Joe Louis read in the LBJ presidential library

Presidential libraries sound like a grand gift to the public. A home for official records and information free for people to access and dedicated in the name of a former president.But these institutions of knowledge have become controversial nature.

First, from their humble beginnings in FDR’s small building in New York state, they have grown dramatically in stature. Now, they often take up large swath’s of land, or significant space on university campuses. Second, although private funds are often used to establish the libraries, public tax funds are used to maintain them on an ongoing basis. And third, the nature of the libraries themselves have transformed from repositories of records to partisan sources of promotion for the eponymous president.

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Other Resources:

Presidential libraries: https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries

LBJ presidential library: http://www.lbjlibrary.org/footer/plan-your-visit