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Central Library
Welcome to the Lexington Tree Week Book Swap! Join us for a fun Tree Week event where book lovers come together to trade books. Bring your gently used books and swap them for new literary treasures. Fiction, non-fiction and kids books--anything that celebrates or explores trees and nature is welcome! Let's promote reading and sustainability by giving books a new life.
J.P. Johnson guest hosts to celebrate the life of Dolly Johnson Dandridge (1852-1918), a Kentucky native who was the White House Chef for President Benjamin Harrison, and later a much sought-after chef after her return to Lexington, Kentucky in 1894.
Library News
Free program being offered at Northside and Village Branches
Lexington, Kentucky (December 20, 2022) – Lexington Public Library announced today that its popular LPL After School program will return in 2023, beginning January 2.
LPL After School is a FREE drop-in program for kids aged 5-12 that takes place after regular school hours, Mondays through Fridays from 4-6pm. The Library, in partnership with God’s Pantry, will provide snacks for all participants as well as STEAM and enrichment activities, homework help, and reading recommendations. And there’s no need to register—just show up!
Mariam interviews Dr. Jonathan Coleman about the founding of the Faulkner Morgan Pagan Babies Archive and the upcoming “Out in Plain Sight” exhibit at Lexington Public Library.
Mariam gives a brief history of the public schools in Lexington and Fayette County.
JP Johnson tells the story of the time artist Henry Faulkner’s goat, Alice, disappeared for several weeks in 1965, and gives a preview of Lexington Public Library’s Henry Faulkner Week, February 25-March 3, 2019.
Mariam interviews Dr. Jonathan Coleman, head curator of the Mary Todd Lincoln House, about her life in Lexington, the White House, and after the assassination. They also discuss the collections and events at the Mary Todd Lincoln House museum.
Mariam and Wayne discuss the history of Lexington & Fayette County’s merged governments, one of only fifteen merged city-county governments in the United States.
Denise Shanks tells the story of Smiley Pete, Lexington’s “town dog” in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Mariam interviews Terry Foody, author of The Pie Seller, The Drunk and The Lady, about her book and the 1833 Cholera epidemic in Lexington, KY. They discuss the causes of the epidemic, and what treatments contemporary doctors attempted for this devastatin
Mariam interviews Megan Couch about her research into the 1849 outbreak of Cholera in Lexington. They discuss finding more deaths from cholera than were actually reported, and tell the stories of families that were completely wiped out by the disease. Thi
Mariam interviews Ruth Gaylord about her life and work as Lexington Public Library’s first African American librarian.
Mariam and David discuss Lafayette's 1825 visit to Lexington as we approach the 200th anniversary in 2024-2025.
Brenna guests to share her research on three of Lexington’s Black enclaves, founded by formerly enslaved persons after the Civil War. She highlights the history we know, and points out that much of the history of these hamlets and their residents are lost
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.
Walking Tour
Join us for a walking tour of Lexington’s literary history!
Tour Length 1.05 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 Lexington’s literary history!
Tour Length 1.05 miles
Mariam and Erin tell the story of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque’s visit with naturalist John James Audubon, and how the resulting prank by Audubon on Rafinesque wasn’t fully discovered for nearly 150 years.
Denise guest hosts and give sketches of the lives of three Lexington Civil War era women: Elizabeth Harbeson Hummons, Francis Dallam Peter, and Ella Bishop Ransom.
Mariam interviews Terry Foody, author of The Cherokee and the Newsman: Kinsmen in Words. They discuss Ms. Foody’s inspiration to write about the two men, their family lives, and how their words contributed to their communities.
