Putnam Applies For Grant To Expand Library

Putnam County applying for a two million dollar grant to expand the county library’s Cookeville branch.

County Mayor Randy Porter said the library has run out of space. He said the facility has not expanded since it was built in the early 1970s. The county applied for the same Community Facilities Grant last year but did not receive it.

“We would add computer space for them to be able to train individuals on how to use online medical care,” Porter said. “How to do online forms for social security and disability and all those kind of things. So it’ll have a small training room in it.”

Porter said the expansion will be around 2,200 square feet of new space that would properly support the library for several years. Porter said they should hear back from the state early next spring to learn if they have been awarded the grant.

“If we get this grant we’ll save taxpayer dollars and the grant will pay for ninety percent of it,” Porter said.

Porter said they will have very little land left open around the library once the expansion is complete.

“We border right up on the history museum and the park and we’re looking at putting this expansion in and doing some extra parking and that will pretty well take up what we’ve got,” Porter said.

Porter said the expansion is part of the county’s five-year plan and will happen whether or not the county receives this grant.