As the library staff and board get ready to hire a new director and prepare for a busy summer season with exciting activities, they are looking to both the stories of the past and hopes for the future.

Bambi Pedu will be stepping down as director of the library in June, after more than 10 years at the helm. Like the rest of her staff, she said the library is a special place for her. She remembers visiting here while growing up in Lake Placid, and she brought her daughter, Reid, to hear some of Blair’s story times.

Pedu enjoyed every part of the job, down to the seemingly mundane organizational and administrative parts. But more than anything, she loves interacting with the community, both through various forms of outreach and in the ordinary moments when people walk in the door and chat.

“Even just them coming in and chatting with you for a while, it’s just so nice,” she said. “It makes their day a little brighter.”

Bambi Pedu, director of the Lake Placid Library for more than 10 years, is stepping down this summer. Having grown up in Lake Placid, the library’s history is intricately woven into her own story. She is pictured in her office on Tuesday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

In her time at the library, she’s worked to expand children’s programming — from homework club to homeschool programs. They’ve also been active in Lake Placid Community Day and the Adirondack Family Book Festival.

“It’s just been amazing, the families that come, kids that are excited to meet their favorite author,” she said. “I mean, how can you get better than that?”

Pedu is proud of the bustling activity that is often found in the library. As she moves on, that’s the biggest thing she hopes the new director is able to continue and grow.

“We’re not a quiet library,” she said. “We’re a very active library.”

Martha Bullock joined the library board around the time Pedu became director. She said Pedu has been instrumental in creating better processes and relationships, moving the library forward while still keeping it “quaint and personal.”

The Lake Placid Library has been in the same building since it opened. It has been a fixture on Main Street all throughout its history. (Provided photo — Bambi Pedu)

“She’s brought with her a lifelong love of learning, of education — she has a teaching background as well — and community spirit,” Bullock said. “Her family, for several generations, has been very involved in the community, and I think she embodies that and all that they’ve done in so many ways.”

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A history of 140 years, give or take

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About 140 years ago, a group of residents decided they needed a library. This was around 1883, according to the library’s historical records, but the group didn’t officially meet until 1884. They found a location and the library opened in 1886. As such, the library staff aren’t exactly sure when to celebrate its 140 years, but a historical review to commemorate the occasion is underway.

Beverley Reid served as a Lake Placid Library board member for 20 years. (Provided photo — Bambi Pedu)

Pedu is amazed that the library was started by a small, grassroots effort.

“Just to know that somebody had the forethought to say, ‘We need a library, and it’s going to be in the middle of our community,'” she said. “Not on the outskirts, it’s right in the middle.”

In the 1950s, the library became an official school district library. Pedu said this was an important moment — having a dependable source of income through the school’s tax levy gives the library a lot more stability than a similar library without a tax levy might.

A vote on this tax levy will be taken tomorrow along with the school district budget vote

Pedu’s mother was the town historian in North Elba for a while and also served on the library board. There have been so many people throughout the years who have shaped the library — from longtime staff members to people at the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and the Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society. Working on an updated historical sketch is one way of telling their stories, and recognizing them for their contributions to the village.

Linda Blair has been a staff member at the library for almost 50 years. (Provided photo — Bambi Pedu)

The historical sketch from the library’s centennial traces the library’s development — including several additions made to the building — and struggles. The library was built on land owned by the Adirondack Baptist Church. The church charged the library a rent of $1 per year, then donated $1 to the Library Association, so the property cost them nothing. This friendly agreement broke down when the land was sold, but the board eventually bought the land and saved the library.

Other episodes in the library’s history are too numerous to include — from early connections to Melvil Dewey to the weathering of wars and illness (the library closed for six weeks during the 1918 influenza epidemic). There are also the names of dozens of community members who contributed to the library over the years, including librarians, assistants, custodians and donors.

Blair, who has been working at the library since 1976, is in awe of the fact that it has been able to stay in its original location. She said she takes a photo of Mirror Lake nearly every day, and points out the “Mommy Tree,” which was donated by a family in memory of their mother, who was a regular visitor to Lake Placid. The tree is a part of the native plant garden which provides a beautiful space away from the noise of Main Street, a place that belongs to everyone.

“Remember that this space belongs to you,” Blair said. “When you go back there, you choose what chair you want to sit in, okay? While you’re there, that belongs to you.”

Therese Patnode served as director of the library for 30 years. (Provided photo — Bambi Pedu)

The Lake Placid Library, which has always been in the same location, has undergone numerous expansions throughout its history. (Provided photo — Bambi Pedu)