Genealogy & Local History
The Kentucky Room, located on the third floor of the Central Library, contains a wealth of information about Kentucky and Fayette County. The collection features books on all aspects of Kentucky, subject files on Kentucky and Lexington, local newspapers, city directories, maps, and state and local government documents, including select census and vital records. The Lexington Public Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.
You can contact the Kentucky Room at 859-231-5500, ext. 1008, or by email with questions and specific information requests.
Want to learn about upcoming events and new collections? Subscribe to our Genealogy & Local History newsletter.
Help us transcribe handwritten items in the Digital Archive!
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.
Created by the Lexington Public Library's Kentucky Room staff and powered by Google Maps. Maps are available for Fayette and several surrounding counties.
These services can be accessed for free with your library card. Book a Librarian for a quick, one-on-one tutorial.
Ancestry Library Edition
Start your genealogy search with billions of records including census data, vital records, directories, photos and more. Available only to customers inside Lexington Public Library locations. Provided by the Kentucky Virtual Library.
Heritage Hub
Search for obituaries and death notices from newspapers around the country.
Lexington Herald-Leader Digital Issues
Read the Lexington Herald-Leader in its original printed format, including pictures. Digital issues from January 1, 2016 to present.
Lexington Herald-Leader Text Archive
Lexington Herald-Leader full text article search beginning from April 25, 1983.
Local History Index
Search selected articles in Lexington newspapers about significant people, places, and events from 1787-2007.
