Northside Family Reunion
Lexington Public Library, Ky.
Innovation Synopsis
The Northside Family Reunion series celebrated the people and stories which make the diverse Northside community of Lexington so unique, while bringing families and neighbors together through art, culture, food and fun. The series preserved community memories endangered by age and changing composition of the neighborhood.
Challenge/Opportunity
The Northside area of Lexington, Ky., is home to a rich history and diverse community. As the composition of the neighborhood changes, that history is in danger of being lost to future generations. The Northside Family Reunion celebrates the history of the community, while building connections between the residents in the present.
Key Elements of Innovation
The Northside Family Reunion at LPL's Northside Branch celebrated the surrounding community of yesterday and today. It began with a photography exhibition that celebrated the African-American Freetowns on the north side of Lexington. The community also brought their personal histories in the form of photographs, videos, newspaper clippings or memories to preserve and digitize using the library's resources and audio recording booth. We used those resources to create and preserve a collective community memory.
Achieved Outcomes
Many individuals portrayed in the Freetown exhibit were unidentified by the photographer. Through this exhibit, community members were able to identify friends and family. Digitization program attendees kept a digital copy of their memories while sharing their personal histories with the library team. The culmination of the Northside Family Reunion was a reuniting of friends and neighbors for a day of togetherness, family fun, storytelling and food from a locally owned and operated restaurant.