Derby Museum opens research library

The Kentucky Derby Museum has announced a new opportunity for researchers to

access more than 10,000 collection items as they relate to Kentucky Derby

history. The Colonel Clark Library houses items dating back to the mid-19th

century providing extensive resources through books, newspapers, magazines and

manuscripts and it will now be open for the first time as a publicly accessible

research center.

The centerpiece of the Colonel Clark Library is the collection of Jim Bolus,

long-time sports writer, historian and renowned expert on the Kentucky Derby.

The Bolus Collection consists of thousands of research files, printed materials

and recorded interviews covering the sport of Thoroughbred racing from 1875 to

1995. The Library also houses primary documents on the history of Churchill

Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby since its inaugural running in 1875, and

approximately 3,000 published volumes which include noted Thoroughbred industry

publications such as The Blood-Horse, Thoroughbred Times and

Daily Racing Form.

In addition to the new library, the museum has begun digitizing pieces of the

artifact collection. Interested researchers can now access a searchable database

by clicking on the "collections" tab under "about us" on the museum website,

then clicking "search our collection." More than 2,500 archival and research

items have been added to the online database to date and this resource is

updated regularly with additional images and content. More than 10,000 artifacts

are housed in the Kentucky Derby Museum's collection in addition to the more

than 10,000 research items.

The library is open on Tuesdays during the museum's normal operating hours,

free of charge and also available by appointment. The library is staffed by

museum research personnel. Research items are readily accessible but may not

leave the premises as it is not a lending library.

For research inquiries, members of the public may contact the museum's

curator of collections, Chris Goodlett at 502-637-1111 ext. 259, or

cgoodlett@derbymuseum.org.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com