Lewis County Awarded Grants to Renovate and Expand Library and Archives Facility

Last week, Governor Bill Lee announced that Lewis County Government had been awarded a $100,000 grant through the state of Tennessee's "Broadband Ready Communities" program, as well as an additional $1,596,114 grant through the state's "Connected Community Facilities" program.

The funding will be used to renovate and expand the Lewis County Public Library and Archives facility in order to increase broadband accessibility to our community. The project will include updating and installing broadband wiring throughout the existing building and the new addition, and create dedicated spaces for computer use and personalized instruction.

Quiet study rooms will also be built that can be used for confidential telemedicine visits, online job interviews, and virtually proctored exams. There will also be a large assembly room constructed for library functions, as well as town halls and other community meetings.

The new addition will also feature a large comprehensive library and archives collection, which will make the facility a hub for researchers, historians, students and the community at-large. It will also allow digital workforce development, virtual health monitoring, and virtual education to all take place under one roof.

According to Lewis County Public Library Director and Archivist, Crystal Nash, "The library and archives is a sanctuary of knowledge and a gateway to endless possibilities. With the support of the Connected Community Facilities grant and community donations, we are not just expanding our physical space, but our capacity to inspire, educate, and empower the community with modern resources and accessibility."

"I want to express my sincere gratitude to Governor Lee, as well as TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter and his staff, for awarding Lewis County these grants," stated Lewis County Mayor, Jonah Keltner. "I also appreciate our State Senator, Dr. Joey Hensley, and our State Representative Jody Barrett, who wrote letters of support and spoke to state officials on behalf of our community regarding these grants."

"I also want to thank Crystal Nash, Jaimee Troutt and Courtney Fellers with the Library, Houston Hamblin with Lewis County Government, and Kayla Baxter and Kayla Eubanks with the South Central Tennessee Development District; they all played major roles helping write and submit our grant applications. I also appreciate our County Commission, Library Board and Friends of the Library for proactively raising money for this project the last several years so that local funding for the required match is already in place," concluded Keltner.

The current timeline for this project includes selecting an architect and project manager by the summer, ensuring all plans and permitting are in place by the fall, and then breaking ground this winter. The goal is to have the project completed before December 31, 2025.