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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

McCreary County Public Library

Whitley City, Kentucky

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Whitley City.

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2Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1929 to 2015Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

133,218Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Whitley City, Kentucky.

Discover another side of Whitley City, Kentucky through newspapers preserved in the McCreary County Public Library's digital archive. Its two titles include material from 1929 to 2015.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    In the collection shared by McCreary County Public Library, you will find “McCreary County Record”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue.

The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse two titles and 133,218 digitized pages, with material from 1929 to 2015. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, McCreary County Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

If you are tracing a family connection or exploring local history, the titles below offer a place to begin and a thread to follow.

McCreary County Record

121,548 pages from 1929 to 2015

McCreary County Record

11,670 pages from 1929 to 1952

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About the Library

About McCreary County Public Library

The McCreary County Public Library, located on Main Street in Whitley City, Kentucky, has been an essential community institution since it opened its doors on March 21, 1976, with a modest collection of 11,000 books. Initially housed in the basement annex of the courthouse, the library moved to its current location in the former Patton Building in 1978, a space that once served as both a theater and an appliance store. Over the years, the library has expanded and now provides a wide range of services, including a dedicated children’s area, a teen section, and a coffee lounge.

McCreary County Public Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of McCreary County Public Library

The McCreary County Public Library was established to serve the growing needs of the local community. Its original collection of 11,000 books has grown into a vital resource for residents of McCreary County and neighboring communities in Kentucky and Tennessee. In 2007, thanks to a grant and the generosity of local supporters, the library expanded into an adjacent building, creating more space for children and teen areas, and adding more offices and community resources. Over the years, the library’s bookmobile has provided outreach services to those unable to visit the library in person. The library continues to support programs that promote literacy, health, and lifelong learning, making it a beloved institution at the heart of McCreary County.

About the Community

About McCreary County, Kentucky

McCreary County, located in southern Kentucky, is known for its rich history and scenic landscapes. Established in 1912, it is the only Kentucky county that does not have a city or town with its name. Instead, Whitley City serves as the county seat and is home to the McCreary County Public Library. The county is part of the Daniel Boone National Forest and is known for its outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, camping, and historical landmarks such as the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the McCreary County Public Library was originally located in the basement annex of the courthouse before moving to its current location in the former Patton Building in 1978? Today, the library serves as a bustling hub of community activity and is regarded as the heart of McCreary County.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Look for the story behind a result

The history of Whitley City includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the McCreary County Public Library, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story. Search a person, place, or event with a second term, then compare the date and context of each result. A repeated name needs more evidence before it identifies the same person or connects two parts of a story.

After recording the issue and page, search a second term tied to the result and compare the surrounding dates and accounts. Keep matching names provisional until the place and context fit. This can turn one result into a better question without turning a repeated name into a confirmed story.

Capture the title, date, and page or item location for a detail you may want to revisit. Label your interpretation as your reading, not the source's own words. Keep enough context with the note that another reader can retrace it.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the McCreary County Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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