The first Kentucky almanacs were printed by John Bradford, on the same printing press that published the Kentucky Gazette. The Kentucky almanacs in the library's collection contain monthly calendars…
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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.
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.
Meet the Lexington Public Library's Board, Administrative Team, and Leadership Team. Apply to work or volunteer at the library.
Teacher Time returns to the Marksbury Family Branch Makerspace July 13–17 and to the Eastside Makerspace July 20–24, with two sessions each day: 11:00am–2:00pm and 3:00pm–6:00pm.
Teacher Time is a free library program offering local educators dedicated hours and staff support to use Makerspace equipment for creating classroom resources.
Discover everything that's happening this summer at the library!
Discover free events, books, and resources exploring Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating when the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865.
Please note that all locations will be closed on June 19 in observance.
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Lexington Public Library Collection
The Lexington Public Library opened a Carnegie library in 1905. It incorporated the collections of the former subscription Lexington Library Company (est.1801) and the former Transylvania Library (est.1795). The library became a free library in 1899, shortly before moving locations. When the city outgrew the Carnegie building, the Central Library was built and it opened in 1989.
The system contains six branch locations. The largest is the Central Library, located on E. Main St. The Beaumont Branch, located on Fieldstone Way just off Harrodsburg Rd., replaced the Southside Branch in 1997. The Tates Creek Branch, located on Walden Drive, replaced the Lansdowne Branch in 2001. The Marksbury Family Branch, located on Versailles Rd at Village Dr., replaced the Village Branch in 2024 and is an English-Spanish bilingual branch with bilingual staff. The Northside Branch, located on Russell Cave Rd., replaced the previous Northside location in 2008. The Eastside Branch, located on Blake James Dr., replaced the Eagle Creek Branch in 2016.
The contents of the library's digital collection contain some images and brochures at various points in library history. The typed library history by Mary K. Bullitt was a part of the library's cornerstone collection, which was buried in 1902, during the construction of the Carnegie building. It was opened in 1989 when the library moved locations. The other images depict the construction of the Central Library from 1987-1989.
Collection Format
All Digital Archives Collections
Fayette County's buildings contain a great deal of history about the region and its inhabitants. The earliest structure in Lexington was built in 1779, the Blockhouse. Lexington currently has over 200 years of history reflected in its…
The collection consists of an image, homemade brochures, flyers, pamphlets, and programs covering LGBTQ+ events and places from 1983 to 1999 in both Lexington and Louisville. Subjects include Leigh Angelique and other drag queens, Sweet…
The Bath County Memorial Library was founded in 1949 by the Owingsville Women’s Club, and opened in January, 1950. It expanded into a bookmobile in 1953, and in 1963 moved into the old Farmer’s Bank Building at 24 W. Main St. Community…
The Black Community News Collection compiles searchable newspaper articles and ads for local Black community events, schools, social gatherings, church events, obituaries, and wedding announcements in older local newspapers in the…
The Brown-Hocker Collection is a community collection of photos and realia from African American events and people in Lexington and Kentucky history.
The objects in the collection are primarily for events in African American…
This collection contains materials from Lexington and Fayette County religious groups.
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 December 11, 1847 through November 20, 1848 and was Lexington’s first daily paper, and the first to publish information from the telegraph lines. It was supportive of the Whig Party, which counted…
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…
Various objects found in our Duncan-Goff scrapbook collection.
Elmer L. Foote served as official photographer of the Cincinnati Public Library for many years, and produced photographs that appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune during the early years of the twentieth…
Letters from and/or about Father William T. Punch and the Punch family. Donated by a Lexington resident to Lexington Public Library. Father Punch was instrumental in building the 3rd St. Peter Catholic Church on Barr…
Until 1974, Lexington and Fayette County had two separate governing bodies. Lexington itself was founded in 1775 and chartered in 1782 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly, since Kentucky itself did not achieve…
The St. Paul Catholic Church Collection includes materials from the Church's archive. The Roman Catholic church is over 150 years old, and is located on West Short Street, in downtown Lexington.
Founded in 1982 by Gigi Galore (Greg Butler) and Blanche Pink (Marlon Austin), the Imperial Court of Kentucky, Inc., is a nonprofit charity that supports the LGBTQ+ community of Kentucky “one dollar at a time” through drag…
The Judge Kenneth Lyons collection consists of an atlas, a journal, and letters. The atlas features copies of letters written on the blank pages of the atlas. The journal contains family and local history recorded by a Robert K. Bryan.…
The Junior League of Lexington (JLL) is a local nonprofit organization of women committed to improving community through volunteerism. The first Junior League was established in 1901 in New York, and Lexington followed in…
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)…
The Dunn Photograph Collection contains images of Lexington, KY taken in the 1960s and 1980s. Keller J. Dunn (1917-2000) born in Lexington, KY, shot hundreds of pictures of Lexington, primarily in the center of the…
The library's collection contains many event pamphlets for Lexington and Kentucky counties, including county anniversary celebrations, suffragette songs, chautauquas, and community events and pageants.
The photographs in the library's collection are donated from a variety of individuals.
The Ashland-McDowell Collection shows an unknown gathering of friends and family at the Ashland estate, taken circa…
The Kentucky Progress Commission was formed in 1928 in order to draw tourism and business to Kentucky. It was formed by the Kentucky Legislature, and was a 12 person board. The “Kentucky Progress Magazine” was used by the board to…
The League of Women Voters of Lexington, Kentucky, was established in 1920. It is the local chapter of a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization that encourages informed and active participation of citizens in…
The Lexington History Museum began in 1998, and opened its doors in the Old Courthouse in 2003. Its purpose is to educate Fayette County about its rich history, and preserve pieces of that history for future generations. The Old…
The Lexington Public Library opened a Carnegie library in 1905. It incorporated the collections of the former subscription Lexington Library Company (est.1801) and the former Transylvania Library (est.1795). The library…
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…
The military history collection contains relevant histories and records that focus on Kentuckians involved at home and abroad, and includes a collection of United States Army Training Center Yearbooks from Fort Knox, Kentucky. Lexington…
The Micellaneous Newspaper collection combines scattered issues of various historic newspapers in our archive collection.
Scans of the Black Marriage records from the Courthouse in Greenville, Kentucky.
The collection contains various postcards featuring places in and around Kentucky and includes a selection donated by the Knowles family. The postcards in the library's collection were donated by various individuals throughout the years…
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 lectures were apparently delivered before the…
The Schools and Yearbooks collection contains historical and modern yearbooks and other school documents owned by and donated to the Lexington Public Library.
The Daily Argonaut began in 1895 and seems to have ceased publication in 1899. This collection includes scattered issues from 1896, 1897 and 1898. The paper focuses more on sensational news and tabloid-like reporting, though it later…
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…
The Kentucky Gazette was the first paper established west of the Allegheny Mountains, founded by John and Fielding Bradford. The frontier paper focused on East Coast and International news, though some local announcements can be…
The Kentucky Reporter was published from October 1817-April 1832, by William W. Worsley and Thomas Smith. It is the direct continuation of the The Reporter. Politically, it was a Republican paper (Jeffersonian Democratic…
The Reporter was published from March 1808-September 1817, by William W. Worsley. It was a Republican paper (Jeffersonian Democratic Republican - liberal at the time). The paper was published throughout the War of 1812, and was…
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 a…
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…
The William Stamps Farish Fund Theater is a state-of-the-art facility in one of Main Street’s busiest places.
Fully renovated and updated, the theater on the Central Library’s first floor is home to theater, dance, live music, film, community events, and meetings. The Lexington Public Library makes the facility available at some of the city’s best prices, with affordable business, nonprofit, and government rates.
Celebrate Lexington, Kentucky’s 250th anniversary this April with a full month dedicated to the history and heritage of music, poetry, and literature in and around Lexington with events hosted by the Lexington Public Library, the City of Lexington, 21c Museum and Hotel, the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, Institute 193, and the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Pokémon Club is a monthly program providing young players with tools to learn and develop strategic thinking, math, and reading comprehension through the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
For ages 11-13
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Pokémon Club is a monthly program providing young players with tools to learn and develop strategic thinking, math, and reading comprehension through the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
For ages 11-13
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.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Enjoy books, music, movement, and activities that encourage early learning and promote school readiness. Recommended for ages 3-5.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Practice your reading with a therapy dog from Love On A Leash. These furry friends can't wait for their personal Storytime sessions! For Kindergarten and up.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Enjoy books, music, movement, and activities that encourage early learning and promote school readiness. Recommended for ages 3-5.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Move, sing, read, and play in this interactive storytime for toddlers and their caregivers. Recommended for ages 18 to 36 months.
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Eastside Branch - Large Meeting Room
Join us as the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office shows how to get the most out of your air fryer! Samples will be provided! Registration Required
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Move, sing, read, and play in this interactive storytime for toddlers and their caregivers. Recommended for ages 18 to 36 months.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Enjoy books, music, movement, and activities that encourage early learning and promote school readiness. Recommended for ages 3-5.
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Eastside Branch - Children's Program Room
Enjoy songs, bounces, stories, and social time for babies and their caregivers. Recommended for ages 0 to 18 months.
