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Community Reads is our Lexington-wide book group. Connect with your friends and neighbors by reading the selected book, joining in a book discussion or related program, and attending a book talk with this year's featured author.
Meet with a librarian for one-on-one consultation. Please submit the Book a Librarian Appointment Request Form or call 859-231-5500 during business hours to schedule an appointment. Appointments are scheduled Monday-Friday during Library business hours and typically last 30 to 45 minutes.
Lexington, Kentucky (January 16, 2024) – Lexington Public Library is proud to announce their new Black Voices Book Club which is dedicated to discussing literary works by black authors. The Club meets on the third Saturday of each month.
Description coming soon.
Muhlenberg County Black Marriages Book c.1866
All Digital Archives Collections
Etta Evans Gilmore was born in Fleming County, Kentucky, on February 4, 1885, to Robert Evans and Matilda Fawns. She married Henry Steele Gilmore, a Bath County physician, around 1906. Their son Robert was born in 1906 and daughter…
This collection consists of Black community news published under the headline “Colored Churches,” “In Colored Circles,” or “Colored Notes”; and other articles of social interest, including marriages, public events, and obituaries.
The item contains the history of Mount Horeb Presbyterian Church, photos and biographies of ministers and founding members, and a list of member names from 1827-1952.
Compiled by Cyrus Parker Jones, a man formerly enslaved by the Parker family, these funeral notices cover 667 funerals of individuals in Lexington, including seven free blacks. The funeral notices cover the years 1806-1886. Jones…
The Daily Lexington Atlas ran from late 1847 through early 1849 and was Lexington’s first daily paper, and the first to publish information from the telegraph lines. It is described by William Perrin in his 1882 History of Fayette…
The 1906-07 Lexington cross directory contains residential and business information for the city, arranged both alphabetically and by street, with a business listing by category. It also contains city officials and departments, and…
This collection of letters to and from portrait artist Sudduth Goff (1887-1965) is part of the library's Duncan-Goff scrapbook collection.
The Elmer L. Foote Collection is a group of 190 lantern slides. They were created by Elmer L. Foote, a Cincinnati photographer and library staff member whose pictures appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
The item is a history of the theater in Lexington from 1799 to 1850, including names of theaters, actors, personnel, and plays.
Letters to and from Father William T. Punch (1874-1933). Father Punch was instrumental in building the 3rd St. Peter Catholic Church on Barr Street in Lexington, KY.
The item is a brief report on methods to revitalize the Lexington commercial district through the preservation of architecturally and historically significant structures. It includes case studies on the Keiza Barton residence, Giron’s…
This half of the record book contains burial records for St. Paul Catholic Church parishioners.
Program features the activities and accomplishments of the previous year’s Empress and Emperor while providing the layout of the current year’s coronation proceedings. Features advertisements for local businesses and photographs of the…
This letter collection was collected by Judge Kenneth Lyons. The earliest date of the letters is 1862, from Bourbon and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky. Some letters are fragments.
The diary (ca. 1899) of Katherine Pettit, details her settlement work for the Kentucky Confederation of Women's Clubs, made yearly trips to Hazard during this period and was a central figure in establishing the Hindman (Kentucky)…
This issue contains information about Kentucky highways, colleges, and agriculture. It also features articles on Bardstown and the song “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Collins Foster.
The item is a promotional pamphlet containing brief descriptions of various Lexington tourist locations.
The Lexington Weekly Press was published every Wednesday in Lexington, Kentucky, and contained local, state, and foreign news. The paper focused on Central Kentucky’s “agriculture, manufactures and fine stock”, as well as literary and…
The Kentucky Leader was published from 1888 until the name changed in 1895 to the Daily Leader. They focused on local and national news. The Daily Leader was published from 1895-1901 until the name was changed to the Lexington Leader.…
Scans of the Black Marriage records from the Courthouse in Greenville, Kentucky.
This is a handwritten series of lectures detailing Samuel D. McCullough's memories of his childhood and life in Lexington, Kentucky, accompanied by letters and a photograph of his house.
The Eastern Kentucky Review contains articles about Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College. This particular issue contains photos of buildings, graduating seniors, students, clubs, and activities, and includes photos and information…
The Daily Argonaut began in 1895 and seems to have ceased publication in 1899. This collection includes scattered issues from 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898.
The Independent Gazetteer was founded and printed by James Charless in 1803, with ads appearing in the Kentucky Gazette about its upcoming publication. The first issue was printed March 29, 1803. The paper was later sold to Robert Kay…
The Kentucky Gazette was the first paper established west of the Allegheny Mountains. The frontier paper focused on East Coast and International news, though some local announcements can be found. Later, the paper focused on…
The Kentucky Reporter is the weekly continuation of The Reporter, which changed names in October 1817. It reports on local and national news. 1827 is the only semi-weekly run of this newspaper.
The Reporter was a weekly Republican paper, occasionally semi-weekly when Congress was in session. Continued publication throughout the War of 1812.
The True American was an anti-slavery newspaper started by Cassius Marcellus Clay in June 1845. He ran the paper in Lexington until August of 1845, when he published an article deemed so incendiary that at court injunction was issued…
The item is a yearbook for the United States Army Training Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and contains photographs of the officers, NCOs, and graduates of the 8 week basic combat training. There are also many photographs of the various…
This work contains information about French Emigrants to America over the years 1789-1799, and provides a history of the French Revolution. The work was originally in French, and was translated into English by an anonymous translator…
Join librarians Alexa and Jenny as we talk books. What we're currently loving, what we're hating, and what we can't wait to read next!
The Lexington Public Library's virtual book club for our 2016 One Book One Lexington pick, How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Wonderful podcasts and walking tours have been created by our staff. Please enjoy!
Are you strange and unusual?
Do you like strange and unusual reads?
Join us at West Sixth Brewing for our monthly Cult Classics Book Club! This month, we will be discussing "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle. Copies of the book are available at the previous month meeting, or the Central Library's front desk.
Are you strange and unusual?
Do you like strange and unusual reads?
Join us at West Sixth Brewing for our monthly Cult Classics Book Club! This month, we will be discussing "We Have Always Lived In The Castle" by Shirley Jackson. Copies of the book are available at the previous month meeting, or the Central Library's front desk.
Are you strange and unusual?
Do you like strange and unusual reads?
Then join us at West Sixth Brewing for our monthly Cult Classics Book Club! This month, we'll be reading "Queer" by William S. Burroughs. Books available at the previous month's meeting, or at the front desk of the Central Library.
Join us for a preview of upcoming books from national and local publishers. Find your next favorite book! Representatives from Random House and other publishers will be here to introduce upcoming titles.
It's summer and that means vacation time, therefore we'll be celebrating with the Recipe Road Trip Edition of Bite Club! We'll be cooking our way across the USA with cookbooks focusing on Americana recipes, such as nostalgic dishes, bakes from different states, and diner food. Members can choose a recipe from one of the cookbooks provided or use their own cookbook/recipe to contribute a dish.
Join us for a preview of upcoming books from national and local publishers. Find your next favorite book! Lots of giveaways! Representatives from Random House and other publishers will be here to introduce upcoming titles.
A special presentation on "Women Spies of the American Revolution" at 2 p.m., as well as remarks by special guests, live music, and special tours of the Central Library Gallery exhibit, "Revolutionary Threads," with the descendants of the Patriots whose lives are featured in the exhibit. Organized by the Transylvania Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Registration is required; the book is available for pick up at the Beaumont Branch’s front desk. If you have any questions, please email mstout@lexpublib.org.
Join us for a preview of upcoming books from national and local publishers. Find your next favorite book! Representatives from Random House and other publishers will be here to introduce upcoming titles.
Registration is required; the book is available for pick up at the Beaumont Branch’s front desk. If you have any questions, please email mstout@lexpublib.org.
Registration is required; the book is available for pick up at the Beaumont Branch’s front desk. If you have any questions, please email mstout@lexpublib.org.
For Summer, the Blue Grass True Crime Book Club is reading & discussing David Dominé's A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City!
A special presentation on "Women Spies of the American Revolution," as well as remarks by special guests, live music, and special tours of the Central Library Gallery exhibit, "Revolutionary Threads," with the descendants of the Patriots whose lives are featured in the exhibit. Organized by the Transylvania Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Program intended for adults; all are welcome!
Write this down: Cara Romero wants to work. Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life.
