Kentucky Archives, Libraries, and Societies

This entry was originally written by Wendy Bebout Elliott, Ph.D., FUGA, for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of the Kentucky Family History Research series.

History of Kentucky

Kentucky Vital Records

Census Records for Kentucky

Background Sources for Kentucky

Kentucky Maps

Kentucky Land Records

Kentucky Probate Records

Kentucky Court Records

Kentucky Tax Records

Kentucky Cemetery Records

Kentucky Church Records

Kentucky Military Records

Kentucky Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections

Kentucky Archives, Libraries, and Societies

African Americans of Kentucky

Kentucky County Resources

Map of Kentucky

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Public Records Division
300 Coffee Tree Rd.
Frankfort, KY 40601
kdla.ky.gov/

The department serves as the statewide repository for microfilmed county records from the earliest date for all 120 counties. Some counties, without sufficient space, store either their original early or modern records here as well. Consequently research using original records for many counties can be conducted entirely at this repository. Correspondence with the department and the appropriate counties is recommended to clarify specific holdings.

A valuable research tool is the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives' The Guide to Kentucky Archival and Manuscript Repositories (Frankfort, Ky.: Public Records Division, 1986). This compilation, available online, is based on data gathered by the Kentucky Guide Project. It contains an overview of 285 Kentucky repositories and their holdings.

Kentucky Historical Society

100 W. Broadway
Frankfort, KY 40601
http://history.ky.gov

For a detailed description of some holdings in the Kentucky Historical Society Library, consult Joan E. Brookes-Smith, Kentucky Historical Society Microfilm Catalog, vols. 3'4 (Frankfort, Ky.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1981) or see descriptions online.

An older and outdated finding aid for names and addresses of over 300 Kentucky genealogical and historical societies is the Kentucky Historical Society's Directory of Historical Organizations and Speakers Bureau (Frankfort, Ky.: Historical Confederation of Kentucky and Kentucky Historical Society, 1988). A reprinted edition is expected.

Kentucky Genealogical Society

P.O. Box 153
Frankfort, KY 40602-0153
www.kygs.org

University of Kentucky

Division of Special Collections and Archives
Margaret King Library
Lexington, KY 40506
www.uky.edu/Libraries/Special

Filson Library

1310 S. Third St.
Louisville, KY 40205
www.filsonhistorical.org