The original library, opened in 1905, was a
Carnegie Library and its building survives today: it is used by the
Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Ground was broken for the new library on June 3, 1987. Then-Mayor Scotty Baesler noted that the new library project was the "most significant building in downtown." During the preliminary renderings of the structure, it was compared to a "warehouse" and a "jail" due to its unappealing facade; this was soon corrected when a granite facade was installed. Construction began on the new library during the rising of Park Plaza. The cost of the . facility was $10 million. Enough space was reserved during the planning stages of the library that it withstood expansion for 20 to 30 years. The unfilled space was leased to the
University of Kentucky. ==See also==