06/26/2026
Love to see the plans for the Dandridge Memorial Library coming along!! We're so excited!! 🤩
It’s been a long time coming, so the energy at Tuesday afternoon’s groundbreaking for a new $4.2 million Dandridge Memorial Library was especially strong.
“Public libraries are, in my opinion, everything that is good about a community,” Dandridge Library Director Bethany Jones told the gathering. “They were born out of the idea that education, information, imagination and connection were too important to depend on a person’s income level.”
For 30 years, library representatives have been looking for a way to grow. The “once in a lifetime opportunity” came when Jones’ application for a $1.8 million Connected Communities Facilities Grant was approved. Since then, Dandridge Council stepped in with donation of the 1135 Academy Circle site and an $800,000 contribution.
The Library Foundation Board used most of its available cash to provide the $200,000 match for the grant, and the Tennessee State Library and Archives will contribute $200,000. Other contributions have brought the total available to more than $3.2 million, and supporters are working hard to close the rest of the funding gap.
“If we all invest a little, the benefits — from the top of the economic ladder to the bottom — are greater than any of us can achieve alone,” said Jones. “In just about 10 months, this dirt pile will be transformed into something all of us here can reap the benefits of — a beautiful, modern library, with books for everyone; resources for those in need; and spaces for studying, collaborating, learning, growing and connecting.”
Read more about the new Dandridge Library, which is expected to open in May 2027, in today's Standard Banner, on newsstands now, or at link in comments!
