Curious about the history of your home? 🏠 As part of the City of Columbia’s National Historic Preservation Month activities, we hosted a program at our Walker Local and Family History Center highlighting tools available through the library to research your historic Columbia home. Here are a few online resources to help you get started: -Fire Insurance Maps (FIMo): Explore a digital collection of historical fire insurance maps searchable by address to see how your property and neighborhood have changed over time. -Plumbing Inspection and Building Permits Collection: Access inspection records and building permits from specific periods of the early 1900s to learn when certain updates were made to your home. -NewsBank: Search archived South Carolina newspapers for mentions of your address, past residents, and neighborhood events. Want to dig deeper? Stop by the Walker Local and Family History Center. (fb)

We are deeply grateful to longtime supporter Frank Baker for his recent $10,000 gift to the Richland Library Friends and Foundation in loving memory of his brother, John Baker. John Baker was a dedicated advocate for Richland Library, having served with distinction on the Richland County Public Library Board of Trustees for 15 years, including two years as Board Chair. He was also a beloved figure in the Columbia community—an influential leader in the Jewish community and a committed philanthropist whose support touched many area nonprofit organizations. Both John and Frank Baker have a long and generous history of supporting Richland Library, with a particular focus on children’s programming. To honor John’s memory and reflect his deep love for jazz music and lifelong support of literacy, Frank Baker has designated his gift to fund a jazz performance and book distribution event for Richland One Title I students. This gift not only celebrates the enduring impact of John Baker’s service but also amplifies Richland Library’s mission to create equitable opportunities for learning, expression, and discovery for all. (fb)