In the back corner of the Columbia-Marion County Library sits a room filled with a wealth of history and knowledge.
The Charlotte Pennell Genealogy Room contains history of Mississippi, Marion County and genealogy information not found elsewhere in the library — and sometimes not anywhere else.
There are back issues of the newspaper, two drawers of vertical files of notes containing family histories, one drawer on Marion County and Columbia history and one drawer on Mississippi history.
All of these files have been donated through the years by people with an interest in preserving this area’s historical record.
Branch Manager Mona Swayze said people from all over the country have visited to do research.
“We have had people come in an RV, park in the lot and come in and use the genealogy room,” she said.
Looking at the shelves there are books containing genealogy information for several states, including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The room even contains books listing the emigrants coming over at certain periods of time. There is even a book called “Scots Banished to the American Plantations 1650-1775.”
Swayze said a former staff member was a teacher and was into genealogy. There are several books that were purchased on that staff member’s recommendation.
“One of my absolute favorite things in the room is yearbooks. We do have yearbooks from Hub and Improve schools, one from each one that was in the 60s. Most of the annuals have been donated,” she said. At one point she said there was a Bunker Hill annual.
“When it comes to family history, if we can’t find the information, we refer them to the Latter Day Saints,” Swayze said.
The room received its name in honor of Charlotte Pennell, who was the president of the Friends of the Library group. Pennell had a passion for genealogy.
Swayze said the room stays busy with a steady amount of people utilizing it.
In the day and age of technology, Swayze said the library as a whole had to step up to stay up to date. The library has computers that are always being used. The library also offers audio books and ebooks.
“Not everyone has internet at home,” she said “Adults will come here to take online classes and students come and use the computers for research.
Swayze said some people still just come in to sit on a couch and read a book.
“The library is the living room of the community,” she said.
The Columbia-Marion County Library is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Pictured Above: Bill Tate of Gulfport examines a book in the genealogy room at the Columbia-Marion County Library Wednesday. He traveled to Columbia for the day to do research. | Photo by Susan Amundson
