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In this very special holiday episode of the Lexington Public Library’s Checked Out podcast, author C.C. Payne reads “The Night Before Christmas.” Perfect listening for a chilly night spent in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa.
Closure Date
All locations will be closed on Tuesday, December 24, and Wednesday, December 25, for Christmas.
Description coming soon.
The William Stamps Farish, III Theater at the Central Library is available to the community for lectures, live music, community forums, film festivals, small theatrical productions, dance performances, literary readings, debates, and other creative uses.
Destination Kindergarten is the library’s program aimed at preschoolers and their caregivers- trying to help them practice the skills they need to be ready for Kindergarten. During each Destination Kindergarten event, preschoolers and their caregivers can find a specalized area in the library with fun books, take-home activities, and information about development milestones and school readiness.
See below for more information on upcoming events and take-home packets and activities.
The William Stamps Farish Fund Theater is a state-of-the-art facility in one of Main Street’s busiest places.
Fully renovated and updated, the theater on the Central Library’s first floor is home to theater, dance, live music, film, community events, and meetings. The Lexington Public Library makes the facility available at some of the city’s best prices, with affordable business, nonprofit, and government rates.
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.
All Lexington Public Library locations are closed on these holidays.
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.
Description coming soon.
Erin guests to tell the story of one of Lexington’s oldest unsolved murders – the killing of Alexander T. Hays in October 1846.
Wayne tells the story of Pamela Brown and the ill-fated hot air balloon voyage across the Atlantic in 1970, in time for the 50th anniversary of the crash.
Mariam and Wayne share the story of David Rice Atchison, the only person in history who was possibly president for a day.
Denise Shanks tells the story of Smiley Pete, Lexington’s “town dog” in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Mariam and Wayne discuss the rich history of baseball in Kentucky.
Jamie tells an abridged history of Russell’s Cave, Fayette County’s largest cave.
New facility will remain at previous location with a larger footprint and expanded offerings
Lexington, Kentucky (August 18, 2022) – The Lexington Public Library broke ground on a new, significantly larger facility in the former Village Branch location on Versailles Road to better provide for the needs of the neighborhoods it serves. The new branch will reflect the community’s vision for a state-of-the-art community hub, one that offers robust resources and a myriad of program and service offerings. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Tuesday at a media event featuring Library and City officials.
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 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.
Mariam interviews Wayne Johnson about Lucille Caudill Little's kidnapping in 1979.
Mariam discusses the life of Margaret Garner, the real life Kentucky Woman who inspired Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved. This episode may be difficult for some listeners to hear, listener’s discretion is advised.
The Lexington Public Library welcomes your time and talents! There are a number of volunteer opportunities available. Apply now.
Mariam interviews Lucy Jones, founder of the Harry Dean Stanton Festival in time for this year’s festival.
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.
Mariam interviews artist and activist Robert Morgan about his life with the internationally known queer Kentucky artist, Henry Faulkner.
Mariam interviews Kentucky native Kevin Lane Dearinger about his forthcoming memoir, Bad Sex in Kentucky, his Broadway career, and his second career in education.
Mariam interviews Wayne Johnson about the colorful life of abolitionist and Ambassador to Russia, Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810-1903).
Mariam interviews Foster Ockerman, Jr., author of Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky, and President and Chief Historian of the Lexington History Museum about his book and horse racing in Kentucky.
Mariam interviews Trevor Claiborn, co-founder of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, about the organization and the history of African American farmers in Kentucky. Trevor also performs as “Farmer Brown tha MC” to attract young people to farming.
Mariam interviews Peter Brackney, author of the 2014 book Lost Lexington, and creator of the blog The Kaintuckeean.
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
Advisory Board
Wendi Keene retired from a thirty year career with the YMCA of Central Kentucky. She held many positions from early education teacher, camp director, and after-school site director until she worked her way to outreach programing. When she left the Y she had become the Executive Director of Community Initiatives for the total Y association with her focus on the arts, literacy and volunteers.
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
JP Johnson gives a biography of William “King” Solomon, hero of the 1833 Cholera epidemic. He also talks about later efforts to memorialize him by the city. This is the first episode in a four part series. Interlude music is “Life’s Ups and Downs” by José
