Kentucky Archives and Libraries

Portal:Kentucky

Many archives and libraries have maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids about Kentucky. They frequently have collections of previous research such as family and local histories and biographies. Many have record-finding aids such as guides to their own collections or inventories of records housed elsewhere. Archives and libraries located near state boundaries usually collect records relating to the adjacent states. The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections and services useful to genealogical researchers:

= Archives =

The Department for Libraries and Archives is the central repository for city-, county-, and state-level records. It has two facilities of particular interest to genealogists.


 * The state library has printed materials.
 * The state archives maintains original Kentucky government records and other historical documents. Many of these repositories’ records are being microfilmed, and copies are being sent to the Family History Library.

The Department of Libraries and Archives responds to genealogical requests but prefers that requests be sent on a form available on its Internet site or through the mail.

Department for Libraries and Archives Public Records Division 300 Coffee Tree Road Frankfort, KY 40601 Toll Free Phone: 800-928-7000 Telephone: 502-564-8300 Fax: 502-564-5773 Internet: http://www.kdla.ky.gov/

Mailing address: P.O. Box 537 Frankfort, KY 40601-0537

National Archives-Southeast Region (Atlanta)

5780 Jonesboro Road Morrow, Georgia 30260 Phone: 770-968-2100 Fax: 770-968-2547 E-mail: [mailto:atlanta.archives@nara.gov atlanta.archives@nara.gov]

Internet: http://www.archives.gov/southeast/index.html

= Libraries =

Kentucky Historical Society Martin F. Schmidt Research Library 100 West Broadway Frankfort, Kentucky 502-564-1792, ext. 4460

Internet: http://history.ky.gov

Margaret I. King Library Department of Special Collections and Archives University of Kentucky 179 Funkhouser Dr. Lexington, KY 40506-0039 Telephone: 859-257-8611 Fax: 859-257-6311 Internet: http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/lib.php?lib_id=13

While the Margaret I. King Library does not specialize in genealogical records, the Department of Special Collections and Archives maintains many items that lend themselves to the study of family and local history. The materials include church records; genealogical collections; historical manuscript collections; the Draper manuscripts, described in the "Genealogy" section of this outline; county and local histories; county, state, and federal records; and a biographical file.

Western Kentucky University Library 1906 College Heights Blvd., #11067 Bowling Green, KY. 42101-1067 Phone (270) 745-6125. Fax' (270) 745-6422 E-Mail [mailto:library.web@wku.edu library.web@wku.edu] Internet: http://www.wku.edu/library

The Kentucky Library has significant genealogical records, church histories, and biographical files relating to south central Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky University Library Crabbe Library Special Collections and Archives 521 Lancaster Ave. Richmond, KY 40475 Telephone: 1-859-622-1790 Fax: 1-859-622-1174 TTY: 1-859-622-6594 E-mail: [mailto:archives.library@eku.edu?subject=From University Archives Website archives.library@eku.edu] Internet: http://www.library.eku.edu/new/index.php

This university library has many records about Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina, with an emphasis on Kentucky records.

Kentucky Room Lexington Public Library 140 East Main Street Lexington, KY 40507 Telephone: 859-231-5520 Internet: http://www.lexpublib.org/local/

The Kentucky Room of the Lexington Public Library houses many secondary sources on state and local history and genealogy, family histories, census indexes, and some census microfilm. It also has an excellent collection of Lexington newspapers and the Local History Index, an extensive index to newspapers. More detailed information on the collection can be found on the library’s web site.

Forrest C. Pogue Special Collections Library Murray State University 208 Waterfield Library Murray, KY 42071-3307 Telephone: 270-809-4295 or 866-774-6612 E-mail: [mailto:Specialcollections@murraystate.edu Specialcollections@murraystate.edu][mailto:library.webmaster@murraystate.edu .] Internet: http://www.murraystate.edu/msml/Pogue.html

The Pogue library has records on all areas of Kentucky, with an emphasis on the western portion of the state.

Kenton County Public Library 502 Scott Blvd Covington, KY 41011 Telephone: 859-962-4070 Internet: http://www.kenton.lib.ky.us

The Kenton County Public Library has extensive statewide, local, and family history materials and in-depth collections for northern Kentucky. It has a local newspaper index for the years 1835 to 1931 and 1984 to the present. This includes an obituary index. The catalog of the Kenton library is available on its web site. You can also access the Kenton County Historical Society from the Library’s web site.

Historical and genealogical societies play a prominent role in preserving records and promoting research. These organizations may or may not have their own archives. Major Kentucky societies are the Filson Club, Kentucky Genealogical Society, and Kentucky Historical Society. See the "Societies" section of this outline for information on these and other Kentucky societies.

FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service [Internet site]. [Salt Lake City, Utah]: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 22 March 1999 [cited 6 August 1999]. Available at www.familysearch.org. At this site you can access the Family History Library Catalog, Ancestral File, the International Genealogical Index, SourceGuide, lists of Family History Centers, web sites related to family history, and lists of researchers interested in similar genealogical topics. You can also learn about and order Family History Library publications.

Howells, Cyndi. "U.S. - Kentucky - KY." In Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. Puyallup, Washington: Cyndi Howells, 6 August 1999 [cited 6 August 1999]. Available at http://www.cyndislist.com/ky.htm. This list has more links to other Kentucky genealogical sites and describes more resources than any other site on the Internet.

"Kentucky USGenWeb." In The USGenWeb Project [Internet site]. N.p., 1999 [cited 6 August 1999]. Available at http://www.kygenweb.net/. This is a cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet for each county, state, and country.

"United States Resources: Kentucky." In RootsWeb [Internet site]. N.p., 12 July 1999 [cited 6 August 1999]. Available at www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/usa/ky.html. This list of sites and resources includes a large, regularly updated research coordination list.

"Kentucky GenExchange." Available at http://www.genexchange.org/state.php?state=ky. This site brings searchable data to genealogists, including databases (church, cemetery, census, land, immigration, naturalization, and vital records), directories, historical accounts, mailing lists, queries, local surname researchers, and look-up volunteers.