2021 has come and gone… it was a good year for the Shelbyville—Bedford County Public Library.

Thankfully, amid several changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the library was able to remain open for the majority of the year. As with most other businesses we did have a few periods that it was necessary to close for a few days at a time, but thankfully those days were kept at a minimum.

As we make our way into 2022, we plan to continue to bring back in-library opportunities for programs as well as continue to offer online programs and events to those who like the flexibility of watching from home.

The Library is currently making plans to replace all of the computers in the Computer Lab as well as staff computer work stations and card catalogs with new devices courtesy of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Grant from the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

This is a matching grant where the library will match 20% of the funds granted by TSLA. The Grant Award amount is $25,130 for a total of $31,412 to be spent on Technology upgrades and Website redesign.

We are excited for this step in upgrading our equipment and offering the best services possible for our patrons! In addition to the ARPA Grant, The Wine Walk was held on December 10 at the 11th annual “Sip, Shop, and Stroll” on the Square. The Library is thankful to the Merchants on the Square for continuing to donate the proceeds of this event to help further the love of reading in our community!

What could be better than a glass of wine and a good book? The $2,000 raised during the 2021 event will be used in the updating of our Computer Lab. We plan on purchasing computer desks that will have dividers between each station to help offer more privacy and social distancing to our patrons.

Several more grants are in the works and are being applied for to help with safety concerns, technology updates, and other needs of the library. Our goal in 2022 is to make the library the true “hub of the community” and “To serve the community as a center for information”, as our Mission states.

We hope each of you will join us as we march boldly into 2022!