Interested in donating collections, artifacts, books, or other items to the Kentucky Historical Society?
The Kentucky Historical Society actively acquires personal, family, corporate, and institutional items that relate to Kentucky. History is more than just famous people or significant events; KHS collects materials that tell the everyday story of Kentucky and its people. KHS is also interested in preserving recent history for future generations.
KHS Collecting Policy
The Kentucky Historical Society Collecting Policy and Priorities
KHS collects through donations and purchases. Like every collecting institution, KHS must collect and preserve under limitations on resources, specifically space. Responsible collecting involves making difficult curatorial decisions and conducting cost-benefit analyses. Donations of collection materials incur costs for preservation, storage, and staff time to process them for research use.
Even though your materials may have monetary and historical value and be significant, they may not be accepted into the KHS collection. Some of the more common reasons that materials would not be accepted include:
- Duplicate materials already in the collection
- Inadequate documentation
- Require care, conservation, and preservation efforts beyond the means of KHS
KHS is committed to ensuring donations advance our priorities of increasing and diversifying representation in our collections.
Review our full collections management policy here.
How to Donate
How do I donate items to the Kentucky Historical Society?
If you have an item(s) you believe might interest KHS, please contact us! We request you call or email before mailing, shipping, or bringing items on-site. KHS staff will discuss the item with you and determine if it seems appropriate for our collections. If the object should be considered, we will complete a temporary custody form with you. We will store the object(s) securely until the KHS Collections Committee or Library Acquisitions Committee meetings occur.
Genealogical Materials and Materials Published After 1920 - contact Mikaela Roach at 502-782-8053 or mikaela.roach@ky,gov
Books, Newspapers, Manuscripts, Maps, Images, Postcards, and Ephemera - contact Casey Castro-Bracho at 502-782-8052 or casey.castrobracho@ky.gov
3D Objects (i.e., Clothes or Other Textiles, Artwork, Tools, Equipment, Household and Domestic Objects, Furniture, Toys, or any Other Objects) - contact Ashley Buzzanca at 502-782-8046 or ashley.buzzanca@ky.gov
Review Process
The selection process is rigorous and ensures that KHS only accepts pieces that it can properly care for and that can help tell Kentucky’s story. When an item is offered, it is presented to either the KHS Collections Committee or the Library Collections Committee for review. This review usually takes place within two to four weeks, but we ask that you allow us up to 90 days (some items require more review time). If the object is not available for inspection, we will ask that you provide detailed photographs along with any available background information.