The William J. Clinton Presidential Center is the 11th library in the presidential library system, and it houses millions of documents and other artifacts. Items in the collection include:

• Notes, memos, letters, and other papers written by the president
• Letters and policy papers produced by appointees and assistants
• Gifts from constituents and foreign dignitaries
• Millions of photographs
• Videotapes of speeches and conferences
• E-mails that flowed through the presidential offices
• Notations in the official daily calendar
• Transcripts of speeches, press briefings and phone conversations

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, believing that presidential papers formed an important part of our national heritage, established the first official presidential library in 1939. He donated his papers and a portion of his Hyde Park estate to the government. Construction of the library and museum was funded through private donations.

The passage of the Presidential Libraries Act in 1955 allowed for other privately-built presidential libraries to be federally maintained. It also encouraged presidents to turn over their papers and records -- considered personal property -- to the government for preservation.

In 1978, under the Presidential Records Act, all presidential documents and other artifacts became the property of the United States.

When a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) establishes a presidential project until a new presidential library is built and transferred to the Government.

NARA administers the libraries for Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush.

Since 1986, presidential libraries have been required to secure a private endowment to help NARA offset the costs of maintaining the library. While NARA oversees the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, the Nixon Library is privately maintained.

Presidential libraries have three primary functions:

• Archive -- A modern president and his staff can generate an enormous collection of records and documents. They are catalogued and preserved under strict requirements.
• Library -- Researchers, historians, scholars and journalists use the libraries to review presidential records and gain insight into the details and decisions of the presidency. The libraries also offer special educational programs, exhibits and conferences for the public.
• Museum -- The exhibits utilize key holdings of the archives to reflect the life and times of the president. Exhibits showcase the domestic and foreign policy achievements of the administration and display gifts and other artifacts.