America's pyramids: Presidents and their libraries

This article explores the history, purpose and perspectives about the United States Presidential Libraries: and sections include how presidential papers before presidential libraries were handled; Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the origin of the presidential library; the presidential library system's evolution and the issues of presidential papers; the insider's view of presidential libraries; other's views on presidential libraries; and, the future of presidential libraries. The article closes by summarising and making a policy recommendation. It recomends the establishment of "a single Presidential Archives, housed in a facility run by the National Archives (although an empowered archival agency) in or nearby Washington, D.C. where the records of all subsequent Presidential administrations will be stored conveniently for researchers and the public. This facility should focus on records, with some space for small revolving exhibitions about the history and nature of the Presidency, but its primary purpose will be archival.