Local History Program Coordinator at the Pekin Public Library. I oversee the library’s local history room collection, write a weekly local history column/weblog for the library, and present local history programs at the library and in the community.

Author's Articles

Last week we told of the founding of the Friends of the...

Jared L. Olar

July 1, 2021

The Pekin Public Library, with the help of the Tazewell County Genealogical...

Jared L. Olar

June 30, 2021

For those who were unable to attend Pekin’s first-ever Juneteenth celebration at...

Jared L. Olar

June 28, 2021

As we have recalled the story of the construction of the new...

Jared L. Olar

June 24, 2021

Up to this point in our series on the history of the...

Jared L. Olar

June 10, 2021

In the previous installment of our ongoing series on the history of...

Jared L. Olar

June 3, 2021

Continuing our series on the history of the Pekin Public Library, this...

Jared L. Olar

May 28, 2021

As we have recalled the early history of the Pekin Public Library,...

Jared L. Olar

May 18, 2021

Among the big changes that came to the Pekin Public Library when...

Jared L. Olar

May 13, 2021