

Website Search

The city reports and ordinances for Lexington contain a wide variety of information about the people, infrastructure, and businesses.
We are working to raise $5 million to build the library our community deserves — and we are over 80% of the way there! We need you to help us cross the finish line. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a lasting positive impact on our community.
Your donation will support the spaces and programs the new library will bring to the community. Gifts are tax deductible and can be made over a five-year pledge period.
Thank you for investing in your public library.
All databases are available from this page.


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.

The Take Back Cheapside Collection is a community collection from DeBraun Thomas. The featured postcard of the historic Fayette County Courthouse at was used as a part of the Take Back Cheapside movement in Lexington in 2017.

The Dunn Photograph Collection contains images of Lexington, KY taken in the 1960s and 1980s. Keller J.
Join us for a walking tour highlighting Lexington's unique role in Abraham Lincoln's life.
Tour Length: 1.42 miles
This tour is adapted from the 2009 Tour created in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth by a partnership between the Lexington Public Library, the Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum, and the Mary Todd Lincoln House.
The music clips used in this tour are from “Walking Barefoot on Grass” by Kai Engel, and are used with a CCBY license. It is available here.

Illustrated Lexington Kentucky contains photographs, demographics, commerce and financial information about Lexington up to 1919.
Join us for a walking tour of Lexington Public Library's historic downtown locations! The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3, music will play between the stops. You can pause the track while you walk between stops.
This tour covers a walking distance of 1.1 miles.
Please note: We prioritized the ease of the walk rather than the chronological order of the library locations.
The music clips used in this tour are from “Walking Barefoot on Grass” by Kai Engel, and are used with a CCBY license. It is available here.

The Lexington Musicians' Association is the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians (Local 554-635) and was chartered in 1910.

The Around the Town in Lexington, Kentucky magazine pamphlet contains advertisements for local attractions, apartment homes, restaurants, and hotels.

An eligible parent or legal guardian can complete this form to apply for a digital library card for a juvenile.

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 librar
Eligible applicants can complete this form to apply for a digital library card.
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.
Join us for a walking tour of Lexington's Historic Lexington Cemetery. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3, music will play between the stops. You can pause the track while you walk between stops.
This tour covers a walking distance of approximately 1.5 miles.
Please note: You will be walking on paths also used by cars. Please take special care to watch and listen for approaching vehicles.
The music clips used in this tour are from “Walking Barefoot on Grass” by Kai Engel, and are used with a CCBY license. It is available here: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/

The Knowles Postcard Collection contains images of notable Kentucky locations, such as Ashland, Keeneland, and Mammoth Cave, as well as county courthouses, farms, schools, and many others.

The Daily Argonaut began in 1895 and seems to have ceased publication in 1899. This collection includes scattered issues from 1896, 1897 and 1898.