Doing Research at the FDR Library
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. See Historical Materials in the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library . The Library also contains 150,00 photographs, hundreds of sound recordings, thousands of feet of motion picture film, and a growing collection of videos. These are supported by 44,000 books covering the life and times of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Most of these papers and records were made available to the public in 1951, only six years following the President's death, an action without precedent in our nation's history.
There is no fee to conduct research at the Library, and no pre-application is necessary. When you come into the Library building, there will be a security guard at the counter. Advise the guard that you wish to conduct research and that you are a new researcher. He will contact the research room, and you will be escorted up. You will be asked to fill out a brief researcher application. You must present photo identification at the time of application. You then will be issued a Roosevelt Library Researcher Identification card that is valid for one year. Once you have been issued a researcher card, on subsequent visits you only will need to present the card to the security guard at the front counter in order to obtain a pass to the Research Room.
Researchers are encouraged to contact the Research Room and advise us of your anticipated research dates and topic. This will enable the archivists on duty to better assist you when you arrive. However, pre-notification is not required to conduct research.
Researchers
who have questions about the scope and quantities of materials available or
about their research topics in general also are encouraged to
send inquiries to the Library
.
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. The Library operates a clean research policy, permitting only writing implements into the room. Type writers, personal computers, and tape recorders may also be used, but all notepads, handbags, briefcases, and coats etc., must be left in a designated area outside the research room.
A self-service photocopier is available for a fee inside the research room. (Please note revised self-service photocopy policy described below). Orders are also taken for photocopy reproduction services, but prepayment is required. The Library accepts MasterCard and Visa. The Library will provide answers to specific questions received by mail, fax, or email if the information desired is reasonably brief and pertinent to the Library's holdings. Photocopies of specific documents or entire folders may also be ordered. However, the Library staff cannot undertake substantial research for a requester.
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REVISED SELF-SERVICE PHOTOCOPY PROCEDURE EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2007
1. The only documents that may be copied using self-service copiers are as follows:
SINGLE PAGE original documents and the FIRST PAGE of multiple page original documents.
Modern photocopies as long as all of the pages fastened together are photocopies (in other words, there are NO original documents within the attached documents).
Documents that are 11X14 inches or smaller.
2. The Archivist on duty MUST examine all items that you wish to copy, both BEFORE and AFTER copying.
3. Make copies from only one box or individual folder at a time. Use a cardboard marker to mark the place in the box where the folder belongs so that the folders remain in the correct order.
4. PREPARING DOCUMENTS FOR SELF-SERVICE COPYING:
Flag each document you wish to copy by placing a strip of yellow paper across the front of the document. The flag should be placed horizontally across the document so that the flag is visible when the folder is in the box.
Take the folder or the box to the Archivist on duty for examination.
After copying, leave the yellow flag in place and return the folder or box to the Archivist on duty for examination.
5. DO NOT take photocopies back to your desk. Each numbered copy card has a matching folder in the boxes to the left of the photocopiers. Place your copies in the numbered folder that matches the number on your copy card.
6. Pay for your copies at the end of the day when you have completed your research. Self-service copies are 20 cents per page. The Library accepts all major credit cards, checks, and cash.
7. Documents that cannot by copied using self-service copiers may be copied by the Archives staff at a cost of 75 cents per page. Ask for instructions on this procedure.