Constructed in the late nineteenth century, when Shadowgard Heights was still the affluent center of town, the Lawson Library was the first public library in Shadowgard, and the most popular such institution in Kerry County up until the construction of the Williams Library in 1948. Today, the decaying three-story stone building is the city's auxiliary branch, perpetually underfunded and understaffed. Its permanent collection is rather small and anemic, catering to the tastes of local senior citizens and the kids who frequent its children's library; but, thanks to its membership in the Kerry County Library Network, the Williams Library's patrons are at least able to request other materials through interlibrary loan. The Lawson Library itself also doubles as a small community center of sorts, offering free meeting space in its respectably sized basement and on the library's upper stories.