More About the Archives
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The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, located in Hyde Park, New York, was conceived and
designed by President Roosevelt while he was still in office. The Library's holdings
include the President's personal and family papers, the papers covering his public
career at the state and national level, Eleanor Roosevelt's papers, as well as those
of many of their friends and associates.
In total the Library houses more than 17 million pages of documents. The Library also contains 130,000 photographs, hundreds of sound recordings, thousands of feet of motion picture film, and a growing collection of videos. These are supported by 50,000 books covering the life and times of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, including President Roosevelt's own personal collection of over 22,000 volumes. Most of FDR's papers were made available to the public in 1950, only five years following the President's death, an action without precedent in our nation's history.
Library materials may only be used in the research room,
which is open from 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. There is no fee to conduct research at the Library, and
no pre-application is necessary. You can Contact the Archives for more information about our holdings in general or related to a particular topic.
The Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Research Room:
Because of his contribution to the study of Franklin Roosevelt and his times, the Library's research room was named in his honor in 1997, and rededicated to his memory in 2008. Click here to learn more. |
The Roosevelt Library's original "search room" first opened to the public in 1946,
just a year after President Roosevelt's death. Within five years, 85% of FDR's personal
papers were opened to the public for research. One of the first researchers to access
this wealth of material was a young historian named Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., who
was issued researcher card #133 on July 7, 1949. Schlesinger had already distinguished
himself through his 1946 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Age of Jackson. He now turned his attention to the study of the Roosevelt era. Over the next decade,
Schlesinger researched and wrote a three-volume history known collectively as The Age of Roosevelt. This seminal work remains a standard for all those studying the Roosevelt period,
and established Schlesinger as the "Dean of Roosevelt Scholars."
Navigating this site: Archives content
Search Our Collections is the place to launch your search for archival material at the FDR Library. Here users can search for digitized documents and images, search finding aids that describe collections, search the online book catalog, and find answers to frequently asked questions about conducting research at the FDR Library.
More Online Resources provides the user with online tools for crafting and supporting a research project. These resources include bibliographies, freequently asked questions, an FDR timeline, information about citation and copyright, and much more.
Plan a Research Visit provides an overview of research room policies and procedures and offers tips on how to prepare for your trip. There you will also find instructions for completing your researcher application.
Researchers are encouraged to read about our Research Services prior to visiting. There you will find information about research assistance, photocopy procedures, interlibrary loan, and more.
Contact the Archives if you have questions about the scope and contents of archival materials or about your specific research topic.
