Columbus Library hosts free walking history tours

It's one thing to read local history, but the Columbus Metropolitan Library wants residents to get outside to learn about their communities up close.

Why it matters: The library's free Neighborhood Walking Tours give a firsthand look at how our communities were shaped by political, social, economic and environmental forces.

How it works: Each walk begins and ends at a library branch and is led by historians Doreen Uhas-Sauer and Tom Betti.

• Water and light snacks are provided.
• Registration is encouraged on the library's online events page .

Zoom in: The first tours are Sunday and Monday in Franklinton.

• Participants will see how the devastating flood of 1913 impacted the area's architecture and visit other neighborhood anchors like Avondale Elementary School .

What they're saying: "We often have a mix of people who live in the neighborhood and those from other parts of the city, which leads to some really great discussions about the past and present," Angela O'Neal, the library system's manager of local history and genealogy, tells Axios.

The full schedule, through November:

Franklinton Branch, 1061 W. Town St.

• 2:30-4:30pm June 16
• 5:30-7:30pm June 17

Shepard Branch, 850 N. Nelson Road

• 2:30-4:30pm July 28
• 5:30-7:30pm July 29

Whetstone Branch, 3909 N. High St.

• 2:30-4:30pm Aug. 11
• 6-8pm Aug. 12

Main Library, 96 S. Grant Ave.

• 1-3pm Aug. 24 and 2-4pm Sept. 22 (Ohio Statehouse theme)
• 6-8pm Sept. 23
• 6-8pm Oct. 17 (Halloween theme)

Parsons Branch, 1113 Parsons Ave.

• 2:30-4:30pm Oct. 13
• 5:30-7:30pm Oct. 15

Northside Branch, 1423 N. High St.

• 2:30-4:30pm Nov. 3
• 5:30-7:30pm Nov. 4