The Keeneland Library in Lexington, Kentucky, has been honored with the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence from the Kentucky Historical Society. This prestigious award recognizes the library’s dedication to preserving and sharing the Commonwealth’s heritage.

A World-Renowned Resource

Library Director Roda Ferraro expressed her gratitude for the recognition, which reflects decades of work in building a world-renowned resource for thoroughbred history. Founded in 1939, the library has grown into the world’s largest repository dedicated to the thoroughbred industry, housing tens of thousands of books and an expansive archive of historical media coverage.

The library’s collection includes 25 million pages of newsprint and media coverage of the sport, dating back to the 1700s. Its exhibits have traveled to institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre, and its education and outreach efforts have reached learners across the country and around the world.

In 2025, the library’s education and outreach efforts reached 185,000 learners of all ages, from every state and 39 countries. The library’s milestones have included nearly 9,000 research projects globally, with every item in the collection helping to document the sport for generations.

Original reporting: WTVQ (Lexington) — read the source article.