Albany County Public Library
🏢 Albany County Public Library System · Laramie, Wyoming
Albany County Public Library
Founded February 2, 1887 — three years before Wyoming statehood — Albany County Public Library serves the University of Wyoming community in Laramie with nearly 140 years of history, a one-of-a-kind High Plains Seed Library, and free access to GoWYLD's 140+ statewide research databases.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 310 S. 8th Street, Laramie, WY 82070
Phone: (307) 721-2580
Website: acplwy.org
Plus Code: 85HP8C66+4R (Laramie, WY)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Albany County Public Library
Founded on February 2, 1887 — one of the oldest county library systems in the United States — Albany County Public Library has served Laramie and the surrounding high-plains community for nearly 140 years. The library traces its origins to the Wyoming Library and Literary Association established by Laramie residents in 1870. A $20,000 Carnegie grant funded a landmark library building dedicated in January 1906 at Fourth and Grand; that building hosted the community until 1981, when residents famously formed a human chain to hand-pass the book collection to the current home at 310 S. 8th Street. Today ACPL anchors learning and civic life in this University of Wyoming college town, offering deep local-history resources, a unique High Plains Seed Library (est. 2016), GoWYLD statewide digital databases, and programs serving all ages — from Book Babies to adult author talks, genealogy nights, and a Silent Book Club with the Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research.
⭐ What makes this library special
- One of the oldest county library systems in the U.S. — founded February 2, 1887, predating Wyoming statehood by three years
- Carnegie library roots: $20,000 Carnegie grant funded the beloved 1906 building at Fourth & Grand; community marked the 1981 move with a human book-passing chain
- High Plains Seed Library (est. 2016) — no library card or due dates required; heirloom and open-pollinated seeds free to all, in partnership with the Laramie Garden Club
- Wyoming Room: non-circulating local-history collection with Laramie newspapers on microfilm back to 1868, a 426-interview Albany County oral history archive, and Ancestry Library Edition
- Three-branch system serving all of Albany County: Laramie Main, Rock River Branch, and Centennial Valley Branch
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Albany County cardholders access Wyoming's statewide digital resources free from anywhere:
📚 Services
- Wyoming Room (4th floor) — non-circulating local history & genealogy reference collection
- High Plains Seed Library — free seed lending, no card or due dates required
- Free public-access computers with no library card required
- Black-and-white printing ($0.15/page) and color printing ($0.50/page)
- Scanning to USB and email
- Faxing ($2.00 first page, $1.00 each additional)
- Free public Wi-Fi in and around the library building
- Equipment checkout: headphones, DVD reader/writer, SD-card reader
- Meeting rooms available for community use
- Interlibrary loan (ILL) via WYLD statewide network
- Home delivery for patrons unable to visit due to disability or illness
- Outreach visits to local retirement residences
- Tech help appointments and Ask a Librarian reference service
🎸 Programs
- Summer Reading Program 2026 — 'Unearth A Story' (June 6–August 16), all ages
- Book Babies — free storytime and play for babies up to 2 years
- Monthly adult book clubs (in-person, virtual, and outdoor formats)
- Silent Book Club — third Tuesday monthly, co-hosted with Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research
- Genealogy programs and workshops for adults
- Seed-saving workshops (spring and harvest seasons) with Laramie Garden Club
- Author talks, game nights, and adult trivia nights
- Local candidate forums with the League of Women Voters
- Teen STEM workshops
📍 Libraries in Nearby Wyoming Counties
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does Albany County Public Library have local history resources about Laramie and early Wyoming?
Yes — the Wyoming Room is a dedicated non-circulating local-history reference collection covering Laramie, Albany County, and Wyoming. It holds Laramie newspapers on microfilm back to 1868 (including The Boomerang, Republican, and Sentinel), a comprehensive obituary index covering 1868–1964, city directories, and access to a 426-interview oral history archive from the Albany County Oral History Project. The collection also provides in-library access to Ancestry Library Edition and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.
What is the High Plains Seed Library, and does it cost anything to use?
The High Plains Seed Library, founded in 2016 in partnership with the Laramie Garden Club, is a free seed-lending program located just outside the Wyoming Room. No library card is required, and there are no due dates or fines. Patrons select heirloom or open-pollinated seed packets, grow them, and are asked to save and return a portion of next-generation seeds for the community. Annual seed-saving workshops are offered each planting and harvest season.
How far back does the library's history go, and when did it move to its current building?
Albany County Public Library was officially founded on February 2, 1887 — before Wyoming achieved statehood in 1890 — making it one of the oldest county library systems in the United States. After earlier homes in the East Side School and newspaper buildings, the library moved into a Carnegie-funded building at Fourth and Grand in January 1906 (expanded in 1927 and remodeled in 1951). On July 4, 1981, Laramie residents marked the move to 310 S. 8th St. by forming a human chain and passing books by hand from the old Carnegie building to the new one.
What statewide digital resources come with a Laramie library card?
Your ACPL card unlocks GoWYLD (gowyld.net), Wyoming's statewide platform with 140+ databases — including LearningExpress, Mango Languages, NoveList, legal resources, newspaper archives, LinkedIn Learning, and test prep. You also get free OverDrive/Libby e-books and audiobooks, plus 72-hour renewable digital passes to the full New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Cards are free for Albany County residents; default PIN is ACPL for cards issued after November 2022.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.