Feb 01, 2002 — In the Adirondacks, the local library is often the most vital place in town. In many hamlets and villages, the library serves as a meeting place, a center for culture and community, as well as a place to borrow books. Those little libraries were joined by a major colleague this week, as Paul Smiths College opened its new Joan Weill Adirondack Library. At a ceremony to mark the opening, writer Tom Hughes read an essay about his own love for books. Hughes now publishes Adirondack Life magazine, but he says his romance with literature and libraries bloomed late in life.