Accessing Resources at UK
Options for accessing online resources while on site:
- Use our computers: Visitors to UK Libraries may use one of our "Information Station" computers to access library resources, government resources, "edu" sites, and some selected other websites. For security reasons we cannot provide access to general search engines like Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google, Yahoo, or most other commercial sites in the .com and other domains. Please bring a thumb drive with you to save your research, since you will not be able to email it to yourself.
- Use your own computer: Visitors can get a guest ID to log into UK wireless network while on site. See UK IT help documentation about getting access to UK's Guest wifi.
On-site visitors have access to many of the same resources available to UK students and faculty. Anyone on campus has access to electronic resources and may look through the paper resources.
See Searching InfoKat Discovery for help.
- InfoKat Discovery This link opens in a new windowSearch for books, journals, videos, and more owned by UK. and other institutions.
Genealogy Research
Genealogy research is a more specific type of research that uses a different set of databases. Use the following resources to get started with genealogy.
- Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, ResearchersGuides detailing KDLA resources for specific record types or topics. Refer to them to learn more about our holdings, methods of access, and to plan your research accordingly.
- Newspapers GuideUse this guide to learn how to best search newspapers. The Kentucky Newspapers section of this link may be of particular use for genealogy research.
- UK Libraries Microfilm Holdings DatabaseFormerly known as the Kentucky Newspaper Master Negative Microfilm Database, this resource provides access to the University of Kentucky's holdings of Kentucky newspaper microfilm masters. This database can be helpful in searching by Kentucky city or county or date range. Does not provide full-text to newspapers.
- Kentucky Digital LibraryOnline finding aids and digitized material from archival collections across the state of Kentucky, particularly small academic institutions and public libraries. Note that content from UK, UofL, and others is not available on the new KDL. Many previous partners now provide access via their own institutions digital libraries. See ExploreUK for access to UK content.
Recommended Resources
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowThis database covers a very broad range of topics found in both popular and scholarly journals.
- Access World NewsFull-text of over 600 U.S. newspapers, including the Lexington Herald-Leader (1983 - present) and other Kentucky newspapers. Access World News also covers over 1,300 foreign English-language news resources.
- Gale Virtual Reference LibraryCollection of full-text encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources.
- Notable Kentucky African AmericansContains short biographies of notable African Americans with Kentucky roots or ties, organized by profession or subject. Also includes entries for events and locations. Includes links to related resources.
