The Friends of the Betty Anne Jolly Norris Community Library were awarded a grant totaling $3500 on May 9, 2026 from the Norris Area Community Foundation. Grants totaling $31,000 were awarded during NACF’s annual Renaissance Run, an event held to raise awareness and funds to support the Norris Area Community.
The Friends of the Betty Anne Jolly Norris Community Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and volunteer group that was organized in 2001. Its mission is to support the Norris Community Library, help promote the use of the library, focus attention on library services, and to develop supplemental funding for the library. The Friends group has assisted the library in the past with purchasing library materials, major and minor renovation, technology purchases and repair, and the annual Summer Reading Program.
The Norris Area Community Foundation is a community fund of the East Tennessee Foundation created to benefit the residents of the Norris area. It serves as a permanent charitable resource for Andersonville, Bethel, Fairview, and Norris communities. As part of this recent grant, 9 community organizations were awarded funds including: Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department, Appalachian Arts & Crafts Center, Choices Resource Center, Citizens in Support of Norris Police & Fire, Norris Area Food Pantry, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, Selfless Sportsman Association, and the Friends of the Betty Anne Jolly Norris Community Library. All grant recipients agree to a 10% match of funds upon award.
These grants funds will be used to assist the Norris Community Library in expanding its current Library of Things. A Library of Things is a collection of items available for checkout at a library that falls outside the scope of traditional books and dvds. Currently the Norris Community Library of Things consists mostly of technology items, puzzles, board games, the seed library, and early education STEAM kits. Funds will be used to purchase items for community use such as household tools, homeschool resources, exploration/enrichment items for all ages, and circulating recreation items.
For more information on the Friends of the Norris Community Library or to sign up/donate to the Friends group, please call the library at 865-494-6800, sign up in person at the library, or email friends@norriscommunitylibrary.com. The next scheduled board meeting of the Friends group is on June 6th at 10am at the Norris Community Library. Be sure to join them at the library on July 4th/ Norris Day for the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale.
For more information on the Norris Area Community Foundation, the East Tennessee Foundation, the Norris Community Library of Things, or any of the eight other organizations to receive grant funding for projects, please visit the links below.
Ask about any of these services provided by your local library!
