MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — From paying a bill to a quick Google search, we seem to do everything online these days. So much so, that sometimes people can take internet access for granted.
However, the reality is many folks across middle Tennessee can't afford or don't have access to reliable, fast internet.
Some libraries in Wilson County are trying to solve that problem with the help of a new grant.
“We're getting 21 desktops, those are going to be the public access computers. Six are at Mt. Juliet, six are at Watertown and then we have nine at Lebanon,” said Alesia Burnley, Director of the Wilson County Library System.
Burnley has been with the library since its Dewey Decimal days.
"Gone from the card catalog up to now, accessing everything through computers,” Burnley said.
In that time, she's seen the need for internet access become more vital each year.
“We have a lot of people that come in and they need to get onto a computer to apply for a job, and they don't even know how to move the mouse around,” Burnley said.
The $100,000 grant money will help pay for 21 desktop computers, laptops, faster Wi-Fi access, and more.
In addition to expanding access to the internet within library facilities, the grant helped purchase Wi-Fi hot spots people can check out to get online at home.
Mayor Randall Hutto helped the library get the funding.
"The money came from the federal government to the Greater National Regional Council, they handle federal grants,” Mayor Hutto said.
The effort is part of the Broadband Ready Communities Program.
Hutto understands the important role libraries play in both virtual and physical connection.
“We know that that is a great place for people to come and to interconnect," Hutto said. "Coming together here, our library has just grown here in Mt. Juliet.”
Library officials said the new computers will also help with educational programs targeted for seniors and anyone who needs help getting online.
Burnley has seen firsthand the impact that connection combination can have.
“I had someone that I knew from the community, and he needed help getting a job and he couldn't use the computer," Burnley said. "I was able to sit down and he told me what to fill out in the online fields and everything for the job. And then when he came back in and he had gotten the job, that made me feel really proud.”
For more information on the services provided at Wilson County Libraries click here.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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