Mission:
The Lenox Library provides equal access to information and ideas through a wide variety of materials and programs for community members of all ages.
How do we do this? By being a vibrant community resource to the public through convenient hours, accessibility and professionally chosen resources and programs.
Vision:
Since 1855, The Lenox Library has played an important role in the community. We will continue to be an active participant in developing an enriched, informed and connected community by providing a welcoming atmosphere and relevant services, materials and technologies that encourage life-long education and personal enjoyment.
The Library’s resources, programs and services aim to enhance the quality of life for all Berkshire residents and visitors. Our intent is to build on this solid foundation by promoting the following outcomes in our community:
Readiness to learn
Life-long education
Personal enrichment
Participation in community and civic affairs
Appreciation for our local history
Values:
Responsibility to offer quality library services
Responsiveness to the community’s needs
Utilization of modern and emerging technologies
Encouragement of a love of reading and learning for all ages
Accessibility to the historical legacy of Lenox
History:
The stately Greek revival building with its majestic ionic columns and elegant cupola was designed by Captain Isaac Damon and built on Main Street in 1815-1816. The building served as the county courthouse until 1868 when the county seat was moved to Pittsfield. In 1871, Mrs. Adeline Schermerhorn, a wealthy summer resident, purchased the building for use as a "public library and reading room free to all visitors and inhabitants of Lenox." The Lenox Library Association, incorporated in 1856, moved into the building in 1874, and the space has been operating as a library since that date. Beginning in the 1890s, the building also housed Lenox's only town doctor, first telephone switchboard and fire alarm system. (Within its walls, it even contained both a jail and the offices of the Lenox National Bank.) Today, the Library is designed as a National Register Historic Building.
Mrs. Schermerhorn's contribution marked the beginning of the long and fruitful relationship between the "cottages" and the Library. From the mid-19th through the early 20th century, well-known families such as the Vanderbilts, Carnegies, Sloans, Morgans and Westinghouses established imposing summer homes here, making the name "Lenox" synonymous with culture and style. Even during these early years, however, the Library was not merely an organization for the epoch's elite. but also an important civic center.
