All Things Presidential

The May 27 issue of the Friday Facts, an electronic newsletter published by the Indiana State Library included an interesting piece on The American Presidency Project, an online clearinghouse of information related to U.S. presidents. The site was begun in 1999 by John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, professors at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and it contains over 90,000 documents, including radio addresses, media clips, executive orders, and State of the Union Addresses. One of the website’s most interesting features is the presidential Data Archive page which has sections on such topics as Relations with Congress, Popularity, and Public Appearances. It’s good to know that this important site is included in several of Rice Library’s LibGuides, including the American Presidency, Civil Rights, and JFK.


Students of the American presidency may find a number of other useful resources available to them on the Internet as well as within Rice Library’s collections. The Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States dating back to 1991 are available online, and will be an important resource for the serious researcher. Among the periodical resources available in Rice Library are such publications as Congress & the Presidency, Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, Presidency (Washington, D.C.), and Presidential Address. In the library’s Reference Collection, students will find several useful items, including Facts About the Presidents: A Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information [REF E176.1 .K3 2009], Vital Statistics on the Presidency: George Washington to George W. Bush [REF JK518 .R34 2009], Presidential Scandals [REF E176.1 .S353 2000], and How to Research the Presidency [REF JK516 .M365 1996], to name just a few. Lastly, let me mention that a search for the subject terms “presidents” AND “united states” AND “sources” uncovers a number of interesting items, including Inside the Oval Office: The White House Tapes from FDR to Clinton [E176.1 .D73 1999], Nixon Presidential Press Conferences [E855 .N4747], The Papers of Andrew Johnson [E415.6 .J66 1967] and The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant [E660 .G74].

If you need assistance locating or using any of the resources listed above or other materials related to the American presidency, please don’t hesitate to stop by the Rice Library reference desk or contact us by telephone or e-mail (812/464-1907, toll free 800/246-6173, libref@usi.edu).

PO