In 2002, the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Virtual Library project received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to digitize around 1,000 books about Kentucky history and literature. Since that time, the project has been expanded several times, and all of those books, along with a cornucopia of oral histories, photographs, and maps can be found at this site. Given the amount of material here, visitors may want to start by looking over some of the category headings on the homepage, which include images, newspapers, and maps. One real gem that should not be overlooked is the collection of photographs from the Lexington Herald-Leader, which documents life in and around the town all the way back to 1895. Visitors should also not miss taking a look through their extensive oral history collection, which includes interviews with individuals involved with the integration of major league baseball and interviews conducted by Kentucky native and author Robert Penn Warren for his book, "Who Speaks for the Negro?"
Comments