Frankfort, KY - The Special Collections Reading Room of the Kentucky Historical Society is providing researchers appointment-only hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning March 3, 2008.
The Special Collections Reading Room will also be open to walk-in researchers from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET Thursdays and Fridays. The Reading Room is closed Saturday-Monday. Hours in the Martin F. Schmidt Library at the Kentucky Historical Society remain the same, open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.
"These appointment-only days allow researchers access to archivists matched to specific topics or formats and more concentrated time for their research," says Gretchen Haney, KHS director of special collections and reference services. "This process ensures a better research experience and benefits the researcher."
KHS Special Collections staff is also significantly increasing its efforts to make more resources available online in its Digital Collections Catalog. The processing and digitization of collections has been accelerated with the objective of increasing online access to collections for the public on the KHS Web site.
KHS Special Collections staff manages five collection programs: manuscripts, maps, oral history, photographs, and rare books. These collections document most major issues in Kentucky history, as well as the day-to-day lives of Kentuckians. Researchers can access the Kentucky Historical Society’s special collections by three methods—visiting the Center, submitting a reference request form, or searching online catalogs and databases.
Admission to the KHS Special Collections Reading Room is free and open to the public. To make appointments, or for more information about the Kentucky Historical Society’s Special Collections Reading Room, call 502-564-1792, ext. 4470.
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An agency of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future. KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site.