Cocke County Libraries Receive TOP Grants

Secretary of State Tre Hargett, State Sen. Steve Southerland, and State Rep. Jeremy Faison announced on Thursday the presentation of $24,230 to Cocke County libraries in TOP and Technology Grants. TOP being the acronym for Training Opportunities for the Public.

The Stokely Memorial Library in Newport is receiving TOP Grant funding totaling $4,655 to help cover the cost of new Wi-Fi hotspot devices that patrons can borrow to use at home to access the internet. The Parrottsville Community Library received $7,575 in TOP Grant funding to improve internal network connections and purchase Wi-Fi hotspot devices and received the maximum award of $12,000 in Technology Grant funding for new desktop computers, monitors, software, a laptop, a printer, and a digital camera.

This year, $400,000 in Technology Grant funding has been awarded to 88 libraries and $290,451 in TOP Grant funding to 54 libraries across the state.