LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX News) — The Keeneland Library in Lexington has received the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence from the Kentucky Historical Society, the organization's highest honor for preserving and sharing the Commonwealth's heritage. The award is given to just one Kentucky organization each year.
Library Director Roda Ferraro said the recognition reflects decades of work building what she describes as a world-renowned resource for thoroughbred history.
"The Keeneland library is so much more than just a physical space. We were started back in 1939," Ferraro said.
Founded three years after Keeneland opened, 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.
"We are the world's largest repository of all things tied to the thoroughbred industry here and globally, so we've got books, tens of thousands. We have 25 million pages of newsprint and media coverage of the sport dating from the 1700s," Ferraro said.
The library's reach extends far beyond its shelves. Its exhibits have traveled to institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre. In 2025, the library's education and outreach efforts reached learners across the country and around the world.
"We also had our education and outreach efforts, including our exhibits here in the library and that travel, they freely reached 185,000 learners of all ages here, from every state, and I think it was 39, it was 39 countries in 2025," Ferraro said.
Every item in the collection — from rare books to photographs — helps document the sport for generations. According to Ferraro, the library's milestones have included nearly 9,000 research projects globally.
"We could spend lifetimes and we would barely be skimming the surface of the incredible stories and legacies of people who have worked in this sport, past and present," Ferraro said.
For Ferraro, the award carries deep personal meaning.
"It was so special. I don't think I've fully processed it yet, but we're incredibly grateful," Ferraro said.
