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Buffalo & Erie County
Public Library

The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, based at Lafayette Square in the heart of downtown Buffalo, holds a world class collection of rare books, manuscripts, and sheet music, carefully assembled over decades through the generosity of area philanthropists, collectors and library leaders. With its origins dating back to 1836, the Library is privileged to steward a wide variety of resources valuable for research, study and interpretation, including first editions and manuscripts of works by Shakespeare, Audubon, Darwin, Galileo, Emerson, and Hubbard, among others, as well as significant collections of American and English literature, anti-slavery publications, local history and genealogy, illuminated manuscripts and early Bibles, and musical scores.

Although most of the Library’s Rare Books are accessible only by appointment, the collections form the basis for exhibits of general interest that are featured each year at the Central Library and select branch locations. Free public programming related to each exhibit’s themes is offered including author talks, film showings, children’s activities, and topical panel discussions. The Library System’s website www.buffalolib.org is the best source of updated information on all upcoming programs and events.

Mark Twain Room at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

One of the most visible treasures of the Library’s extensive collections is Mark Twain’s handwritten manuscript of the quintessential American classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain, who lived in Buffalo briefly during the early part of his newspaper career, honored the Library in 1885 with his donation of half of the original Huckleberry Finn manuscript, believing the first half had been lost by a printer. More than 100 years later, the missing portion of the manuscript was discovered in a trunk in a Los Angeles attic. The two halves were reunited in 1992 and, today, the complete manuscript of this literary and cultural treasure is showcased in its own exhibit area in the downtown Library.

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 858-8900
www.buffalolib.org