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COLUMBUS — Nesbitt Memorial Library recently installed a new touchscreen display for visitors to explore, read and view photos of historic locations in Columbus.
The large display, found in the Bill Stein Texas Room, currently features information about the buildings on the Columbus downtown square. Executive Director Lynette Weido said many of the photos included have not been viewed in years due to being available only upon request.
“Being able to start here and see and to know that now the building that I clicked on is the Southern Flair on the Square because people, they don’t have a clue,” Weido said. “You just think, ‘Oh, that’s an old building.’ Well once upon a time, that was somebody’s livelihood.”
Weido said the idea for the project came from a similar touchscreen in the Fayette County archives at the library in La Grange. Supported by grant funding from Hancher Library Foundation, Weido and paraprofessional Cody Graves delved into the project.
After the start of the fiscal year, Graves and other library staff will begin slowly working to expand the interactive database, starting with the 1000 block of Milam Street where the Brunson Building is.
Additionally, the director shared two other ongoing projects she is excited about: the upcoming move of the red house neighboring the Townsend home to the empty lot behind the library and the installation of new cabinetry for storage.
The Nesbitt Memorial Library can be visited at 529 Washington St., Columbus.
