Presidential library system facts for kids

This page is about the network of libraries in the United States. For other libraries, see Presidential Library.

Official seal of the presidential libraries

The presidential library system in the United States is a group of 16 special libraries across the country. These libraries are managed by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Their main job is to keep and share important papers, records, and historical items from every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover (who was president from 1929 to 1933). Besides being libraries, they also have museums with exhibits about the presidents.

For a long time, a president's papers were thought to be their own private property. But Franklin D. Roosevelt (who was president from 1933 to 1945) decided to give his papers to the public. He even donated land for a building in Hyde Park, New York. After that, new laws were made to make sure presidential documents are kept for everyone to see. Now, NARA takes care of these documents as soon as a president leaves office. Some libraries for presidents before Hoover also exist, but they are not part of the official NARA system.

These library locations are sometimes called presidential centers. For example, the Barack Obama Presidential Center (for the president from 2009 to 2017) uses a new approach. Its records are mostly digital and managed by NARA. The physical center, run by a private group, displays copies of these historical items.

Exploring Presidential Libraries
- Libraries Not Managed by NARA
History of Presidential Records
What's Inside the Libraries?
List of Presidential Libraries
Where Else Are Presidential Papers Kept?
See also

Exploring Presidential Libraries

NARA Presidential Libraries Passport

For every president since Herbert Hoover, special libraries have been created in their home states. These libraries hold documents, artifacts, gifts, and museum exhibits about the president's life and work. They also host many public events and programs. When a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) starts collecting and organizing their materials. These items are then made available to the public, either in a physical library or online.

The very first presidential library was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, opened on June 30, 1941. The George W. Bush Presidential Center became the thirteenth library on May 1, 2013. NARA even has a "passport" program to encourage people to visit all the presidential libraries. If you visit them all, you get a special crystal paperweight!

Libraries Not Managed by NARA

While NARA manages most presidential libraries, some older ones are not part of this federal system. These libraries and museums were created for earlier presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson. They are run by private groups, historical societies, or state governments. For example, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, is managed by the state of Illinois.

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is an interesting case. It was not originally part of the presidential library system. However, in 2007, it officially joined the federal system, with NARA taking over its operations. This meant that many historical items were moved to the Yorba Linda, California, facility.

Other presidents also have special places for their papers. The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library is at Mississippi State University. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is being built in Medora, North Dakota, and there is also a digital library for him at Dickinson State University. The Warren G. Harding Presidential Center in Marion, Ohio, opened in May 2021, after some delays.

A new approach was taken for the Barack Obama Presidential Center. It is not part of the NARA system. Instead, the Obama Foundation works with NARA to digitize and share documents. The City of Chicago owns the center, which is scheduled to open in June 2026.

History of Presidential Records

Historically, all presidential papers were considered the president's personal property. Some presidents took their papers with them, others destroyed them, and many papers were scattered. Because of this, many important materials were lost. Today, many collections from presidents before Hoover are kept in places like the Library of Congress.

Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, the wife of President James A. Garfield, added a Memorial Library wing to their family home in Mentor, Ohio. This was four years after his death in 1881. The James A. Garfield National Historic Site is now managed by the National Park Service.

The National Archives and Presidential Papers

In 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt decided to give his personal and presidential papers to the federal government. He also donated land for a library and museum in Hyde Park, New York. Roosevelt believed that presidential papers were a vital part of our national history and should be available to everyone. He asked the National Archives to take care of his papers and manage his library. In June 2013, this library opened new interactive exhibits after its first major renovation.

In 1950, Harry S. Truman also decided to build a library for his presidential papers. This helped encourage Congress to take action.

Laws for Presidential Libraries

In 1955, Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act. This law created a system where private groups would build libraries, and the federal government would maintain them. This encouraged presidents to donate their historical materials to the government. It also made sure these important papers were saved and available to the American people. Over time, more libraries were built under this and similar laws. Usually, a private group built the library, then turned it over to NARA to run.

Before 1978, presidents believed their official records were their own property. This idea dated back to George Washington. The first presidential libraries were based on this idea. NARA worked to convince presidents to donate their historical materials to the federal government.

After some concerns about presidential records, Congress passed the Presidential Records Act of 1978. This law made it clear that presidential records are the property of the U.S. Government. When a president leaves office, the archivist of the United States takes custody of these records. The law allowed presidential libraries to continue as places to keep these records.

Later, the Presidential Libraries Act of 1986 added new rules. It required private groups to create special funds, called endowments, for the libraries. NARA uses these funds to help cover the costs of maintaining the libraries.

Modern Records and Future Libraries

Today, records are often digital, which changes how much physical storage space is needed. Also, new rules mean that presidents must raise a lot more money for these endowments if they choose to build a NARA-owned facility. These changes might mean that future presidents will choose different ways to preserve their records, perhaps focusing more on digital archives rather than large physical buildings.

What's Inside the Libraries?

The thirteen presidential libraries hold a huge amount of historical items. They have over 400 million pages of written materials, nearly ten million photographs, and millions of feet of film. There are also almost 100,000 hours of audio and video recordings, plus about half a million museum objects. All these different items make each library a valuable place for learning about the presidency.

The most important items are the papers created by the president and their staff during their time in office. Libraries also keep many other things. These include family items, things the president and their family collected, campaign souvenirs, awards, and gifts from American citizens and foreign leaders. These gifts can be anything from handmade items to valuable artworks. Museum curators use these collections to create interesting historical exhibits.

Libraries also hold personal papers and historical materials donated by people connected to the president. These might include Cabinet members, ambassadors, political friends, and the president's family. Some libraries have even recorded interviews with people who knew the president, creating spoken memories. Finally, there are papers from before and after a president's time in office. For example, you can find documents about Theodore Roosevelt's time as Governor of New York or Dwight D. Eisenhower's long military career.

Most American presidents since Hoover are buried at their presidential library. Exceptions include John F. Kennedy, who is buried at Arlington National Cemetery; Lyndon B. Johnson, buried at his ranch in Texas; and Jimmy Carter, buried near his home in Plains, Georgia. Bill Clinton will be buried at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. George W. Bush will be buried at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. The future burial sites of former 44th president Barack Obama, former 45th and current 47th president Donald Trump, and former 46th president Joe Biden are still unknown.

Interestingly, Gerald Ford's library and museum are in different cities in Michigan. Ford is buried at his museum in Grand Rapids, while the library is in Ann Arbor.

List of Presidential Libraries

This is a list of the presidential libraries. Denotes libraries outside the NARA Presidential Library Office (all post-Hoover administrations have presidential library holdings administered by NARA, but one will have a physical facility that is outside NARA's ownership, and another remains to be decided). Denotes library without presidential site or the site houses the presidential collection in part of a general library. Denotes library where plans are yet to be announced.

#	President	Library name	Location	Operated by	Logo/website
1	George Washington	Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon Opened to public September 27, 2013	Mount Vernon, Virginia	Mount Vernon Ladies' Association	_website
2	John Adams	Stone Library at Adams National Historical Park Opened to public 1870	Quincy, Massachusetts	National Park Service (NPS)	_website
3	Thomas Jefferson	Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello Opened to public 1994	Charlottesville, Virginia	Thomas Jefferson Foundation	_website
4	James Madison	The Papers of James Madison at Shannon Library Opened in 1937, the Papers of James Madison went digital, April 28, 2010.	Charlottesville, Virginia	University of Virginia	_Montpelier
5	James Monroe	James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library Opened to public 1966	Fredericksburg, Virginia	University of Mary Washington	_website
6	John Quincy Adams	Stone Library at Adams National Historical Park Opened to public 1870	Quincy, Massachusetts	NPS	_website
7	Andrew Jackson	The Papers of Andrew Jackson at Hoskins Library Opened to public 1987	Knoxville, Tennessee	University of Tennessee at Knoxville	_website
15	James Buchanan	James Buchanan papers at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Gift of the Buchanan family; transferred to the Historical Society, c. 1895–1897	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Historical Society of Pennsylvania	_website
16	Abraham Lincoln	Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Opened to public in 2004	Springfield, Illinois	State of Illinois	_website
17	Andrew Johnson	President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library Opened to public 1993	Tusculum, Tennessee	Tusculum College	_website
18	Ulysses S. Grant	Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library Opened to public October 15, 1966	Starkville, Mississippi	Mississippi State University Library and Ulysses S. Grant Association	_website
19	Rutherford B. Hayes	Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Opened to public 1916	Fremont, Ohio	Ohio History Connection and Hayes Presidential Center, Inc.	_website
22 and 24	Grover Cleveland	Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library Opened to public October 16, 1976	Princeton, New Jersey	Princeton University	_website
25	William McKinley	William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum Memorial/Gravesite opened to the public September 1907	Canton, Ohio	Stark County Historical Society	_website
26	Theodore Roosevelt	Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Scheduled to open in 2026	Medora, North Dakota	Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation	_website
26		Houghton Library Collection donated in 1943	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Harvard University	_website
26		The Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University Launched in 2009	Dickinson, ND	Dickinson State University	_website
28	Woodrow Wilson	Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Opened to the public in 1990	Staunton, Virginia	Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Foundation	_website
28	Woodrow Wilson	Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library Opened to public October 16, 1976	Princeton, New Jersey	Princeton University	_website
29	Warren G. Harding	Warren G. Harding Presidential Center Opened to the public on May 12, 2021	Marion, Ohio	Ohio History Connection	_website
30	Calvin Coolidge	Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum Opened to the public in 1956	Northampton, Massachusetts	Forbes Library	_website
31	Herbert Hoover	Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum Dedication August 10, 1962 Rededicated August 8, 1992	West Branch, Iowa	National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)	_website
32	Franklin D. Roosevelt	Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum Dedicated June 30, 1941 Rededicated June 30, 2013	Hyde Park, New York	NARA	_website
33	Harry S. Truman	Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum Dedicated on July 6, 1957 Rededicated December 9, 2001	Independence, Missouri	NARA	_website
34	Dwight D. Eisenhower	Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home Dedicated on May 1, 1962 Rededicated on October 7, 2019	Abilene, Kansas	NARA	_website
35	John F. Kennedy	John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Dedicated on October 20, 1979 Rededicated October 29, 1993	Boston, Massachusetts	NARA	_website
36	Lyndon B. Johnson	Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum Dedicated on May 22, 1971	Austin, Texas	NARA and The University of Texas at Austin	_website
37	Richard Nixon	Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum Dedicated on July 19, 1990 Rededicated October 14, 2016	Yorba Linda, California	NARA and Richard Nixon Foundation	_website
38	Gerald Ford	Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Dedicated on September 18, 1981 Rededicated April 17, 1997	Grand Rapids, Michigan	NARA	_website
38	Gerald Ford	Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library Dedicated on April 27, 1981	Ann Arbor, Michigan	NARA	_website
39	Jimmy Carter	Jimmy Carter Library and Museum Dedicated on October 1, 1986	Atlanta, Georgia	NARA	_website
40	Ronald Reagan	Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Dedicated on November 4, 1991	Simi Valley, California	NARA	_website
41	George H. W. Bush	George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum Dedicated on November 6, 1997	College Station, Texas	NARA and Texas A&M University	_website
42	Bill Clinton	William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park Dedicated on November 18, 2004	Little Rock, Arkansas	NARA	_website
43	George W. Bush	George W. Bush Presidential Center Dedicated on April 25, 2013	Dallas, Texas	NARA and Southern Methodist University	_website
44	Barack Obama	Barack Obama Presidential Library	Digital, NARA facilities	NARA	_website
44	Barack Obama	Barack Obama Presidential Center Scheduled to open in June 2026	Chicago, Illinois	Obama Foundation and University of Chicago	_website
45 and 47	Donald Trump	Donald J. Trump Presidential Library	Digital, NARA facilities	NARA	_website
45 and 47	Donald Trump	Donald J. Trump Presidential Center (in planning)	Miami, Florida	Miami Dade College
46	Joe Biden	Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential Library	Digital, NARA facilities	NARA	_website
46	Joe Biden	Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential Center (in planning)	Delaware

Where Else Are Presidential Papers Kept?

Some presidents, like Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson, left their papers to Princeton University. You can find them at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. The Theodore Roosevelt Association gathered Theodore Roosevelt's papers and gave them to Harvard University in 1943. They are now in the Widener and Houghton libraries there.

James Buchanan left his papers to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Projects are also underway to collect and digitize the papers of other presidents, such as Andrew Jackson at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Martin Van Buren at Cumberland University. The papers of James Madison are being collected by the Universities of Virginia and Chicago.

For many presidents, especially those from before the NARA system, their collections might be spread across several private and public places. For example, the papers of the Obama administration are currently held in a facility in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. These papers are available to the public, except for classified materials.