In a few short minutes of talking to Reinette F. Jones, you quickly understand two things: She is passionate about her work and equally passionate about Kentucky.
Jones is a librarian in the University of Kentucky Libraries' Special Collections and Research Center (SCRC) and a faculty affiliate with African American and Africana Studies in the UK College of Arts and Sciences.
Since joining UK in 1988, she may be most well-known for her work in creating the Notable Kentucky African Americans (NKAA) Database. It features entries with names, places, events, communities and sources that share the often marginalized stories of African Americans in and from the Commonwealth.
"It's about Kentucky for me and the African American experience in Kentucky," said Jones. "My goal is to educate people about this state and the people in this state while sharing the stories that, oftentimes, aren't told."
The Bourbon County native started the database 20 years ago with Rob Aken, now an emeritus librarian. Grown from a simple webpage to a robust knowledge base, the site is used by half a million people — mostly Kentuckians — from elementary school students to senior citizens.
"It may seem like a small thing or that all the information could just be found in a history book. But before this database was created, there's wasn't a whole lot in the history books about African Americans in Kentucky," said Jones. "It's sharing information about the life experiences and contributions of African Americans from Kentucky into the history of Kentucky."
The database grows organically as Jones explores new avenues of knowledge, either from reference questions, website submissions or from community events.
Last month, Jones visited the Lexington Public Library for the Colored Marriage Index program — an initiative to learn more about the original finding aids used to locate the early marriage bonds of African Americans in Lexington. The Index to Colored Marriage Register is available online in the UK Libraries Explore UK. Jones was a member of the partnership agreement between UK Libraries and the Lexington-Fayette County Clerk's office to make the records available online.
