LCL's History

The Lansing Community Library Center (LCLC) opened its doors in 2001 in response to a growing interest from local residents, young and old, in local library services. Over a seven-year period Lansing Library services grew from a designated reading room of the Tompkins County Public Library( TCPL) to a public library owned and governed by the Lansing Community. The LCLC began its life in the old Town Hall with books borrowed from the Tompkins County Public library and a dedicated volunteer staff.

On February 26, 2007, the Friends and volunteers of LCLC opened the doors to a newly expanded and renovated library. This project was fully paid for by the Friends of LCLC through grants and donations, giving the Lansing Community a debt-free, handicapped-accessible library building with a children’s room for reading and programming, a community meeting room, a periodical and reference room, administrative space, storage areas, and 25% more book space than what was available before renovations.

On December 11, 2007 the residents of the Lansing Central School District voted to permanently established LCLC as a school district public library, now called the Lansing Community Library (LCL), for the benefit and free use of all residents of the Lansing Central School District. A nine member Board of Trustees was elected whose members are authorized to oversee finances and maintain the library. In 2008 LCL became a member of the Finger Lakes Library System and received a provisional NYS Charter. Most exciting, LCL hired its first Library Manager, Susie Gutenberger, in October 2008. Later, a temporary, part-time Library Clerk, Paula Weaver, was hired using monies received from Tompkins County. Both these talented women have made a world of difference to the patrons, the library collection, and the arrangement of the stacks and displays at the library!

Funded by a grant from a local foundation, LCL in spring 2009 became a full member of the Finger Lakes Library System’s integrated library database which uses Polaris software; this system allows library staff, volunteers, and patrons full computer access to holdings in LCL and the other 32 libraries of the Finger Lakes Library System. LCL has always provided public computers and free wireless Internet access to all patrons. With holdings of over 13,000 books, CDs, DVDs, videos and books on tape, public meeting rooms, adult and children programming, art displays, reading corners, and access to every library in the Finger Lakes, LCL has become an exciting and integral part of the Lansing landscape.