Has anyone here ever been to a presidential library?

[Poiuyt]

I'm curious what's in them. I had always assumed that they would just contain papers and other correspondence that pertained to the president. Now with Bush wanting to build a $500 million library, I'm guessing that there's more to it than just gold plated bathroom fixtures. It is my understanding that the money will go to people (I hesitate to call them scholars) who will write books that paint Bush in a favorable light. Is this accurate? Are other presidential libraries doing the same thing?

[BurtWorm]

1. No, but I've been to Grant's Tomb.

:shrug:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. Me too re Grant's Tomb. My brother used to live on 158th St and we

took a bike ride there...it was all covered with graffiti.

[bryant69]

2. I've been to Trumans a long time ago

And they built Nixon's in my home town - where i grew up not where i live now. While the pricetag seems high, they are generally nice museums built around presenting how great their president is and having memorabilia and what not collected while he was President.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Horse with no Name]

30. Which leads to the next question

Are they going to surround this library with tumbleweeds and brush since the only thing this dolt has accomplished in office in clearing brush from the ranch?

[fishwax]

38. perhaps there will be one wing that's underwater

[fishwax]

37. truman's library included angry letters from mothers with sons in korea

I remember visiting as a kid, and there was a lot of "letters to the president" displayed there. They weren't all puff pieces, either. The keepers of Truman's library had the integrity to include very angry and critical correspondence regarding the war.

Something tells me that won't happen at the baby bush museum.

[Darkhawk32]

3. I've been to the Truman library in Independence, MO and the Nixon library....

in Yorba Linda, CA.

Of course these libraries are going to be biased, but the Nixon library was staffed by pure freeper types of all ages.

[madinmaryland]

33. Is it true that you pass through an 18 1/2 minute gap in Nixon's library?

:shrug:

[Beelzebud]

4. I went to the Abe Lincoln library in Springfield IL. It's a very nice museum.

They have an excellent collection of assassination artifacts, a whole section on slavery and racism, many of his personal artifacts, The Emancipation Proclamation, and a few shows to watch about the history of his presidency, and the history of the civil war.

I was very impressed with the museum.

Not in a million years will I visit any form of "George Bush Library"...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Truman's library

included a replica of the Oval Office, with a recording of Truman describing it and talking of his presidency. Seems to me there was a statue of Truman as well, and of course his papers, etc.

Lincoln never created a presidential library, and the majority of his presidential papers are in the Library of Congress. There are several Lincoln museums in Springfield, IL, however. I think the concept of a Presidential Library is one from the 20th century.

[BOSSHOG]

12. I believe

he and the Mrs are buried there as well.

[OzarkDem]

32. Yes, they are

In a courtyard / garden area close by. Truman Library has a lot of interesting exhibits, its a very nice museum. I think it also had one of the old presidential limos, a dining room set and other gifts that he was given by foreign leaders. It also had a great section on World War I, including his service.

We always took out of town visitors there when we lived in the KC area.

[BrotherBuzz]

34. They weren't dead when I visited

We (my family) visited the Truman library in 1960 and, believe it or not, Harry was also visiting that day. He greeted my parents in the mezzanine just outside the small theater. How cool is that?

[OzarkDem]

35. That would have been priceless!

I would have loved to have seen him there (or anywhere!). I can imagine him doing that. Growing up outside of St. Louis, we never got up that way when I was young, only later as an adult, though my great grandfather had met him a few times.

Judging from photos at the museum, it appeared he used the library as his regular office after retirement. He never really stopped working or staying involved in world affairs and Dem politics.

[Odin2005]

40. Did the replica oval office have Truman's "The Buck Stops Here" sign?

:)

[aquart]

6. Time to outlaw the damn things?

Put the papers in the Library of Congress or donate them to universities. This is getting silly.

Or maybe we should require dual use as bomb shelters or just shelters in case of hurricanes and tornadoes.

[treestar]

7. I think I've been in Carter's

If it is in Atlanta - it was either that or a Carter museum.

But I wouldn't go to Chimpy's - it will be this big, empty place. Like Chimpy's mind.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Truman Library

It has been years since I have been there but it was full of memorabilia from his presidency. My best memory is when Truman died and we went and stood in line there to pay our respects. It was bitterly cold but my dad insisted it was historic and we would never forget it.

They do sponsor lecture series and have several events every year. I have no idea if that is typical of other presidential libraries.

A couple years ago, we tried to go to the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, KS. I don't remember that it was called a library. Anyhow, it was a Sunday and it was closed. I do intend to go back sometime when it is open, as Abilene is not all that far from here.

[jwirr]

21. Most of them are teaching/research resource that house all the

papers and artifacts from that era. If tax payers are expected to support them I think they should be incorporated with the Library of Congress. In West Branch they have preserved the tiny two room house Hoover was born and also the Quaker church.

[Johonny]

10. Sure

I went to the Nixon library. One of the funnest days I ever spent in my life. It's like entering a alternate universe. Well worth the drive to anyone that lives near by. Beware there's a guard preventing you from jumping on his grave.

[lisa58]

11. We went to the Clinton Library last year...

...it was cool. There is a reproduction of the oval office (which is a lot smaller than it seems on the west wing). They had his appointment books for every month of every year of his administration that you could just pick up and look up what he did on any date. I looked up what he was doing when my daughter was born.

The Cabinet room had these touch screen computers in the table that you could look up anything the administration did on any policy. There was stuff from when he was a kid like his bus pass and report cards.

You could spend a lot of time there - we only had an afternoon.

[RB TexLa]

22. I spent a day there, very nice

Going to the LBJ's and Bush the Elder's after the first of the year.

[MsLeopard]

13. Jimmy Carter's in Atlanta

I've been there several years ago and it had a lot of interactive displays, a reproduction of the Oval Office, and lots of research materials for scholars. Very nice grounds, and he runs his peace organization from there.

[jobycom]

14. I've been to LBJ's, here in Austin.

It has presidential papers, and other collections of archives from public figures who have donated them. But it's also a museum of sorts, with displays about LBJ's presidency and his life. There are films and exhibits. Plus, it's a center for research and public policy, so there are also auditoriums, archives, research rooms, and such.

LBJ's library is on the UT campus, and other libraries and archives have been built. UT's public policy school has grown because of it, and it receives donated papers from various public figures and institutions. It's a whole academic sub-industry.

I imagine Bush's library will be similar. I'm sure there will be a lot of propaganda, but since his papers will be there, there will also be serious scholarly research, and that cannot help Bush's image much. :)

$500 million will go for land (unless it's donated, obviously), buildings, security, research staff to help visitors, and all kinds of stuff that goes with public attractions. Presidents always want the buildings to be monuments to themselves, so they aren't usually cheap. Clinton's and Reagan's were costly, too. I suspect Bush's library will have fewer documents, though... not a lot will survive the shredders when he leaves office.

[Solly Mack]

15. Dwight D's

A docent

Card catalog listing papers/books/articles/pictures etc.

Museum items (furniture, gifts while President, etc)

[LibertyLover]

16. Eisenhower's and Truman's

At Eisenhower's there is a smallish chapel where he and Mamie are buried and his boyhood home is just across the street. At both, in addition to the papers, which as I recall were not open to the general public on a walk-in-off-the-street basis (I don't know what the requirements are to get approval to see presidential documents in their libraries - I would think that you could check the websites to see if they give the procedure), there are museum areas with exhibits - things like the uniform Ike wore on D-Day or some of the interesting state gifts given to both men when they were president or the newspaper Truman held up in that famous photo. I enjoyed seeing both.

[kiteinthewind]

17. Carter Center in Atlanta-Jimmy and Rosalyn are good people!

The Presidential Library and the Carter Center are adjoined. The library is operated by the National Archives and has research opportunities related to the Carter admin. documents. It also walks you through the Carter years. The coolest part, tho, is the Carter Center. Funny you should post this today, b/c yesterday I got a Christmas Card from the Carter Center and a report about what they are doing (which is LOTS!) They do some kick ass work in the world. Did you know they have reduced Guinea worm (a horrible 3rd world disease) by 99.5%? It is a worthy organization to donate to if you have a couple bucks to spare! http://www.cartercenter.org/donate/index.html
:think:

[CurtEastPoint]

20. I got that card also... the Carters rock...and not just because I live in GA

He has proven himself to be the kind of American that we should emulate.

[jwirr]

25. Got my card to. That Center is well worth donating to. Hopefully

it will survive even after he is gone.

[lithiumbomb]

51. yes indeed

Some months ago I listened to an interview with them from Georgia Public Broadcasting on 90.1 from the Carter Center. It was refreshing to listen to someone get really deep into various issues, and obviously have some intelligent things to say. The Carter Center is a nice place to visit on an afternoon. Saw Max Cleland there when i was younger having a sandwich in the cafeteria by himself. As a sidenote, Cleland is the only Ga politician I ever see wandering around in public as a private citizen.

[longship]

18. Woodrow Wilson and FDR.

Both were nice, FDR's especially so.

[jwirr]

19. I have been to the Herbert Hoover Library in West Branch, Iowa

because I was close while I lived in Iowa City. It is very nice. Located in the beautiful little town he was born in with many Quaker settings. I did not have the time to look at documentation but there was a lot of it - probably all of his papers. What was most interesting to me was the white cotton flour bags that were sent to him when he was in charge of government food distribution in post-WWI Europe. They had messages from the people he helped painted or written on them. He was not altogether an incompetent like *ss. There never will be a mass outpouring of thanks to *ss. Only total revulsion.

[WI_DEM]

23. Yes, Truman's and Lincoln's but I'd like to see more, they are very

interesting. Though I doubt Schrub's outhouse would have much to offer.

[AndyTiedye]

24. Our pResident is a Voracious Reader

[lakerboi09]

26. Been to the Gerald Ford museum

in Grand Rapids. Cool place. The library is seperate and is found in Ann Arbor, I believe. http://www.ford.utexas.edu/

[Nite Owl]

27. FDR

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/

Very moving experience and a lot of historical information.

[Rowdyboy]

28. We toured the Clinton library last summer...Magnificent!

The personal letters from dignitaries like Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and Princess Diana were memorable, the displayed gifts given to the Clintons were awesome (particularly a horse carving from an Arab sheik), and the overall effect is very moving.

Small touches, like the letter from Clinton's representative at Matthew Shepard's funeral, made it very personal.

I left the building profoundly sad that so much hard work and progress had been irrevocably harmed by the monster that succeeded him.

[karlrschneider]

43. I intend to see it myself, it isn't all that far from here. My partner got to

shake hands with WJC at a convention a year or so ago...I didn't go, dammit.!1!!!1!!

[Rowdyboy]

53. We went to the "Red Jacket Ball" in Little Rock last year and Bill was the

guest speaker. Wes Clark also spoke (his wife Gert was the honoree). What a blast! Clinton is a presence.

And to think, I had my hand on his shoulder for several minutes.

[Alexander]

29. I've been to the Nixon and JFK libraries.

As I recall it had lots of memorabilia, clothes, the presidential limo, videos of speeches, and rare photographs in addition to letters, papers and correspondence.

As far as the papers aspect goes, they only show you what they want you to see. It is utterly worthless as a document library and I would feel better if the papers were left out of the libraries and donated to the Library of Congress instead.

For example, at the Nixon library they conveniently omit most of the damning papers and recordings pertaining to Watergate, and laughably try to downplay Nixon's involvement in Watergate (with museum "signs" claiming "But Nixon never actually said "have them break in" or "cover the whole thing up"). I walked out of there feeling that as far as Watergate went, I learned nothing except Tricky Dick's desparate ploy from the grave to rewrite history.

[Vogon_Glory]

31. I've Been to LBJ's and Truman's

I've been to the LBJ Presidential Library here in Austin and to the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. Both are partially museums that detail those president's lives and include personal artifacts as well as gifts he'd received.

I understand that Gee Dubya wants a Hoover-type institute to go along with his presidential Lie-brary. I hope that he doesn't get it.

[Pyrzqxgl]

36. won't there come a time when there's no more room for Presidential libraries?

[Critters2]

39. I've been to the Hoover Library in West Branch, IA

It spends a lot of time on his work re-building Europe, esepcially Belgium, after WW I. Kind of downplays his presdency. I've often wondered if they all do that--focus on what will make the respective president look good to history.

Must say, though, that Hoover's work in Europe and with the Louisiana flood in the 20's was pretty impressive. He seems like a good guy who landed in the White House at exactly the wrong moment.

[liberalpragmatist]

41. Hoover actually was radically interventionist for the time

Certainly his efforts during the depression didn't come anywhere near the New Deal, but they were far more interventionist and heavy-spending than any previous administration.

In fact, if you read a lot of FDR's campaign speeches, he often (at least to the right audiences) campaigned to Hoover's right, criticizing him for not balancing the budget and throwing too much taxpayer's money on public welfare. Roosevelt's "New Deal" didn't become defined until he became president and began formulating actual policy.

[karlrschneider]

42. One, Trumans. I grew up not too far away. I've never even seen a president

in real life, but I did chat with Jimmy Carter when he was campaigning. I never thought he would win at the time, though.

[sam sarrha]

44. every time you go into a sleazy bar you are in * Libarary

[Rosemary2205]

45. Jimmy Carter library in Atlanta

It was very educational, not just on the man and his stint in the White House but also on the "times" he served in. And while it tended to portray Carter in a positive light they certainly didn't shy away from the problems in his presidency either. The Jimmy Carter library is also heavily used at a resource and meeting center for those seeking social and economic justice around the world.

[Ilsa]

46. LBJ's and Bush41's libraries.

Lot's of biographical stuff, antiques, pix, mini- newsreal clips etc, and then there are real library sections of presidential papers, etc for research students.

[berni_mccoy]

47. JFK Library in Boston...a truly wonderful experience

I highly recommend going to see it. It's incredibly moving and to see all that JFK accomplished in just over 3 years is simply amazing.

Most notably, he was the creator of the Peace Corp.

JFK expertly used diplomacy and guided us with light through a time more dark and dangerous than what we've lived through during the current resident in office. Literally, the world was on the brink of destruction and JFK guided us safely back showing incredible strength, courage and leadership. And what he did for the civil rights movement was as significant as Lincoln abolishing slavery.

[mnhtnbb]

48. Been to Truman's and JFK's and hubby has also been to Carter's.

[JohnLocke]

49. The FDR Library

It was awesome.

[Hippo_Tron]

50. How many copies of My Pet Goat does $500 million buy?

[LibDemAlways]

52. I live near Raygun's edifice and have been a

couple of times on school field trips. They have Bedtime for Bonzo posters, several of Nancy's dresses, gifts he received from heads of state, a mock up of the Oval Office etc. They've even carted his old Air Force I up there and built a special hangar for it. And of course he's buried there. Mostly, it's a lot of fluff though. I've read that there is a separate area for his papers, but it isn't obvious.