About the Story Center
The Story Center launched in 2024. The library created the Story Center to enhance local history services and bring the community together to preserve and share stories of local life in Boyle County. Its launch has been supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
The Story Center’s objective is to collect, digitize and make the county’s history accessible through exhibitions, programming and digital initiatives.
The Story Center provides patrons with the tools to preserve their own records in the memory lab, the equipment to record oral histories in the oral history studio and the opportunity to explore a growing number of digitized records from the library’s special collections and archives.
Upcoming Highlights
TOURS: We offer free Downtown Danville Walking Tours, highlighting historic connections and sites. Every Wednesday in June and July, tours depart from the Library rotunda at 11 a.m. On June 18 and July 16 as part of Downtown Third Thursday activities, we will lead a Tipsy Town Tour at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. departing from the corner of Third & Main Streets. Share our video!
EXHIBITS: Grayson's Tavern will be the site for a new exhibit exploring the Political Club of Danville, a debating group that gathered at Grayson's Tavern from 1786-90, when Kentucky was a district of Virginia, the U.S. Constitution was being discussed, and movement was underway for Kentucky to become the first state established west of the Appalachian mountains. It Happened Here: The Political Club of Danville will open on June 25 at 5:30 p.m. featuring original documents on loan from the Filson Historical Society in Louisville. Watch a short video.
Beginning July 2, a photo exhibit Danville, 1909 will be on display in the Georgia de Araujo Gallery at the library. The show will share images of Danville from the year used as the setting for the 1946 novel The Iron Baby Angel, which has been adapted as an original production by Pioneer Playhouse this summer. An opening reception for the gallery exhibit will be at 5-6:30 p.m. on July 2.
Story Center Hours of Operation*
*Due to ongoing HVAC issues at Grayson's Tavern, the Story Center will operate on a modified schedule the first two weeks of June:
- Wed. 6/10: 10am-4pm | 6/11: Closed | Fri. 6/12: 10am-12pm | Sat. 6/13: 9am-12pm
| - | Story Center @ Grayson's Tavern* | Story Center @ BCPL |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | By Appointment Only | 9:30 am-5:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 10:00 am-4:00 pm* | 9:30 am-5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 10:00 am-4:00 pm* | By Appointment Only |
| Thursday | 10:00 am-4:00 pm* | 9:30 am-5:00 pm |
| Friday | 10:00 am-4:00 pm* | 9:30 am-5:00 pm |
| Saturday | Closed | By Appointment Only |
| Sunday | Closed | Closed |
The Story Center at Grayson's Tavern is located on Constitution Square at 105 E. Walnut Street, Danville, KY.
Contact the Story Center
Phone: 859-757-0191 | Email: storycenter@boylepublib.org
Story Center Services and Programming
- Memory Lab - The Memory Lab will now have two locations! Digitize your records at the Library or at the new Story Center facility at Grayson’s Tavern. Visit the Memory Lab page to learn more and to book an appointment.
- Oral History Studio – Help us record the stories of the community by scheduling an appointment at the Oral History Studio, located in the Story Center at Grayson’s Tavern. Record your own history using questions and prompts provided, allow us to interview you, or interview someone close to you.
Story Center Programming and Community Initiatives
The Story Center will offer programming on local history, digital and digitization literacy, and best practices in collections care and preservation. Check the BCPL Events Calendar for information on specific programs.
The Story Center will also launch two new community projects, the Community Collections initiative and the Community Curators initiative. Both projects will offer new ways to volunteer and collaborate with the Boyle County Public Library. For more information or to get involved, email us at storycenter@boylepublib.org.
