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Lexington Public Library Digital Archives

Elmer L. Foote Lantern Slide Collection

Elmer L. Foote Lantern Slide 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.
Collection Format

All Digital Archives Collections

Bath County Memorial Library Collection

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…

Black Community News

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.

Celebration of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Ministry of Mark Collis

Program details the agenda of the December 31, 1916, service commemorating the 25th anniversary of Rev. Mark Collis's affiliation with Broadway Christian Church.

Cyrus Parker Jones Funeral Notices

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…

Directory Collection

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…

Duncan-Goff Scrapbook Collection

This collection of letters to and from portrait artist Sudduth Goff (1887-1965) is part of the library's Duncan-Goff scrapbook collection.

Elmer L. Foote Lantern Slide 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.

Father William T. Punch Letter Collection

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.

Government Documents Collection

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…

Historic St. Paul Catholic Church

This half of the record book contains burial records for St. Paul Catholic Church parishioners.

Imperial Court of Kentucky

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…

Judge Kenneth Lyons Collection

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.

Katherine Pettit Diary

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)…

Kentucky Progress Magazine (1928-1936)

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 title recounts the history of the various kinds of entertainment in early Lexington, including names of theaters, actors, producers, and plays.

Lexington Weekly Press (1881)

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…

Miscellaneous Newspapers

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.…

Muhlenberg County Black Marriages Book c.1866

Scans of the Black Marriage records from the Courthouse in Greenville, Kentucky.

Sam'l D. M'Cullough's Reminiscences of Lexington

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.

Schools and Yearbooks Collection

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 (1895-1899)

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 (1803-1804)

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 Reporter (1817-1830)

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 (1808-1817)

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 (1845-1847)

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…

Voyages, Adventures and Situation of the French Emigrants, translated by A Lady Thumbnail

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…

Friends of the Lexington Public Library provides financial, advocacy and volunteer support to the Library.  Shop at the Friends Book Cellar in the Central Library for a great selection of used books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, and vinyl records, all at discounted prices.

Several pieces of equipment require additional supplies such as PLA filament, vinyl, and metal backings. Some supplies are available for purchase in our learning spaces. Customers ages 13 and up who have signed the Experiential Learning Agreement and Equipment Use Policy, which is available to sign in-person at any of the four learning spaces, and live in Fayette County or a reciprocal county receive an $8 credit each month for material purchases. If you exceed this credit, you can still purchase additional supplies using credit, Mobile App Pay or Mobile Pay, or tapping to pay.

Highlight

The Lexington Public Library is home to four collaborative creative spaces for making, learning, exploring, and sharing. These spaces offer a variety of events, high-tech and low-tech equipment for patron use, and serve as a space to build community, explore your creativity, and develop personal interests.

Sample projects

Film a music video, 3D print a fidget toy, digitize old family photos, sew a costume or mend your favorite pair of pants, embroider a t-shirt, comb bind a book, start a podcast, record in the audio booth, create content with the green screen, make custom magnets or buttons, engrave a keychain, print a poster, make custom stickers, and more.

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Find out what's happening at our locations.  Browse upcoming events and discover our dedicated learning spaces.  Reserve a meeting room.  Explore our galleries and special collections.

Primary Page

Read articles from magazines and journals, learn a new language, or locate a newspaper article. These resources can't be found with a search engine but are available for free with your library card.

When you log into many of our services, you'll be asked to provide a PIN (Personal Identification Number) in addition to your library card number.  Your default PIN is typically the last 4 digits of the phone number on file for your account.

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This is your gateway to our most popular resources.  Search for books and eBooks, access tools for research and learning, and discover our unique collection of genealogy and local history materials.

Embroidery machine

Audio booth

Audio booths are outfitted with a microphone, computer, headphones, and other recording equipment and software. 

Musical instruments are available at the Northside Digital Studio audio booth. 32 GB flash drives are available for purchase at the Digital Studio, but you may need to bring additional storage depending on the size of the project.  

Visit the following learning spaces to get started.

Audio booth
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Have a question?  Ask us!  You can contact us via email, phone, chat, or text.  Book a librarian for one-on-one help.  Suggest a purchase to help us improve our collection.

Primary Page

Download eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more – free with your library card.

Highlight

The governance of Lexington Public Library is under the direction of 7 Trustees and up to 10 Advisors who guide the long-term strategies for the Lexington Public Library, including the long range plan, annual budget cycle, advocating for the library and for library customers, and policy recommendations.

Board Member
Board of Trustees

Casandra Hockenberry is a Program Manager with The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation, where she works across a broad number of initiatives at the crossroads of data, technology and improved outcomes for citizens. She manages the Apprenticeship Data Alignment and Performance Technical Assistance Center, which is dedicated to assisting states to improve their data collection on apprentices in order to support successful programs throughout the country, the Overseas Voting Initiative, which researches ways to improve the voting process for military and overseas citizens.

Board Member
Board of Trustees
Treasurer

Stephanie has been in the financial industry since 1993 and has a bachelor’s degree in finance is from the University of Kentucky.  She is passionate about community involvement and that includes current board positions on the Lexington Public Library and a member of the finance council of the Diocese of Lexington. She is a past board member of Surgery on Sunday, Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center, the Lexington Chapter of the American Red Cross and a past Trustee for Lexington Catholic High School, which she chaired for several years.

Embroidery machine

Laminator

Laminate printed materials. Lamination is priced per page or linear foot, depending on the machine you use. 

The Eastside Makerspace offers a large-format laminator that can laminate items up to 24 inches wide. Both Makerspaces and the Northside Digital Studio offer a pouch laminator that can laminate 8.5 x 11-inch or 11 x 17-inch items.

Visit the following learning spaces to get started.

Laminator
Embroidery machine

Media digitization equipment

Digitize cassettes, Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs, records, VHS, slides, and negatives. 32 GB flash drives are available for purchase, but you may need to bring additional storage depending on the size of the project.

Visit the following learning spaces to get started.

Media digitization equipment
Embroidery machine

Scanners

Use these to scan and digitize documents, family photographs, and other print items.

The Northside Digital Studio has 32 GB flash drives that are available for purchase, but you may need to bring additional storage depending on the size of the project.

Visit the following learning spaces to get started.

Scanner
Lexington Public Library Digital Archives

Black Community News Collection

All Digital Archives Collections

Bath County Memorial Library Collection

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…

Black Community News

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.

Celebration of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Ministry of Mark Collis

Program details the agenda of the December 31, 1916, service commemorating the 25th anniversary of Rev. Mark Collis's affiliation with Broadway Christian Church.

Cyrus Parker Jones Funeral Notices

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…

Directory Collection

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…

Duncan-Goff Scrapbook Collection

This collection of letters to and from portrait artist Sudduth Goff (1887-1965) is part of the library's Duncan-Goff scrapbook collection.

Elmer L. Foote Lantern Slide 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.

Father William T. Punch Letter Collection

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.

Government Documents Collection

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…

Historic St. Paul Catholic Church

This half of the record book contains burial records for St. Paul Catholic Church parishioners.

Imperial Court of Kentucky

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…

Judge Kenneth Lyons Collection

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.

Katherine Pettit Diary

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)…

Kentucky Progress Magazine (1928-1936)

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 title recounts the history of the various kinds of entertainment in early Lexington, including names of theaters, actors, producers, and plays.

Lexington Weekly Press (1881)

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…

Miscellaneous Newspapers

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.…

Muhlenberg County Black Marriages Book c.1866

Scans of the Black Marriage records from the Courthouse in Greenville, Kentucky.

Sam'l D. M'Cullough's Reminiscences of Lexington

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.

Schools and Yearbooks Collection

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 (1895-1899)

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 (1803-1804)

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 Reporter (1817-1830)

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 (1808-1817)

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 (1845-1847)

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…

Voyages, Adventures and Situation of the French Emigrants, translated by A Lady Thumbnail

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…