The Lake Placid New York Public Library is more than just a library; the library houses much of the history of the local area along with its rare books collection and general collection. The library has been intimately connected with local schools since the beginning of the twentieth century and the library is a wealth of educational information in the local area. Besides its books and educational resources the library building also houses and art gallery. This was set up specifically for the purpose of showcasing the works of artists from the Adirondack region.
The Lake Placid New York library is easy for visitors to find as it is located on the main street of Lake Placid Village. The library was the brainchild of a group of local people who got together in 1883 to campaign for Lake Placid's own library. Building began in 1884 on the site in Main Street which is where the library has been located ever since. The initial library building was the result of generously donated materials, labor and cash from the local community.
In the late nineteenth century state education boards voted for libraries in every state and this ruling served to secure the place of the library in Lake Placid. Visitors can read about and view the pictures that relate to the history of both the library and the local area at the library itself.
Guy Brewster Hughes set up the Art Gallery which is devoted to showing the works of local Adirondack artists and craftsmen. A visit to the Lake Placid library is a visit to the past and present of Lake Placid and the Andirodack region.
