Representative John Mark Windle, Senator Paul Bailey, Senator Ken Yager and Secretary of State Tre Hargett supported the Millard Oakley Public Library with a $7,164 Training Opportunities for the Public, TOP, Grant to buy solar charging benches, Wi-Fi hotspots and provide basic computer and online Genealogy classes for their patrons.

“The computer literacy training offered by the Millard Oakley Public Library will help Overton County residents develop the skills they need to unitize today’s digital resources,” said Rep. Windle. “I appreciate the library staff’s hard work securing this grant to provide training and increase the community’s access to technology.”

“This grant will help citizens gain useful technology skills and I am glad Millard Oakley Public Library completed a successful application for these funds,“ said Sen. Bailey. “I appreciate the Secretary of State’s office for facilitating these grants and look forward to the benefits it will bring to the library.”

“I am pleased this grant will help provide much needed and in-demand needed training and services to our citizens. Congratulations to the Millard Oakley Public Library for securing these funds to benefit the community,” said Sen. Yager.

TOP Grants are administered by the Tennessee State Library & Archives, a division of the Department of State, and supported by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. TOP Grants are available for public libraries to provide digital literacy training to the public, hotspots, solar charging stations, increase internet access at the library and for the Digital Navigators pilot project.

“The Millard Oakley Public Library is working to increase internet access and digital literacy by offering classes, hotspots and a solar electronic device charging station,” said Secretary Hargett. “Thank you Rep. Windle, Sen. Yager and Sen. Bailey for supporting this grant to help local libraries meet the increased technology need in their community.”

This year, more than $349,000 in TOP Grant funding is being awarded to increase access to technology at 50 public libraries across Tennessee.