The staff at the magazine you are holding in your hands is very excited about a new archival project at the McCracken County Library . . . that involved PADUCAH LIFE Magazine!
“Awhile back a surprising email popped up in my in box,” recalls Darlene Mazzone, publisher of PADUCAH LIFE Magazine. “It was from Nathan Lynn in Special Collections at the McCracken County Library. To my surprise and delight, he was inquiring about getting his hands on every issue of PADUCAH LIFE Magazine that has been printed since we started the magazine in 1990.”
So Mazzone started the search. “It was the perfect time to get those archival issues organized. They were kind of scattered around our offices in more than one place so this was the perfect opportunity to get them in chronological order and to assess whether or not we actually had copies of each issue.”
As it turned out, Lynn was missing one edition and Mazzone found that SHE was actually missing an issue that the library had in their files. “I was so surprised as I worked my way through Nathan’s list and found that he had an issue listed that I couldn’t find. It turns out it was our ‘Docs and Rockers’ edition. Our editorial photographer, JT, laughingly suggested that I get in touch with any one of our musical medical men on the cover, knowing that with rock star egos, they surely had purchased multiple copies of that edition. He was right!”
But there is still one missing link. Only one copy exists of the 1991 Quilt edition. “We have sent out a plea for anyone with a copy of this particular magazine to let us know if they might be willing to donate it to the full set of PADUCAH L IFE Magazines that the library is attempting to compile,” Mazzone adds. “That would be a monumental coups if we could actually get our hands on that one extra magazine.”
So if anyone has a copy of the 1991 Quilt issue, contact Mazzone at 270.442.3338. You would be making a uniquely historic contribution to a legacy of LIFE in Paducah since 1990.
“The Local and Family History Department at the McCracken County Library continually works to improve our Special Collections,” says Lynn. “Part of this involves preserving existing items which we have the good fortune of housing. Over the last 20 plus years, PADUCAH LIFE Magazine has not only documented significant issues relating to Western Kentucky, but has also done an exceptional job of bringing many historical subjects to the reader’s attention. Previous employees saw the importance of this and kept the back issues. Over the years these issues have been housed in ‘Princeton Files,’ but since the collection continues to grow, it is time to have these loose issues bound into books so future generations can continue to enjoy this great publication.”
“We are absolutely honored that the library has set out to chronicle the history of both our community and our magazine in this special way for its special collections,” Mazzone comments. “It will be such an honor to know that LIFE as we have known it (and written about it) in Paducah for the past 22 years will become a part of a lasting legacy at our library.”
