Woodford Reserve maker makes $25K donation to Woodford County library for 'Digitization Station'

The Woodford County Public Library has received a $25,000 donation from the makers of Woodford Reserve bourbon for what they’re calling a digitization station. Stacy Thurman is the executive director of the library. She said a Brown Forman employee who lives in Versailles and passes the main branch every day started the process, which led to an interview about plans for the library’s county history room.

“I explained that we were just trying to make those resources more available to genealogy research or families that were looking to see, you know, they bought a house here in Versailles and wanted to see what the history was of that home. Or, you know, any kind of research more locally, even Kentucky based.”

Thurman said they’ll use the money to purchase a scanner to digitize historical and genealogical documents donated by the Woodford County Historical Society. Library patrons will be able to do the same at no charge, and Thurman said interested people anywhere will benefit.

“Somebody in Colorado or wherever can do research.”

“24/7, right?”

“Right. And so they don't have to be here in our facility. I mean, we're all about getting people in our library doors, don't get me wrong, but in order to make that history accessible, that's our goal, right? I mean, that's everybody's goal.”

Thurman said the digitization station should be operational sometime next year.

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