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Lexington Public Library Donations Received January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
A 1,200-square-foot gallery that features a wide variety of art by local and regional artists. A participating gallery at Gallery Hop.
The Undesign the Redline project unearths the deep and systemic history of structural racism and inequality in the United States. This interactive exhibit explores policies like Redlining, their implications for today, and what we can do to undesign them.
The exhibit was created by social impact design studio designing the WE and has been invited to dozens of cities across the country. A local advisory group has helped to produce local history and stories about Redlining in Lexington.
The Lexington Public Library allows access to its records, pursuant to KRS 61.870 to 61.884.
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.
A local history exhibit commemorating 250Lex from March 21 to July 13 at the Central Library Gallery, 140 East Main Street. The exhibit includes items from the library’s own Kentucky Room collection as well as loans from the Lexington History Museum, Keeneland, the University of Kentucky, and local residents.
The Lexington Public Library offers an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service which allows cardholders in good standing to borrow books and receive copies of articles we do not own and cannot purchase. Our borrowing network includes over 4,000 participating public and academic libraries.
Monday-Thursday: 9:30am-7:00pm
Friday: 9:30am-6:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am-5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm
140 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40507
We stand for free and open access to information. That starts with removing unnecessary barriers to our educational resources and technology. The Lexington Public Library no longer charges fines or fees for late, lost, or damaged material.
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 County Kentucky as a “red-hot Whig and fiery southern” publication. It contains some articles and editorials that are overtly racist, as the editors favored slavery, then emancipation only if the freed African Americans were immediately sent to Liberia. It covers the 1848 presidential election and the local election for Kentucky Governor. Perrin claims the paper had an extensive subscriber list, but had to “give up the ghost after several months disastrous experience” due to the expense of the paper.
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 Lorena in 1910. She died on December 2, 1959, in Owingsville, Bath County, Kentucky, and was buried in the Hillsboro Cemetery in Fleming County.
She lived in Bath County for the last 51 years of her life, and was active in her churches and in her role as a doctor’s wife. The diaries that she wrote touched on the many people and activities in her life. After her death in 1959 and her husband’s death in 1973, the family donated the diaries to the Bath County Memorial Library’s local history collection.
All Digital Archives Collections
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.
By using a Library-owned public computer, or by connecting your personally-owned computer or device to the LPL network, you agree to adhere to this policy. Violation of any part of this policy may result in termination of the customer’s session, with the possible loss of computer or library privileges for flagrant or repeated violation(s) at the Library's sole and exclusive discretion. Illegal acts may also be subject to prosecution by local, state, and/or federal authorities.
The Lexington city report contains a list of the city officers, and reports for the departments of public finance, public safety including police and fire departments, public property, and public works.
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.
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 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.
description coming soon.
The Lexington city report contains the reports from the city auditor, treasurer, superintendent of public works, police, fire department, detective bureau, city clerk, jailer, engineer, public library, and various charities.
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 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 scientific news, market reports, and serial stories. Local weddings, deaths, community events, and elections for Lexington and the surrounding region. The paper was sent anywhere in the United States at a cost of one dollar per year.
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. 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 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 scientific news, market reports, and serial stories. Local weddings, deaths, community events, and elections for Lexington and the surrounding region. The paper was sent anywhere in the United States at a cost of one dollar per year.
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. 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 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 scientific news, market reports, and serial stories. Local weddings, deaths, community events, and elections for Lexington and the surrounding region. The paper was sent anywhere in the United States at a cost of one dollar per year.
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. 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 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 scientific news, market reports, and serial stories. Local weddings, deaths, community events, and elections for Lexington and the surrounding region. The paper was sent anywhere in the United States at a cost of one dollar per year.
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. 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 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 scientific news, market reports, and serial stories. Local weddings, deaths, community events, and elections for Lexington and the surrounding region. The paper was sent anywhere in the United States at a cost of one dollar per year.
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. 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.
