The Columbia Chamber is proud to name Richland County Public Library as January's Partner of the Month. The Chamber appreciates our partnership with Richland Library and its generosity to not only host Chamber Issues Forum on the first Tuesday of every month, but also for their staff's willingness to open their doors earlier than normal public hours to host the event. The staff at the Library have gone above and beyond in every way to make sure Chamber Partners who attend Issues Forum are welcomed and comfortable.

The Richland Library continuously evolves to provide customized learning for all ages by offering state-of-the-art technology and a variety of literary and cultural programs throughout their 12 facilities in Richland County. As the learning needs of our community changes, the services that Richland Library provides have also adapted. The library offers more business and career services than ever before, as well as, programs and events to help entrepreneurs create a plan for getting their vision started. Richland Library's Café Head Chef Sarah Simmons is a phenomenal example of how the library worked with an entrepreneur to create her vision of opening a café in the library. Chef Simmons continues to host entrepreneurial classes and has started a culinary residency for those who are interested in potentially opening their own café.

Richland Library is an integral part of the fabric of our community and accommodates people from all walks of life. One way the library is making connections outside the brick and mortar is through their Short Story Dispensers which are popping up all over the city. Whether you have five minutes or 30, you can read stories from their database of about 80,000. This is a fun and easy way to encourage people to read where ever they may be.

Learn more about Chef Sarah Simmons, HERE.

Learn more about Short Story Dispensers, HERE.

To learn more about Richland Library, please visit their website, Facebook, or Twitter.

The Partner of the Month spotlights Chamber Partners who have shown great efforts in assisting the Chamber's mission to create and promote an environment where businesses can flourish in the region.

The Partner of the Month is chosen based on community involvement, local leadership efforts and utilization of Chamber Partnership. For a full list of requirements and benefits, or to nominate a current Chamber Partner, fill out form here.

For more information about the Partner of the Month, contact Chelsey Allen.