| MALA Home | News & Activities |
Renew or join now
- Membership |
MALA Information | Jobs | Resources | Contact MALA |
Metro-Atlanta Library Association Summer Meeting Summary
MALA Visits the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum - Saturday, June 4, 2011
On June 4th,
2011, thirteen librarians and library paraprofessionals (including four current
MALA board members) gathered for a very informative and thorough guided tour of
the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Archives,
as well as a self-guided tour of the Museum. When a researcher visits the Library for the first time,
he/she must fill out an application and undergo an orientation interview by a
Carter Library staff member (they are always encouraged to schedule in advance
of visiting). It was interesting to see compact shelving on one of the
lower floors and to hear that many of the boxes of documents are ‘Alkaline
buffered’ boxes - a special material for the purpose of preservation. The Library
does also contain a collection of books, including books by or about President
Carter and Rosalynn Carter, but we did not see this.
Our two guides were well informed about the collection and answered our
questions very well. The Museum of the Jimmy Carter Library includes photographs and historical
memorabilia from the Carter presidency, 1976 - 1981. An exact replica of the
Oval Office and gifts received by the Carters are also featured. A permanent
exhibit of significant events occurring during Jimmy Carter's life and political
career includes photographs with interpretative text. The Museum includes various quotes from Jimmy Carter to
exemplify his life, works, and character. He has a tough mind from his father
and a tender heart from his mother. His teachers influenced his desire to
learn. His academic records and favorite books are on display. Carter went into the Naval Academy and on to become a
career naval officer. He was the first Carter to leave Plains, Georgia, his home
town. A life-size replica of the submarine on which he served is in the middle
of the Museum, as well as accompanying photos of naval life and travels.
Special thanks to Thom Shelton and Will Smith for providing this meeting
summary.
After the fifteen minute introductory film in the theatre, the tour of the
Library and Archives began on
the
top floor lobby of the Library where researchers first come, are greeted and interviewed. We heard some basic facts about what is available
for research, including the fact that the Library emphasizes papers from the
Executive office of the President much more than individual papers from various
departments of the Executive branch during Carter’s tenure as President from
1977-1981. Only about one third of the entire collection of
papers is currently open for research.
Our next stop was the research room, where we saw a traditional card catalog and
binders of finding aids describing materials that have been processed and
opened for research (often finding aids can be loaned to researchers).
Researchers can request up to fifteen boxes at a time; however, they can actually
view and work with only one box at a time.
We learned about the special Archival Research Catalog which is now online.
In some instances, research requests and questions, whether from the general
public, high echelon researchers, or media professionals, can be dealt
with online or by mail.
After the research room, we went into audio-visual rooms which contain
photographs, negatives, contact sheets, sound recordings, and other visual
records. We saw several machines, including reel-to-reel
machines and a U-matic machine which cleans U-matic tapes. We learned about the
Digidata and VHS formats and the process of video dubbing. We next went
into the cooler room where black and white photos and negatives are stored at
55 degrees. From here we saw the doors of the freezer room which
stores the color negatives and photos at freezing temperatures.
In the final part of the tour, our guides took us into the rooms of boxed files
and papers (sometimes called ‘the stacks’) on the lower floors. One room
contained vertical files of articles on all stages of President Carter’s life
and career and other rooms contained papers which have not been cataloged yet,
such as national security papers from
Carter’s presidency which have not been processed and are waiting to be
‘declassified’.
One of our guides confirmed that although the Library and Archives have
been open to the public for twenty-five years, only about 60-65% of the
approximately 27 million papers from Carter’s Presidency have been cataloged. It is an ongoing process to catalog the rest of the collection. 
The
Museum covers the Carter family history, including President Carter's childhood,
the courting of his wife, his naval career, taking over the family business in
Plains, and his journey into politics from the Georgia State Senate to the White
House. It also covers milestones during the Carter Administration and his
impacts around the world. The Center also covers Carter’s life after the White
House including his bestseller books and works around the world. Some of his
initiatives through the Carter Center have included monitoring free fair
elections, providing cost effective medical treatments, delivering mosquito
netting, teaching water filtration processes, and building schools in developing
countries. The Nobel Prize for Peace which was awarded to President Carter is on
display at the end of the tour.
