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The Lexington Public Library’s Digital Archives provide open access to researchers and students to learn more about the rich history of Lexington and Fayette County. It contains a fraction of the Library’s physical holdings, which are housed and available for reference in the Kentucky Room at the Central Library. New material is being digitized and added constantly, so there's always something new to find.
The archives have a simple keyword search, and it is possible to browse the collections by subject, area, or decade. The Lexington Public Library actively reviews and labels materials in our archives with statements that indicate how you may reuse the images, and what sort of permission, if any, you need to do so. Please check the information for each image to determine its legal status.
The Lexington Public Library’s Digital Archives provide open access to researchers and students to learn more about the rich history of Lexington and Fayette County. It contains a fraction of the Library’s physical holdings, which are housed and available for reference in the Kentucky Room at the Central Library. New material is being digitized and added constantly, so there's always something new to find.
The archives have a simple keyword search, and it is possible to browse the collections by subject, area, or decade. The Lexington Public Library actively reviews and labels materials in our archives with statements that indicate how you may reuse the images, and what sort of permission, if any, you need to do so. Please check the information for each image to determine its legal status.
Discover unique resources in our Digital Archives that tell the story of Fayette County. Visit cemeteries throughout Central Kentucky using our cemetery maps. Contact our resident experts in the Central Library's Kentucky Room with questions. The Lexington Public Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.
The directory contains the streets, subdivisions, churches, county seats, and city limits for Lexington and Fayette County.
The Lexington Public Library believes this item is in the public domain and has no known US Copyright restrictions; however, it may be subject to rights of privacy, publicity, or other restrictions. Use and reproduction restrictions Though not required, we would greatly appreciate our collection users to credit us as the source. Please use the following statement, "Courtesy of the Lexington Public Library," and provide a link back to the item or collection on our Digital Collections site, www.lexpublib.org/digital-archives. Doing so helps us track how our collections are used and helps justify freely releasing more content in the future. Please contact the library at elibrarian@lexpublib.org for permission questions, collection information, and higher resolution image requests.
Celebrate Lexington, Kentucky’s 250th anniversary all year long. Join us for programs, galleries, podcasts, and more highlighting our city’s history, heritage, and legacy.
The Lexington Public Library’s Digital Archives provide open access to researchers and students to learn more about the rich history of Lexington and Fayette County. It contains a fraction of the Library’s physical holdings, which are housed and available for reference in the Kentucky Room at the Central Library. New material is being digitized and added constantly, so there's always something new to find.
The Lexington Public Library’s Digital Archives provide open access to researchers and students to learn more about the rich history of Lexington and Fayette County. It contains a fraction of the Library’s physical holdings, which are housed and available for reference in the Kentucky Room at the Central Library. New material is being digitized and added constantly, so there's always something new to find.
Fayette County, Kentucky, has changed enormously since it was created in 1792. This collection contains government documents for the city of Lexington, for Fayette County, and for the merged Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, as well as funeral notices, club directories, scrapbooks, image collections and a history of Lexington Public Library.
Wonderful podcasts and walking tours have been created by our staff. Please enjoy!
The Kentucky Room's collections contain Lexington's residential directories going back over 200 years, and are some of the most useful resources for researchers looking for family information, neighborhood histories, and house histories.
Download eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more – free with your library card.
The Lexington Public Library has made an effort to ensure that all of our digital collections are public domain, or that we have gotten approval from the copyright holders to display their work. Most - but not all - of these collections, to the best of our knowledge, have no known US copyright restrictions. Some items in the collection are under copyright but qualify for online display by libraries under Section 108(h) of United States Copyright Law. Some of the collections provided in the Library's Digital Archives are made available under an assertion of fair use, which does not necessarily apply to an individual's use of them.
The publication is a report of the Fayette County soil uses, classifications, physical and chemical properties, and usability, along with many soil maps of Fayette County.
The Lexington Public Library believes this item is in the public domain and has no known US Copyright restrictions; however, it may be subject to rights of privacy, publicity, or other restrictions.
Use and reproduction restrictions Though not required, we would greatly appreciate our collection users to credit us as the source. Please use the following statement, "Courtesy of the Lexington Public Library," and provide a link back to the item or collection on our Digital Collections site, www.lexpublib.org/digital-archives . Doing so helps us track how our collections are used and helps justify freely releasing more content in the future. Please contact the library at [elibrarian@lexpublib.org] for permission questions, collection information, and higher resolution image requests.
The housing report covers Lexington compared with other urban areas in 1940, real property surveys, variations by ward, housing indices, measures to be taken to improve housing, specific substandard areas, the Housing Act of 1949, dwelling units constructed since 1940, and housing needs by 1975.
The Lexington Public Library believes this item is in the public domain and has no known US Copyright restrictions; however, it may be subject to rights of privacy, publicity, or other restrictions.
Use and reproduction restrictions Though not required, we would greatly appreciate our collection users to credit us as the source. Please use the following statement, "Courtesy of the Lexington Public Library," and provide a link back to the item or collection on our Digital Collections site, www.lexpublib.org/digital-archives . Doing so helps us track how our collections are used and helps justify freely releasing more content in the future. Please contact the library at [elibrarian@lexpublib.org] for permission questions, collection information, and higher resolution image requests.
The city report covers the outline of a citizen participation work plan and its connection with neighborhood groups, as well as the results of those meetings and community concerns that took place throughout 1969. It contains neighborhood maps, images of news articles, and and project methodology.
All Digital Archives Collections
Description coming soon.
The 1940 Lexington cross directory contains residential and business information for the city, arranged both alphabetically and by street, with a business listing by category, and an advertisement section. It also contains city officials and departments, and basic historical and landmark information.
The Lexington Public Library believes this item is in the public domain and has no known US Copyright restrictions; however, it may be subject to rights of privacy, publicity, or other restrictions. Use and reproduction restrictions Though not required, we would greatly appreciate our collection users to credit us as the source. Please use the following statement, "Courtesy of the Lexington Public Library," and provide a link back to the item or collection on our Digital Collections site, www.lexpublib.org/digital-archives . Doing so helps us track how our collections are used and helps justify freely releasing more content in the future. Please contact the library at [elibrarian@lexpublib.org] for permission questions, collection information, and higher resolution image requests.
The city report covers the outline of a citizen participation work plan and its connection with neighborhood groups. It contains neighborhood maps and backgrounds, as well as contact information for various local community groups.
The Lexington Public Library believes this item is in the public domain and has no known US Copyright restrictions; however, it may be subject to rights of privacy, publicity, or other restrictions.
Use and reproduction restrictions Though not required, we would greatly appreciate our collection users to credit us as the source. Please use the following statement, "Courtesy of the Lexington Public Library," and provide a link back to the item or collection on our Digital Collections site, www.lexpublib.org/digital-archives . Doing so helps us track how our collections are used and helps justify freely releasing more content in the future. Please contact the library at [elibrarian@lexpublib.org] for permission questions, collection information, and higher resolution image requests.
The city report covers the outline of a citizen participation work plan and its connection with neighborhood groups, as well as the results of those meetings and community concerns that took place throughout 1969. It contains neighborhood maps, images of news articles, and and project methodology.
The Lexington Public Library believes this item is in the public domain and has no known US Copyright restrictions; however, it may be subject to rights of privacy, publicity, or other restrictions.
Use and reproduction restrictions Though not required, we would greatly appreciate our collection users to credit us as the source. Please use the following statement, "Courtesy of the Lexington Public Library," and provide a link back to the item or collection on our Digital Collections site, www.lexpublib.org/digital-archives . Doing so helps us track how our collections are used and helps justify freely releasing more content in the future. Please contact the library at [elibrarian@lexpublib.org] for permission questions, collection information, and higher resolution image requests.
These tours are guided audio walking tours with a variety of topics focused on Downtown Lexington, KY. Music will play in between each stop, and the listener can pause the track while walking between stops.
Want to learn about new tours as they become available? Subscribe to our Genealogy & Local History newsletter.
The Digital Studio provides people of all skill levels the tools for filmmaking, photography and digital art, music making, and media preservation.
The library has a variety of directories and yearbooks with local information. In the library's current digital collection, there is a selection of residential and street directories, yearbooks, school directories, and organizational directories. These are all fully word-searchable.
