LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Keeneland Library has received the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence from the Kentucky Historical Society, recognizing outstanding achievement in preserving, sharing and promoting Kentucky’s rich heritage. The award, granted to one standout Kentucky entity each year, is considered significant in the fields of history, research, education and cultural heritage stewardship.
Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro accepted the award on June 6, marking the kickoff for Kentucky History Day, a celebration of the state’s role in America’s story on the eve of the nation’s 250th anniversary. “This award is a tremendous honor and affirmation of an impactful year of record-setting excellence,” Ferraro said, noting that the library reached nearly 200,000 stakeholders, researchers, media members and community learners from every state and 39 countries through collaborations with 70 community organizations and 62 horse industry organizations.
Founded in 1939, three years after Keeneland opened for racing, the library collects, preserves and shares materials related to Thoroughbred racing. The institution houses thousands of books, magazines and newspapers; millions of photographic negatives and prints; and vast collections of art and artifacts. The library’s researchers include journalists, academics, racing fans and industry stakeholders from around the world.
The Kentucky Historical Society, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, maintains full accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and serves as a Smithsonian affiliate. The award recognizes institutions that have demonstrated excellence in heritage preservation and public engagement.
The Keeneland Library offers educational experiences including its Library Lecture Series, Starting Gate Storytime family programs, exhibit tours, research workshops and behind-the-scenes tours. The facility is located on Keeneland’s grounds and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, with free admission. For more information or to book an experience, visitors can contact the library or visit Keeneland.com/library.
This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Keeneland, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.keeneland.com/media/news/keeneland-library-receives-prestigious-thomas-d-clark-award-excellence-kentucky.
