Can we brag for a moment? The Louisville Free Public Library is the coolest library ever.

The 17-branch library system organizes local meet-and-greet opportunities with Kentucky legislators through Cafe LOUIE, connects people through its Books & Brews 502 adult winter reading program + brings reading materials to the community with its new Book Bike.

And that’s just the prologue to why our library is the coolest around. Here are five areas where our library system outshines them all.

📚 Free programs

The library hosts events from dawn to dusk every day across its branches — we’re talking a fully built-out calendar for each day — ranging from baby storytime and after school chill-and-make sessions for children + teens to rotating adult workshops — like this DIY Paper Luminaries class on Jan. 31.
Its Books & Brews 502 winter adult reading program gives participants the chance to earn points for prizes — like LFPL swag, local gift cards, and LouCity FC tickets — by reading books + attending events at local coffee shops and breweries.

📚 Impact

The Main Branch was named the most impressive library in the state with 400,000+ visitors perusing its shelves annually.
LFPL saw a record-breaking 1.1 million digital check-outs from its collections in 2021.
The Library Foundation brought in $3.9 million in fiscal 2021, which provided for 25,000 new books, 8,500 new ebooks + 1,825 new audiobooks.

📚 History

On July 24, 1908, the Main Branch of the LFPL at Fourth and York Streets opened to the public for the first time thanks to steel industry tycoon Andrew Carnegie.
The Great Flood of 1937 damaged the Main Branch’s 25,000 books + museum collections — including washing away Louisville’s mummy Then-Hotep.

📚 Architecture

The 40,000-sqft South Central Regional branch received the highly prestigious American Architectural Award for 2018.
The Northeast Regional Library was awarded LEED Gold certification in June 2020 + features a demonstration kitchen inside the branch.

📚 Firsts

The LFPL’s Eastern and Western Branches were the first Carnegie-built libraries in the country to serve African Americans.
It became the first public library to put its own FM radio station on the air with WFPL + later, WFPK.

Share this story with three friends who need a new library card — they're free.

EVENTS

Today

High Horse Bingo Night | Thurs., Jan. 20 | 6-9 p.m. | High Horse Bar, 1032 Story Ave. | Free | Grab your dauber + warm up your bingo pipes to play this weekly game at Butchertown’s most vintage bar.
Two Mediums + Spirit | Thurs., Jan. 20 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Healing Within Louisville, 808 Lyndon Ln. Ste. #204 | Mediums Chelsey Harter + Jessica Tanselle will transmute messages from loved ones on the other side. 🔮

Friday

Louisville Plant 101 Class | Fri., Jan. 21 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Forage-Old Lou, 1217 S. 4th St. | $45 | Turn your thumb green during this interactive class that teaches houseplant basics + choose and repot your own plant to take home.

Saturday

Art of Identity: Mixed Media Workshop | Sat., Jan. 22 | 12 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Join the Speed Art Museum’s eight-week course — beginning this Saturday — exploring the power of self-expression + personal history. 🎨

Sunday

Silent Meditation Retreat | Sun., Jan. 23 | 12:30-4 p.m. | Waterfront Botanical Gardens | $22+ | Explore mindfulness meditation practices from skillful teachers supported by the gardens + music and food. 🧘

Tuesday

Clinton McCanless | Mon., Jan. 24 | 8 p.m. | Comstock Concert Hall, 150 W. Brandeis Ave. | Free | Catch the Visiting Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium perform his award-winning solo act. 🎵

Wednesday

Boat, RV & Sportshow | Wed., Jan. 26-Sun., Jan. 30 | 5-9 p.m. | Kentucky Exposition Center | $10 | Get a taste of boat life during this multi-brand exhibition. 🛥️

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE JANUARY EVENTS HERE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

30º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain

Community

The city has chosen local nonprofit Hope Buss to operate the city's Safe Outdoor Space, which will serve people experiencing homelessness. Called “The Hope Village,” the site at 212 E. College St. will have 40+ insulated tents with a goal of redeveloping the College Street Property into bridge housing units. 🏠 (WLKY)

Edu

Simmons College of Kentucky received a $350,000 donation from the National Baptist Convention of America which it will use to purchase the original Central High School on West Kentucky Street. The Baptist Convention will additionally invest $1 million to build a retreat center in Valley Station. 💰 (WDRB)
Live Mas, Cardinals. The University of Louisville and Taco Bell are unveiling a new Taco Bell Business School which will teach the fundamentals of franchise ownership + elevate restaurant leaders as entrepreneurs. The first students of the six-week biz bootcamp will begin classes in February. 🌮 (Louisville Business First)

Closing

The Nike Factory Store in Shelbyville Road Plaza has closed. Its 10-year lease was set to expire Jan. 31, and Hagan Properties — the manager of the shopping center — opted to close the store as three other tenants in the plaza sell the swoosh logo shoes. 👟 (Louisville Business First)

Biz

WAVE 3 News unveiled a new logo on its Instagram page on Tuesday — a throwback to one of the news station’s first logos from 1958. The local station was the first to broadcast on-air news in the commonwealth, airing for the first time on Nov. 24, 1948. 📺

Show

Actors Theatre of Louisville will premiere its new show, “Every Brilliant Thing,” on Feb. 9-10, with shows running until Feb. 20. The show is about reflecting on the joyful things in everyday life that inspire hope to continue. Tickets go on sale for theater members today + to the general public on Jan. 25. (LEO Weekly)
Gravely Brewing Co. is hosting its first comedy night of the season tonight at 7 p.m. Going forward, the local brewery will host comedy nights on the third Thursday of each month. Pro tip: Pair your laughs with Gravely’s Olivia Rodrigo-inspired sour. 🍻

Drink

When Highland Coffee Co. closed back in September, we thought we’d shutter our coffee pots closed forever. Well plug that bad boy back in, Fleur de Flea Vintage is selling bags of the shop’s beans. Stop by Wed.-Sun. + browse the caffeinated love. ☕

Today Is

National Cheese Lover’s Day. While we think we should be higher than No. 36 on LawnStarter’s list of “2022’s Best Cities for Cheese Lovers,” we recommend celebrating this piquant holiday with a Classico Cheese Toastie or charcuterie board from Harvey’s Cheese. 🧀

Job

We're hiring a Sales Executive to lead our advertising relationships in Louisville. This exec would manage the entire LOU territory, pitching the most relevant and modern media offering in town while earning $100,000+ with unlimited PTO. Want more info? Learn more + apply.

📸 @brewandsipcoffeebar

We noticed a lack of cocoa bomb content online since it was such a hot trend in 2020 — can you believe that was two years ago? Brew & Sip Coffee Bar is stepping up to fill the chocolate sphere-shaped void in our feeds + mugs.

The Beuchel-based coffee shop offers hot cocoa bombs in nine different flavors — including s’mores + pumpkin — and it's open Mon.-Sat.

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THE WRAP

Editor's pick: I enjoyed some time off last week and had the most delicious cheeseburger from Germantown Social. It was a classic burger with a not too thick patty + crunchy pickles I could taste in every bite — basically a dream come true for me.

I’d been wanting to try the restaurant since it opened in September, and it was well worth it.

Missed yesterday's newsletter? Uncover the local history of the Frank Lloyd Wright building in Old Louisville here.