William B. Harlan Memorial Library
🏢 William B. Harlan Memorial Library · Tompkinsville, Kentucky
William B. Harlan Memorial Library
Named for a professor whose parents donated $25,000 and a plot of land in 1962 to give Monroe County a proper library building, the William B. Harlan Memorial Library opened in 1966 and completed a significant expansion in 2019. Today this south-central Kentucky library at 500 West 4th Street in Tompkinsville houses a digital archive of Monroe County oral histories, access to Libby and KYVL statewide databases, and a growing collection for community enrichment.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–5pm |
| Thursday | 9am–5pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 500 West 4th Street, Tompkinsville, KY 42167
Phone: (270) 487-5301
Website: wbhmlibrary.org
Plus Code: 868PP843+34 (Tompkinsville, KY)
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📖 About William B. Harlan Memorial Library
The William B. Harlan Memorial Library is the public library of Monroe County, Kentucky, serving the county seat of Tompkinsville in the state's south-central Pennyroyal region. The library traces its founding to April 1962, when J. T. and Mrs. Harlan donated $25,000 plus a parcel of land to the county in memory of their son William Harlan, who had been a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. Construction on the memorial building proceeded over several years, and the library opened its doors to the public in October 1966. In 2019 the building underwent a major addition that substantially expanded the space available to serve Monroe County residents. The library has developed a distinctive regional history program called Voices of Monroe, an ongoing oral history initiative funded in part by the Kentucky Oral History Commission that collects, records, and archives interviews with Monroe County residents on topics ranging from homemaker clubs and women's organizations to community events and local trades. These recordings are archived at both the library and the Manuscripts and Folklife Archives at Western Kentucky University. The library also maintains a digital archive accessible at wbhmldigitalarchives.omeka.net. Cardholders have access to Libby (via OverDrive / Kentucky Unbound), fReading, TumbleBook Library, and the Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL) for statewide research databases.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded through a $25,000 memorial gift from the Harlan family in 1962, honoring William Harlan, a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi
- Opened October 1966; expanded with a major 2019 building addition to better serve Monroe County
- Voices of Monroe oral history program — KY Oral History Commission-funded recordings archived at the library and Western Kentucky University
- Digital archive at wbhmldigitalarchives.omeka.net with growing collection of photographs, interviews, and historical records
- Access to Libby, fReading, TumbleBook Library, and the full KYVL statewide research database suite
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
William B. Harlan Memorial Library cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through statewide Kentucky digital resources:
📚 Services
- Public computers, printing, and free Wi-Fi
- Regional history and genealogy collection
- Voices of Monroe oral history program and digital archive access
- Interlibrary loan
- Library card with Libby, fReading, TumbleBook, and KYVL statewide database access
- Children's and youth services
- Community programs and meeting space
🎸 Programs
- Voices of Monroe Oral History Program — recording and preserving Monroe County community history
- Summer Reading Program
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Adult literacy and educational programs
- Community events and local history programs
📍 Nearby Libraries in South-Central Kentucky
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Tompkinsville · Browse all Kentucky libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was William B. Harlan, and why is the Tompkinsville library named after him?
William Harlan was a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi who died before the library was built. In April 1962, his parents — Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Harlan — donated $25,000 and a plot of land to Monroe County in their son's memory, providing the foundation for a permanent public library building in Tompkinsville. The library opened in October 1966 and was named in his honor.
What is the Voices of Monroe oral history program?
Voices of Monroe is an ongoing oral history initiative at the William B. Harlan Memorial Library, funded in part by the Kentucky Oral History Commission. Library staff and researchers record interviews with Monroe County residents about community life, homemaker clubs, women's organizations, local trades, and family history. The recordings are archived at both the library's digital archive (wbhmldigitalarchives.omeka.net) and the Manuscripts and Folklife Archives at Western Kentucky University, preserving local voices for future generations.
Did the library expand its building recently?
Yes — construction of a new addition to the library was completed in 2019, significantly expanding the space available to Monroe County residents. The original building opened in 1966; the 2019 expansion added room for new collections, community programs, and patron services.
Can I access the library's historical archive online?
Yes. The William B. Harlan Memorial Library Digital Archives at wbhmldigitalarchives.omeka.net is a publicly accessible online collection with photographs, oral history recordings, and historical documents related to Monroe County. Items are organized by subject, including education, community organizations, and local families, and new materials are added regularly.
📜 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 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.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.