support our program.

I can see music everywhere

By Wilson Audio Specialties

This is a story of friendship, tradition, and the power of shared music. How did an experience listening to classical music in a professor's living room at the University of the South in Sewanee Tennessee change a young student's life? An experience so indelible that forty years later it galvanized him to spearhead the creation of a campus listening library with 40,000 recordings, showcased in a million-dollar room with state-of-the-art audio. What impact does this unique academic facility have on the lives of the current "ear-bud generation" of students?

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