Paris-Bourbon County Public Library
🏢 Paris-Bourbon County Public Library · Paris, Kentucky
Paris-Bourbon County Public Library
Born as one of Kentucky's original Carnegie libraries in 1904, the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library now occupies a beautifully expanded facility on High Street — and in 2023 became the first library in the state to declare itself a First Amendment Library.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5:30pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5:30pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 701 HIGH STREET, PARIS, KY 40361
Phone: +1859-987-4419
Website: bourbonlibrary.org
Plus Code: 86CQ6P6W+5W (PARIS, KY)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Paris-Bourbon County Public Library
The Paris-Bourbon County Public Library has served the horse-country heartland of Bourbon County since November 1904, when Andrew Carnegie contributed $12,000 toward a handsome French flat pressed brick building designed by architect Raymond Stamler on the corner of Seventh and High Streets. The original collection of 5,484 books has grown more than tenfold over 120 years. A major two-story addition was built in 1988, and in 2016 the library opened a modern second expansion celebrated on the cover of American Libraries magazine. The library became a tax-supported public institution serving all Paris and Bourbon County residents in 1967. On November 15, 2023, the Board of Trustees declared it Kentucky's first First Amendment Library, a designation subsequently affirmed by both the Bourbon County Fiscal Court and the Paris City Commission. Today the library offers an extensive Makerspace, a seed lending library, mobile hotspots, notary services, and a bookmobile that takes collections to rural corners of the county.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1904 — one of Kentucky's original Carnegie libraries, funded by a $12,000 Andrew Carnegie grant
- Kentucky's first First Amendment Library, declared November 2023 and affirmed by Bourbon County government
- Grand reopening 2016 after a modern two-story expansion featured on the cover of American Libraries magazine
- Seed lending library lets cardholders check out vegetable, herb and flower seeds each growing season
- Bookmobile & outreach services bring collections and programs to residents across rural Bourbon County
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Paris-Bourbon cardholders access a full suite of free digital resources including Kentucky's statewide virtual library:
📚 Services
- Notary services (free for cardholders)
- Makerspace with creative tools and technology
- Mobile hotspot lending for home internet access
- Public computers, printing, copying & fax
- Seed lending library — vegetables, herbs & flowers
- Test proctoring for distance-learning students
- Meeting rooms for community groups
- Bookmobile & outreach to rural Bourbon County
- Interlibrary loan
- Genealogy resources & local history collection
🎸 Programs
- Book Babies — stories, songs & fingerplays for ages 0–2 with caregivers (Wednesday mornings)
- Storytime — stories, songs & crafts for ages 3+ (Wednesday mornings)
- Teen Adventuring Guild — tabletop role-playing (bi-weekly Thursdays)
- Teen Art Club (Wednesdays) & Teen Family Game Night (Fridays)
- Adult Writer's Group — weekly meetup for local authors (Tuesdays)
- Bourbon County Fiber Arts Club — monthly crafting gatherings
- Genealogy 101 — instructional sessions on ancestry research
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Bluegrass Region
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library really a Carnegie library?
Yes. Andrew Carnegie contributed $12,000 in 1903–1904 for the original building, contingent on the city committing to maintain it at $1,200 or more per year. The library opened in November 1904 as one of roughly 2,500 Carnegie-funded libraries built worldwide, making it a genuine piece of American library history.
What does 'First Amendment Library' mean, and why is Paris-Bourbon the first in Kentucky?
On November 15, 2023, the Board of Trustees formally declared the library a First Amendment Library — a public commitment to intellectual freedom, open access to information, and resistance to censorship. The declaration was subsequently affirmed by the Bourbon County Fiscal Court and the Paris City Commission, making Paris-Bourbon County the first library in Kentucky to hold this designation.
Can I borrow seeds from the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library?
Yes. The library maintains a seed lending library where cardholders can check out packets of vegetable, herb and flower seeds each growing season. You simply return seeds at the end of the season to keep the library's collection going year after year.
Does the library offer notary services?
Yes, notary services are available to library cardholders at no charge. It is best to call ahead at (859) 987-4419 to confirm a notary is on duty before your visit.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
🌱 This library has a seed library. See how library seed libraries work — borrow free seeds, grow them, and save some to return — and find other libraries with a seed library seed libraries by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in October 2026.
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