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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.
The archives have a simple keyword search, and it is possible to browse the collections by subject, area, or decade. The Lexington Public Library actively reviews and labels materials in our archives with statements that indicate how you may reuse the images, and what sort of permission, if any, you need to do so. Please check the information for each image to determine its legal status.
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.
The Luna Library, a program of Believing in Forever, collects and distributes children's books with an African American history or Black character focus. It is an alternative for African American parents looking for books that provide context and knowledge to understand the stories of the African American experience in this country for their children. Believing in Forever is a champion of diversity and inclusion, and the positive impact books have on children of all races.
All locations will be closed on Monday, January 19, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
All locations will be closed on Monday, September 7, for Labor Day.
Join us for a walking tour of the places the Marquis de Lafayette visited in downtown Lexington in 1825!
Tour Length 1.76 miles
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.
Join us for a walking tour of Downtown Lexington’s historic LGBTQ+ places. 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 1.6 miles.
All locations will be closed on Monday, May 25, for Memorial Day.
The Digital Studio provides people of all skill levels the tools for filmmaking, photography and digital art, music making, and media preservation.
All locations will be closed on Thursday, June 19, for Juneteenth (Freedom Day).
All locations will be closed on Wednesday, December 24, and Thursday, December 25, for Christmas.
All locations will close at 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 31, and remain closed on Thursday, January 1, for New Year's Day.
Laser engraver/cutter
Cut wood or engrave on wood, metal, stone, leather, glass and more. The Eastside Makerspace machine can hold items up to 19.6x12.5x5 inches. The Marksbury Family Branch Makerspace machine can hold smaller items like coasters and keychainrs up to 4.53x4.53 inches. Some items are available to purchase in the space, including keychains, business cards, coasters, and bookmarks.
Visit the following learning spaces to get started.
All locations will be closed on Saturday, July 4, for Independence Day.
Lexington, Kentucky (January 16, 2024) – Lexington Public Library is proud to announce their new Black Voices Book Club which is dedicated to discussing literary works by black authors. The Club meets on the third Saturday of each month.
All locations will be closed on Sunday, April 5, for Easter.
Discover favorite books and apps, matched to your child's age and interests, and other tools for building early literacy. Log reading and earn badges on your computer or mobile device.
Button makers
The Eastside Makerspace offers 1.25” and 2.25” button makers for buttons and magnets. The Marksbury Family Branch Makerspace offers 2.25” button makers for buttons and magnets and 1” button makers for keychains, earrings, and paperclip bookmarks. Button, magnet keychain, earring, and bookmark materials are available to purchase.
Visit the following learning spaces to get started.