Lexington Public Library

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Location
Central Library Exterior
Location Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9:30am-7:00pm
Friday: 9:30am-6:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am-5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm

Location Mailing Address

140 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40507

Location
Northside Branch Entrance
Location Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9:30am-7:00pm
Friday: 9:30am-6:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am-5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm

Location Mailing Address

1733 Russell Cave Road
Lexington, KY 40505

Lexington Public Library Digital Archives

Black Community News Collection

All Digital Archives Collections

Bath County Memorial Library Collection

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…

Black Community News

This collection consists of Black community news published under the headline “Colored Churches,” “In Colored Circles,” or “Colored Notes”; and other articles of social interest, including marriages, public events, and obituaries.

Celebration of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Ministry of Mark Collis

The item contains the history of Mount Horeb Presbyterian Church, photos and biographies of ministers and founding members, and a list of member names from 1827-1952.

Cyrus Parker Jones Funeral Notices

Compiled by Cyrus Parker Jones, a man formerly enslaved by the Parker family, these funeral notices cover 667 funerals of individuals in Lexington, including seven free blacks. The funeral notices cover the years 1806-1886. Jones…

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…

Directory Collection

The 1906-07 Lexington cross directory contains residential and business information for the city, arranged both alphabetically and by street, with a business listing by category. It also contains city officials and departments, and…

Duncan-Goff Scrapbook Collection

This collection of letters to and from portrait artist Sudduth Goff (1887-1965) is part of the library's Duncan-Goff scrapbook collection.

Elmer L. Foote Lantern Slide Collection

The Elmer L. Foote Collection is a group of 190 lantern slides. They were created by Elmer L. Foote, a Cincinnati photographer and library staff member whose pictures appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.

The item is a history of the theater in Lexington from 1799 to 1850, including names of theaters, actors, personnel, and plays.

Father William T. Punch Letter Collection

Letters to and from Father William T. Punch (1874-1933). Father Punch was instrumental in building the 3rd St. Peter Catholic Church on Barr Street in Lexington, KY.

Government Documents Collection

The item is a brief report on methods to revitalize the Lexington commercial district through the preservation of architecturally and historically significant structures. It includes case studies on the Keiza Barton residence, Giron’s…

Historic St. Paul Catholic Church

This half of the record book contains burial records for St. Paul Catholic Church parishioners.

Imperial Court of Kentucky

Program features the activities and accomplishments of the previous year’s Empress and Emperor while providing the layout of the current year’s coronation proceedings. Features advertisements for local businesses and photographs of the…

Judge Kenneth Lyons Collection

This letter collection was collected by Judge Kenneth Lyons. The earliest date of the letters is 1862, from Bourbon and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky. Some letters are fragments.

Katherine Pettit Diary

The diary (ca. 1899) of Katherine Pettit, details her settlement work for the Kentucky Confederation of Women's Clubs, made yearly trips to Hazard during this period and was a central figure in establishing the Hindman (Kentucky)…

Kentucky Progress Magazine (1928-1936)

This issue contains information about Kentucky highways, colleges, and agriculture. It also features articles on Bardstown and the song “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Collins Foster.

The item is a promotional pamphlet containing brief descriptions of various Lexington tourist locations.

Lexington Weekly Press (1881)

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…

Miscellaneous Newspapers

The Kentucky Leader was published from 1888 until the name changed in 1895 to the Daily Leader. They focused on local and national news. The Daily Leader was published from 1895-1901 until the name was changed to the Lexington Leader.…

Muhlenberg County Black Marriages Book c.1866

Scans of the Black Marriage records from the Courthouse in Greenville, Kentucky.

Sam'l D. M'Cullough's Reminiscences of Lexington

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.

Schools and Yearbooks Collection

The Eastern Kentucky Review contains articles about Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College. This particular issue contains photos of buildings, graduating seniors, students, clubs, and activities, and includes photos and information…

The Daily Argonaut (1895-1899)

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

The Independent Gazetteer (1803-1804)

The Independent Gazetteer was founded and printed by James Charless in 1803, with ads appearing in the Kentucky Gazette about its upcoming publication. The first issue was printed March 29, 1803. The paper was later sold to Robert Kay…

The Kentucky Gazette (1787-1840)

The Kentucky Gazette was the first paper established west of the Allegheny Mountains. The frontier paper focused on East Coast and International news, though some local announcements can be found. Later, the paper focused on…

The Kentucky Reporter (1817-1830)

The Kentucky Reporter is the weekly continuation of The Reporter, which changed names in October 1817. It reports on local and national news. 1827 is the only semi-weekly run of this newspaper.

The Reporter (1808-1817)

The Reporter was a weekly Republican paper, occasionally semi-weekly when Congress was in session. Continued publication throughout the War of 1812.

The True American (1845-1847)

The True American was an anti-slavery newspaper started by Cassius Marcellus Clay in June 1845. He ran the paper in Lexington until August of 1845, when he published an article deemed so incendiary that at court injunction was issued…

The item is a yearbook for the United States Army Training Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and contains photographs of the officers, NCOs, and graduates of the 8 week basic combat training. There are also many photographs of the various…

Voyages, Adventures and Situation of the French Emigrants, translated by A Lady Thumbnail

This work contains information about French Emigrants to America over the years 1789-1799, and provides a history of the French Revolution. The work was originally in French, and was translated into English by an anonymous translator…

The Community Collections consist of objects shared from local community residents and organizations. Individuals have lent items of local significance to the library to give the larger community awareness and access.

Board Member
Advisory Board

Elizabeth has been a member of the Lexington Police Department since 1998.  After retiring from sworn duty in 2019, she returned to the department as a polygraph examiner and background investigator.  In her current position, she coordinates with multiple divisions in the Urban County Government to ensure the fair hiring of qualified applicants.

Board Member
Board of Trustees

Casandra Hockenberry is a Program Manager with The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation, where she works across a broad number of initiatives at the crossroads of data, technology and improved outcomes for citizens. She manages the Apprenticeship Data Alignment and Performance Technical Assistance Center, which is dedicated to assisting states to improve their data collection on apprentices in order to support successful programs throughout the country, the Overseas Voting Initiative, which researches ways to improve the voting process for military and overseas citizens.

The Lexington Public Library welcomes your time and talents! There are a number of volunteer opportunities available, and we will accommodate your preferences for location and hours as much as possible based on what we have available. From After School programs, to ESOL programs, to Makerspace open studio help, and beyond—we have a variety of opportunities for you to connect with your community through volunteering.

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If books are your thing, this is your place.  Browse the newest titles in our collection, take a deep dive into comics and graphic novels with the 741.5 bulletin, request a personalized "bag of books," and more.

Library News
Grand Opening set for Saturday, March 9

Lexington, Kentucky (January 17, 2024) – Lexington Public Library is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the Marksbury Family Branch of the Lexington Public Library.

Festivities include a Media Day event on Friday, March 8 from 8:30-10am and a Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, March 9 (more details coming soon). The current Village Branch will remain open through 6pm on Friday, February 23.

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The Lexington Public Library is home to four collaborative creative spaces for making, learning, exploring, and sharing. These spaces offer a variety of events, high-tech and low-tech equipment for patron use, and serve as a space to build community, explore your creativity, and develop personal interests.

Sample projects

Film a music video, 3D print a fidget toy, digitize old family photos, sew a costume or mend your favorite pair of pants, embroider a t-shirt, comb bind a book, start a podcast, record in the audio booth, create content with the green screen, make custom magnets or buttons, engrave a keychain, print a poster, make custom stickers, and more.

Library News
New Versailles Road Library Branch to be named Marksbury Family Branch

Lexington, Kentucky (March 9, 2022) – Lexington Public Library and Lexington Public Library Foundation are honored to announce that the Marksbury Family Foundation has committed the lead gift for the capital campaign to rebuild the library branch at the corner of Versailles Road and Village Drive.  In recognition of their generosity, the new facility will be named the Marksbury Family Branch when it opens in 2024.

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We are committed to supporting our democracy by providing nonpartisan voting information, whether you choose to cast an early ballot or go to the polls on Election Day. 

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Central Library - Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab
Join us in the Kloiber Foundation STEAM lab to experiment with light and shadow while creating UV bracelets, shadow art and more! For Families
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Central Library - Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab

Participants are welcome to drop-in anytime between 3:30-5:30 pm and stay as little or as long as you would like!

Children 7 and under must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver.

If you are planning on bringing a large group (10+ people) please contact our Experiential Learning Associate for accommodations. (859) 231-5500 ext. 1147

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Central Library - Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab

Participants are welcome to drop in anytime during the program and stay as little or as long as they would like!

Children 7 and under must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver.

If you are planning on bringing a large group (10+ people) please contact our Experiential Learning Associate for accommodations. (859) 231-5500 ext. 1147

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Central Library - Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab

Children 7 and under must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver. Please note that we will be building with the classic Lego bricks that contain small parts.

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Central Library - Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab
Join us to build a solar oven then make a yummy treat using the power of the sun! Weather permitting, a portion of this program will be outside. For ages 8-17. Registration Required
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Beaumont Branch - Large Meeting Room
Celebrate the 4th with a variety of firework-themed crafts and science experiments. Dress for mess! Recommended for ages 3 and up. No registration required.