The cultural center previously used the space as a museum. It’s now been reshaped into an interactive library with books about African American culture. It also includes interactive screens — including a large, digital wall — that showcase notable people that have made an impact on America.
Christian Adair, the Lyric’s executive director, said the wall will change every month depending on the time of year. It will include exhibits on Black History Month, indigenous peoples and notable women, among others. Another “Architects of America” screen shows national figures like inventors and politicians that have impacted the U.S.
“We want to change it every month to be educational and for field trips,” Adair said.
Another library exhibit showcases people who have made significant contributions to Lexington.
“It's a wall of givers, people that have advocated for or provided for or led our community, we want to make sure that they are remembered and that people can learn from them and their experiences,” Adair said.
Adair said the new library’s purpose is to educate Lexington residents on African American history, both at the local and national level.
“If you have an entire puzzle, and you're missing a lot of pieces, you feel incomplete, and that puzzle is not showing the full picture,” he said. “And so we know that a lot of puzzle pieces are missing when people are being educated, and it's up to us to fulfill that void.”
The new library is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. It’s free and open to the public.
“Oftentimes, because we're speaking about the African American experience or the Lyric, they're not realizing that we're talking about them as well, and they focus on it being just for a certain culture,” Adair said. “When in reality, it’s even more important for people that are not African American to come in and learn, and that helps unite us and bring us together. So this space was not designed for just one group of people to enjoy. It was designed for everyone to come enjoy.”
