An anonymous local donor has given the Research Room at the Saranac Lake Free Library a substantial gift to bolster and preserve the significant collections under its care.
This donation has already resulted in the construction of additional cabinetry to securely house rare pamphlets and manuscripts. It will also enable additions to the collections such as out-of-print books, maps, old photographs, and paper ephemera.
Michele Tucker, Curator of the Room, notes that other projects, now possible and under consideration, include book restoration, an updated brochure, and a microfilm reader-printer. She adds that visiting historians and researchers – as well as local patrons – will all benefit from the upgrades and additions that this gift has made possible.
Library Director Peter Benson and the Board of Trustees are extremely grateful for this gift. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, the Room is not able to be open at present. However, Curator Tucker is available to provide assistance by phone 518-891-0807 or by email slfl.michele@gmail.com.
This special collection was established in 1923 when Alfred L. Donaldson, author of the seminal two-volume History of the Adirondacks, bequeathed his collection of regional historical material to the library.
With subsequent gifts and support, the Room and its collections are now recognized far beyond Northern New York as a major resource for “students” of Adirondack history.