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…
Instantly borrow eBooks and audiobooks free with your library card — anytime, anywhere. Use the Libby app to create wish lists, get notified of new releases, and send eBooks straight to your tablet or Kindle.
Hit record in the new podcast studio — now open at the Northside Digital Studio! Whether you're just starting or leveling up, the space is ready for your voice.
Everyone deserves a place to discover something new. The Lexington Public Library champions free and open access to information, offering a safe and welcoming space where neighbors can learn, create, and connect. Your support empowers a community engaged in lifelong discovery.
Whether you’re into mysteries, memoirs, cookbooks, classics, or something in between, we’ve got a club for you. Choose from a variety of book clubs for different ages and interests or join us for a readers and writers event.
Schedule a one-on-one consultation to learn library skills, get help with research and job searches, have a test proctored by one of our librarians, and more.
The governance of Lexington Public Library is under the direction of 7 Trustees and up to 10 Advisors who guide the long-term strategies for the Lexington Public Library, including the long range plan, annual budget cycle, advocating for the library and for library customers, and policy recommendations.
The Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab, located on the fourth floor of Central Library at 140 East Main Street, is a space for youth and families to explore and create using resources and programs related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). Customers ages 7 and under must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver. Planning to bring a group of 10 or more? Please contact us by calling 859-231-5500 ext.1147 or using the link below.
Recurring programs
Lego Club, Maker Station, and Open STEAM Play sessions are available for children and families. The STEAM Lab also hosts weekly drop-in events, Homeschool STEAM activities, and special programming during school breaks. Check out the upcoming events listed below.
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.
The Central Library's Parking Garage is available to our customers or anyone needing a parking space. There are 428 parking spots in the garage, 10 of which are handicapped or van accessible. The height clearance for garage entry is 13'1". The height clearance for parking access is 6'4".
Two hours of free parking is provided with a ticket validated inside the Central Library.
Library meeting rooms are available for individuals, non-profit, for profit, study groups, and community organizations seeking to hold meetings, trainings, and workshops. Meeting rooms are free of charge. Sterno and other tools/equipment that have an open flame are prohibited.
We stand for free and open access to information. That starts with removing unnecessary barriers to our educational resources and technology. The Lexington Public Library no longer charges fines or fees for late, lost, or damaged material.
The Eastside Branch Makerspace, located at 3000 Blake James Drive, is a collaborative workspace for ages 13 and up to make, learn , explore, and share, free of charge. Staff are available during open studio hours to assist in projects of all kinds, or contact Makerspace staff to schedule one-on-one help. Not sure where to start? The Eastside Makerspace also offers regular workshops that introduce participants to new skills, technology, and equipment. Planning to bring a group of 10 or more? Please contact us by calling 859-231-5500 ext.2207 or using the link below.
Sample projects
Engrave a welcome sign, 3D print a business card holder, laminate a sign for your classroom, print a banner for your next event, make a personalized magnet for your refrigerator, sew a quilt block, or cut a vinyl design for your water bottle.
The Digital Studio provides people of all skill levels the equipment, software, and AI creative tools for filmmaking, photography and digital art, music making, and media preservation.
Wonderful podcasts and walking tours have been created by our staff. Please enjoy!
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.
Throughout June, join us as we celebrate Pride Month with programs, books, podcasts, and more.
Are you on the debate team, or like to know both sides of an issue before making up your mind? Opposing Viewpoints offers contextual information and opinions on hundreds of social issues. Pro/Con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, infographics and more available as resources for debaters. Provided by the Kentucky Virtual Library.
The Lexington Public Library has made an effort to ensure that all of our digital collections are public domain, or that we have gotten approval from the copyright holders to display their work. Most - but not all - of these collections, to the best of our knowledge, have no known US copyright restrictions. Some items in the collection are under copyright but qualify for online display by libraries under Section 108(h) of United States Copyright Law. Some of the collections provided in the Library's Digital Archives are made available under an assertion of fair use, which does not necessarily apply to an individual's use of them.
Shawntaye Hopkins is the Marketing and Communications Director at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. Before landing at the University of Kentucky, Shawntaye worked as a newspaper reporter, a public relations specialist at another university, and as a communications associate for a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving state governments. Shawntaye has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University. Her hobbies include reading and writing about books, mostly fiction.
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…
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.
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.
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…
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…
This collection of letters to and from portrait artist Sudduth Goff (1887-1965) is part of the library's Duncan-Goff scrapbook 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.
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.
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…
This half of the record book contains burial records for St. Paul Catholic Church parishioners.
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…
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.
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)…
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.
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…
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.…
Scans of the Black Marriage records from the Courthouse in Greenville, Kentucky.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 was a weekly Republican paper, occasionally semi-weekly when Congress was in session. Continued publication throughout the War of 1812.
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…
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…
Transfer sublimation paper designs on mugs and tumblers. Please supply your own items to transfer on to. Sublimation paper is available to purchase, or you can use your own free of charge. Speak with a staff member before bringing or using your own materials.
Visit the following learning spaces to get started.
Use a variety of heat presses to transfer your original designs on to personal items.
The Marksbury Family Branch Makerspace has an automated heat press, large and small handheld presses, sublimation printer, and Cricut machines. The Eastside Makerspace has a small handheld press, automated heat press, and Cricut machines. Please supply your own personal items to transfer on to. Sublimation paper and heat transfer vinyl are available for purchase, or you can use your own free of charge. Speak with a staff member before bringing or using your own materials.
Visit the following learning spaces to get started.
For grades pre-K through 3, BookFlix pairs classic video storybooks with a related nonfiction book from Scholastic imprints. These engaging stories will help early readers to develop and practice essential reading skills.
Use this machine to bind paper booklets in a variety of sizes. Binding combs are available for purchase, or you can use your own free of charge. Speak with a staff member before use if you are using your own combs.
Visit the following learning spaces to get started.
Get live expert help with homework and skill building, study tips and tools, and collaborate with friends on your computer or mobile device. Live Homework Help is available daily for K-12 grades with professional tutors. You must create an account on the Brainfuse site before you can log into the mobile app.
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