About Presidential Libraries
A presidential library, in a literal sense, is a "presidential archival depository" that contains the archival collection of records ---including documents, films, social media posts, recordings and photographs--- generated by a president or his staff during his term(s) in office.
When a president leaves office, the National Archives takes physical and legal custody of the records and artifacts of his administration in accordance with the Presidential Records Act. These records and artifacts are the presidential library.
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The term "presidential library" has over time come to describe entire facilities, museums and campuses dedicated to the history and legacy of a president, and some are called presidential centers. The National Archives' role at each of these sites varies. Most presidential archival depositories are at presidential centers across the country, but not all. The Gerald Ford Presidential Library is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan while the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Obama, Trump, and Biden presidential archival depositories are now at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
Learn more about the Presidential Libraries History
Holdings Overview at Presidential Libraries
The Presidential Libraries maintain over 600 million pages of textual materials; nearly 20 million photographs; over 20 million feet of motion picture film; nearly 100,000 hours of disc, audiotape, and videotape recordings; over 500 TB of electronic data, and close to 750,000 museum objects. These varied holdings make each library a rich source of information and a center for research on the Presidency.
The most important textual materials in each library are those created by the President and his staff in the course of performing the official duties. In recently established Presidential libraries, these documents can also be in electronic form. Researchers will also find that each library contains a rich audiovisual and photographic record of a President at work. Taken together, these historical materials form the substantive record of public policy in each administration. Libraries also house numerous museum objects which may include family heirlooms, items collected by the President and his family, campaign memorabilia, awards, and the many gifts given to the President by American citizens and foreign dignitaries. These gifts range in type from homemade items to valuable works of art. Curators in Presidential libraries and in other museums throughout the country draw upon these collections for historical exhibits.
Other significant holdings include the personal papers and historical materials donated by individuals associated with the President. These individuals may include cabinet officials, envoys to foreign governments, political party associates, and the President's family and personal friends. Several libraries have undertaken oral history programs that have produced valuable tape-recorded memoirs.
A third body of materials comprises the papers accumulated by the President prior to, and following, his Presidency. Such collections include documents relating to Roosevelt's tenure as Governor of New York and Dwight Eisenhower's long military career.
The Presidential Records research page has information about accessing the presidential collections.
Additional information on our holdings can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions.