News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Millard Oakley Public Library has mutliple opportunities for improving services with federal funding.
Director Cynthia Julian-Simmons said the library has applied for an up to $25,000 American Rescue Plan Tech grant. Julian-Simmons said new computers, eBooks, and furniture are all possibilities.
Julian-Simmons said creating individual pods for patrons to have private meetings online tops the list of exciting opportunities.
“Our whole area of business, our whole area of health is moving much more to an online presence,” Julian-Simmons said. “Not everybody has caught up to that in their personal life and it may just be because they don’t understand technology, it may be because they can’t afford technology
Julian-Simmons said there is a push to fill the technology gaps in local patron’s lives. Julian-Simmons said the library does not have any areas right now that would offer this level of privacy.
“It’s a place that you can go while you’re here at the library and be able to have a telehealth appointment, so you can be talking to your doctor but still have privacy,” Julian-Simmons said. “You could be doing a job interview online that way. You could be doing anything that you need to do with someone over the phone, online where you really want some privacy.”
She said that if the library receives the grant, she would like to add new computers and individual tables for social distancing. Julian-Simmons said there are currently six computers newer than five years old.
“What we’re going to concentrate on is really upping that and getting newer computers so that those numbers are better,” Julian-Simmons said. “We’re going to ask for five public-access computers.”
Julian-Simmons said the library has the funding for the 10 percent match on the grant. She said the next step towards this grant becoming a reality is getting everything submitted by the middle of August deadline.
