Announcing the Kentucky Records Digitization Program
The Kentucky Genealogical Society is launching a new way to help preserve the Commonwealth’s historical records. After careful review, the Society’s Board of Directors has restructured its previous grant program to better serve the goal of preserving genealogically significant materials.
Starting this year, instead of awarding monetary grants, the Society will accept nominations for specific Kentucky records that need digitizing. Chosen collections will be professionally digitized — at no cost to the nominator — by a vendor selected and paid by the Society.
This new initiative, the Kentucky Records Digitization Program, builds on our ongoing partnership with FamilySearch.org to digitize county clerk records across Kentucky. The program expands that mission to include other types of genealogically rich collections held in local libraries, historical societies, archives, and museums.
Who Can Nominate Records?
Anyone — individuals or organizations — may submit a nomination. You don’t need to be part of a nonprofit to nominate a collection. However, the records themselves must be publicly accessible and owned by a nonprofit organization. We are not able to fund digitization of privately owned or for-profit records.
What Kinds of Records Are Eligible?
To qualify, records must:
- Be genealogically useful
- Not already be digitized
- Be accessible to the public after digitization
Examples include:
- Historic newspapers
- Church directories
- Yearbooks
- Cemetery or funeral home records
- Business ledgers
- Lodge or club reports
- Orphanage, hospital, or poorhouse files
A full list of requirements is included with the pdf fillable nomination form below.
Timeline
- Nomination Form Posted: June 15, 2025
- Submissions Open: August 1, 2025
- Deadline: November 1, 2025 (End of Day)
As part of the process, owners of the records must give permission for digitization and agree to a review visit from a Society representative. Digitized copies will be returned to the owning organization for public access. The Society will also retain a digital backup for preservation purposes but will not host a searchable online database.
We look forward to working with libraries, local societies, and individuals across the state to ensure these invaluable records are preserved for future generations.
Questions?
Please contact Susan Court, Co-President of the Kentucky Genealogical Society, at susancourt@kygs.org.
Download Kentucky Records Digitization Program Guidelines and Nomination Form