By providing for the upkeep of his collection of books as a library, John Gray of Aberlady was instrumental in the establishment of one of the first public libraries in Scotland. His will stated that the magistrates of Haddington (his birthplace) were to administer his bequest.

This is a dedication panel or memorial comprising black painted wood boards with gold text mounted in a purple painted carved wood frame. The text records a bequest of MR JOHN GRAY MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT ABERLADY who died in 1717.

Responsibility for library provision in East Lothian was assumed by the County Council between 1960 and 1972. This rationalised a service that had grown from, amongst others, burgh libraries (Haddington town and Country Library), donations (Haddington's Gray Library, 1717), commercial subscription (Samuel Brown's itinerating libraries, 1817) and Carnegie funds (Prestonpans, 1905). The service issued around 800,000 items annually by 1999.