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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.
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.
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.
The Digital Studio provides people of all skill levels the tools for filmmaking, photography and digital art, music making, and media preservation.
Learn more about Fayette County and our rich history with the Kentucky Room's Digital Archives. Search photo collections, historical newspapers and publications, and community collections with a simple search. New material is continually being scanned and added.
The materials in these collections are physically housed in the Kentucky Room at the Central Library and can be viewed during the Central Library's open hours.
For more information about a specific item, including any copyright restrictions on that item, please click on the information button:
Use this form to add a digital version of your library card to your digital wallet.
Lexington Public Library Donations Received January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023
Located on the fourth floor of the Central Library, this space invites children and students to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math through hands-on experiences. Programming events targeted toward upper elementary and middle-school aged students include circuits, robotics, augmented and virtual reality, coding, 3D printing, recording in the audio booth, and so much more.
An eligible parent or legal guardian can complete this form to apply for a digital library card for a juvenile.
Eligible applicants can complete this form to apply for a digital library card.
Discover unique resources in our Digital Archives that tell the story of Fayette County. Visit cemeteries throughout Central Kentucky using our cemetery maps. Contact our resident experts in the Central Library's Kentucky Room with questions.
Communico short description
Join this conversation group for practice with English conversation, speaking, and listening skills.
The weekly classes will be informal and guided by a moderator. EVERYONE is welcome - ANY native language, ANY English level. No registration needed. Practica ingles y conoce gente nueva. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Todos los idiomas, todos los niveles de ingles. Jifunze Kiingereza na kukutana na watu wapya. Kila mtu anakaribishwa! Lugha zote, viwango vyote vya Kiingereza!
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
ESL & Languages
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
Join this conversation group for practice with English conversation, speaking, and listening skills.
The weekly classes will be informal and guided by a moderator. EVERYONE is welcome - ANY native language, ANY English level. No registration needed. Practica ingles y conoce gente nueva. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Todos los idiomas, todos los niveles de ingles. Jifunze Kiingereza na kukutana na watu wapya. Kila mtu anakaribishwa! Lugha zote, viwango vyote vya Kiingereza!
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
ESL & Languages
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
The title selected for May 7 is "Banyan Moon" by Thao Thai.
Follows three generations of Vietnamese American women reeling from the death of their matriarch, revealing the family's inherited burdens, buried secrets and unlikely love stories.
The daytime book discussion group at Beaumont meets two Tuesday mornings a month, except around the holidays. Titles selected for reading include fiction as well as non-fiction, and are usually supplied by the library. The reading schedule is subject to change due to availability of titles. For more information please contact the library at (859) 231-5500 and press 3 to reach the Beaumont Branch.
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
Books, Writing & Authors
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
Join this conversation group for practice with English conversation, speaking, and listening skills.
The weekly classes will be informal and guided by a moderator. EVERYONE is welcome - ANY native language, ANY English level. No registration needed. Practica ingles y conoce gente nueva. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Todos los idiomas, todos los niveles de ingles. Jifunze Kiingereza na kukutana na watu wapya. Kila mtu anakaribishwa! Lugha zote, viwango vyote vya Kiingereza!
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
ESL & Languages
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
Join this conversation group for practice with English conversation, speaking, and listening skills.
The weekly classes will be informal and guided by a moderator. EVERYONE is welcome - ANY native language, ANY English level. No registration needed. Practica ingles y conoce gente nueva. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Todos los idiomas, todos los niveles de ingles. Jifunze Kiingereza na kukutana na watu wapya. Kila mtu anakaribishwa! Lugha zote, viwango vyote vya Kiingereza!
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
ESL & Languages
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
Join this conversation group for practice with English conversation, speaking, and listening skills.
The weekly classes will be informal and guided by a moderator. EVERYONE is welcome - ANY native language, ANY English level. No registration needed. Practica ingles y conoce gente nueva. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Todos los idiomas, todos los niveles de ingles. Jifunze Kiingereza na kukutana na watu wapya. Kila mtu anakaribishwa! Lugha zote, viwango vyote vya Kiingereza!
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
ESL & Languages
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
Join this conversation group for practice with English conversation, speaking, and listening skills.
The weekly classes will be informal and guided by a moderator. EVERYONE is welcome - ANY native language, ANY English level. No registration needed. Practica ingles y conoce gente nueva. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! ¡Todos los idiomas, todos los niveles de ingles. Jifunze Kiingereza na kukutana na watu wapya. Kila mtu anakaribishwa! Lugha zote, viwango vyote vya Kiingereza!
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
ESL & Languages
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
The title selected for April 23 is "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver.
The son of an Appalachian teenager uses his good looks, wit and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses in the new novel from the best-selling author of Unsheltered.
The daytime book discussion group at Beaumont meets two Tuesday mornings a month, except around the holidays. Titles selected for reading include fiction as well as non-fiction, and are usually supplied by the library. The reading schedule is subject to change due to availability of titles. For more information please contact the library at (859) 231-5500 and press 3 to reach the Beaumont Branch.
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
Books, Writing & Authors
Communico age group
Adults
Communico short description
The title chosen for May 21 is "Happiness Falls" by Angie Kim.
Korean American college student Mia Parkson and her twin brother, John, are spending the Covid-19 lockdown at their parents’ house in suburban Virginia. One morning, their autistic 14-year-old brother, Eugene, races home from a hike with their father, his clothing spattered with blood. Their father is nowhere to be found, and Eugene—who is nonverbal—isn’t able to say what happened.
The daytime book discussion group at Beaumont meets two Tuesday mornings a month, except around the holidays. Titles selected for reading include fiction as well as non-fiction, and are usually supplied by the library. The reading schedule is subject to change due to availability of titles. For more information please contact the library at (859) 231-5500 and press 3 to reach the Beaumont Branch.
Communico start date
Communico end date
Communico library location
Beaumont Branch
Communico event type
Books, Writing & Authors
Communico age group
Adults
Learn by doing. Get hands-on practice with cutting edge technology at our Digital Studio, Kloiber Foundation STEAM Lab, and Makerspace on your own or learn from our expert staff during structured programs.
Read the Lexington Herald-Leader in its original printed format, including pictures. Digital issues from January 1, 2016 to present.
The most exhaustive and up-to-date knowledge and insight on the social sector to fuel any fundraising mission. Expanded, in-depth profiles of each Grantmaker plus inside looks at the grants they've actually made to keep your organization operating at peak effectiveness. Available only to customers inside the Central Library.
All the Library Can Be
The library is essential to a thriving community, ensuring equitable access to information, education, and technology for all. We raise funds to support Lexington Public Library programs, services, and special projects that go beyond what public dollars alone can support.
Help us make digital archives searchable, from anywhere.
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.
All databases are available from this page.
Find out what's happening at our locations. Browse upcoming events and discover our dedicated learning spaces. Reserve a meeting room. Explore our galleries and special collections.
The library has a variety of directories and yearbooks with local information. In the library's current digital collection, there is a selection of residential and street directories, yearbooks, school directories, and organizational directories. These are all fully word-searchable.
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.
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.
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. The original objects are not owned by the Lexington Public Library.
Submissions for the Community Collections are open. If you are an individual or organization interested in possibly lending items to be digitized by the library, please contact elibrarian@lexpublib.org. We consider item age, location, content, relevance, privacy considerations, and item condition when determining items to add. Content donors must be the legal copyright holders if the item is not in the public domain.
The Publications Collection contains runs of historical Kentucky newspapers, almanacs, and magazines.
