Due to the incredible response to this petition, we are happy to report that local leaders are listening to their constituents and there may be an alternate solution. We will keep you informed of any changes and updates as they happen. Please take the time to thank your local leadership for agreeing to support your libraries.

Your library is funded by Blount County, the City of Maryville, and the City of Alcoa in Tennessee. This year, the library is in serious jeopardy of not receiving adequate funding to maintain levels of library services to the community. Which means that the library may be forced to reduce hours of operation, may not be able to maintain staff, and will be forced to reduce services, programs, and collections.

But we can push back against these cuts by using this form to send an email to our local decision makers urging them to retain funding for the library.

Every $10 we raise helps us reach 1,000 more people like you to take action to support BCPL.
Please consider a $10-$25 donation to support this campaign today.

Blount County Public Library (BCPL) is a critical part of our community’s literacy, learning, and personal success from the earliest age and throughout life.  It supports the Blount County economy by providing residents with essential jobs skills and entrepreneurship services.

The Blount County Public Library serves every resident of Alcoa, Blount County, Friendsville, Louisville, Maryville, Rockford, Townsend, and Walland.

In the 2018 BCPL Patron Survey, when asked to rate the importance of the Library’s Services, sixty percent or more of the patrons indicated that the following 6 services were “very important” or “important”:

1. Access to professional library staff (73%)

2. Online services (72%)

3. Reading areas (72%)

4. Internet access (64%)

5. Online databases and other resources (62%)

6. Technology access (60%)

Critical services, resources, and opportunities provided by the Blount County Public Library are:

• Career, Workplace & Economic Development - BCPL hosts an Arconic Internship program that has seen over 91 community members either go on to higher education or be employed within the manufacturing industry. This has had an economic impact of over $2.3 million.

• Education - BCPL supports literacy efforts for all ages because a more educated community is:

  • A smarter, more prepared 21st-century citizenry

  • A more solidly networked and informed community

  • A source of people networking to make things happen

• Personal enrichment - BCPL is the information anchor for all in the community. Library services and resources provide training, skills improvement, assistance in finding work, help in building community and strengthening social connections.

• Underserved populations - BCPL offers resources and programming for communities with special needs such as Sensory StoryTime & Movies, Braille and Talking Books, Focus on Seniors, and more.

• Technology - BCPL offers access to computers, the internet, and hotspots allowing users the ability to reach family, apply for jobs, benefits, volunteer, and more.

Please take the next step by signing this petition letting your local representatives know how you value your library and the professional staff available for you. Thank you for your support.