We love our library
The Main Library of RCPL celebrates 15 years at the corner of Assembly and Hampton Streets
Contributed by RCPL

Contributed by RCLP On February 14, RCPL celebrated 15 years in the Main Library, a 242,000 square foot facility in downtown Columbia, as well as the expansion of library locations and services throughout the county. Above is the Children's Room.

On February 14, 1993, four years to the day that residents approved the bond issue, Richland County Public Library (RCPL) opened the new 242,000- square- foot Main Library on the corner of Assembly and Hampton Streets. The county also added two new branches in Blythewood and Sandhills, and the five oldest branches were relocated to brand new buildings. Today, the library system consists of the Main Library and 10 additional locations, including The Link, Ballentine, which opened in December 2007.

The Friends of RCPL is a nonprofit organization charged with raising awareness and support for the library. For additional information on the 15th anniversary celebration, visit www.myRCPL.com or call 929-3440.

Tidbits of history

• 1700 S.C. passed the first public library law. • 1805 Columbia Library Society flourished. • 1825 Columbia supported three libraries with reading rooms. • 1850...Col. William C. Preston supported the Columbia Athenaeum at Richardson (Main) and Washington Streets donating 1600 books. • 1859 Treasurer of Columbia Athenaeum absconded with the funds. • 1865 (February 17) Sherman destroyed the Athenaeum. • 1896 Union for Practical Progress, movement to establish a general library. The Columbia Library Association was formed. First president was Dr. James H. Woodrow, nephew of President Woodrow Wilson. First librarian was Mrs. Eugene (Martha) Cramer. Library was located at the corner of Main and Gervais. • 1899 Lend a Hand Library was burned. • 1905 Library was renamed Timrod Library in honor of Henry Timrod, the S. C. poet. • 1922 Miss Annie Reese Locke became librarian. The library was supported by subscriptions and an appropriation by the City. • 1923 The library was christened the Columbia Public Library, which was at that time in the Sylvan Building at the corner of Hampton and Main. • 1926 The library operated for a brief period over Kramer's Shoe Store at 1534 Main Street. • 1928 Lucy Hampton (Mrs. Hagood Bostick) became librarian. • 1929 The library moved to the corner of Washington and Sumter Streets. With leftover insurance money from a burned bridge, Richland County gave the library financial aid. • 1930- 35 Library received annual grant from the Rosenwald Foundation. Library was extended to Richland County. The Phyllis Wheatly Branch (later Waverly) was established and small book collections were placed in Five Points, Gonzales Gardens, Eastover, and Blythewood. • 1934 The name became Richland County Public Library and was established as a county institution with a one mill tax. • 1941 County was authorized to sell bonds to build a new library but WWII caused plans to be set aside. • 1950 Construction for new building began. Library carried on at 1428 Senate Street. • 1952 New building at the corner of Washington and Sumter opened to the public. • 1961 The Cooper family built and made a donation of the John Hughes Cooper Branch Library on North Trenholm Road in Forest Acres.

Contributed by RCPL The Children's Room in the 1950s at the former library at the corner of Washington and Sumter Streets.

• 1968 Mrs. Hagood Bostick died after making immeasurable contributions toward the development of the Richland County Library. • 1969 Mrs. Anna Davis King was appointed director. During her 10 years of service new branches were opened on Devine Street, Northway Plaza, and Landmark Square. A special reading room was provided at Latimer Manor. • 1976 Richland County Public Library was the first library in S.C. to join the Southeastern Library Network. It also subscribed

to the New York Times

Information Bank. The library also began a federally funded Occupational Information System with a computer terminal. • 1979 Mrs. King retired and Mr. C. David Warren was appointed director. At this time, the library had 328,000 circulating volumes, 21,000 reference books, 182,000 members, 1046 magazines, 33 newspaper subscriptions, 7,789 phonograph records, 108 film strips, 375 movie films, 1011 maps, 18 pieces of sculpture, and an average circulation of 76,000 books a month. • 1980- 1993 the Richland County Library flourished. • 1993 The new main building was built at the corner of Assembly and Hampton Streets • 2001 RCLP was named the 2001 National Library of the Year given by Library Journal and The Gale Group. This is the highest honor a library can achieve. • 2002 RCLP ranked sixth among urban libraries according to Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) . The Richland County Public Library has ranked nationally eacch time the HAPLR Ratings were conducted.