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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.
These tours are guided audio walking tours with a variety of topics focused on Downtown Lexington, KY. Music will play in between each stop, and the listener can pause the track while walking between stops.
Want to learn about new tours as they become available? Subscribe to our Genealogy & Local History newsletter.
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 the Lexington Public Library's Kentucky Room staff for a day of genealogy and local history.
Genealogists and historians Pam Brinegar, Mike Denis, and Amanda Higgins will present on different topics of interest.
Free. Registration required.
Stories of Lexington's history told through the Kentucky Room archives.
Join us for Kentucky Legends: a series of programs exploring Kentucky culture, history, and lore. Programs include author visits, Chautauqua performances, live music, activities and crafts, and more.
Wonderful podcasts and walking tours have been created by our staff. Please enjoy!
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.
Read articles from magazines and journals, learn a new language, or locate a newspaper article. These resources can't be found with a search engine but are available for free with your library card.


Throughout June, join us as we celebrate Pride Month with programs, books, podcasts, and more.
Download eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more – free with your library card.
All databases are available from this page.

Fayette County's local businesses and organizations contain a wealth of information about local residents.

Fayette County churches contain some of the earliest records and information preserved about central Kentucky history. The digital archive contents include church ledgers, minutes, directories, and informational brochures.
description coming soon.

The collection contains non-Fayette County school yearbooks and images, dating from 1878-1968.

The Publications Collection contains runs of historical Kentucky newspapers, almanacs, and magazines.

Search for obituaries and death notices from newspapers around the country.
Help us make digital archives searchable, from anywhere.

Old Kentucky Architecture is a comprehensive book by Rexford Newcomb that was published in 1940.

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

The Kentucky Rally Songs pamphlet contains 42 songs compiled and printed by the state chapter of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, to be used at the many gatherings and rallies that they organized in the late 19th and ea

Mountain Ballads for Social Singing contains 15 songs selected for the Vesper Hour gatherings at Berea College.