Materials available include historical manuscript collections and oral histories. The bulk of the holdings consists of the personal papers of Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States, and the papers of many of his friends and associates. These collections are described in the pages that follow.

Researching the collections: Researchers may use these collections in the Library's reading room and are encouraged to do so. The Library is open on weekdays only from 9 am until 5 pm, central time, and is closed on New Years day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas day. Questions concerning the content of collections, amounts of materials avaiable, etc. may be submitted via letter, telephone [319 643-5301], or FAX [319 643-5825].

INFORMATION CONCERNING MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS
HOOVER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

INDEXES AND COLLECTION DESCRIPTIONS.

In the pages which follow you will find much information concerning the most significant manuscript collections and microfilm holdings of the Hoover Library. This information can be accessed through three different kinds of indexes plus detailed descriptions for over 140 of the Library's collections.
The indexes provide access based on subjects and the names of organizations and individuals. The first index is the subject index. You should find it especially useful because it also lists the names of the collections in which the various subjects occur. Once you have determined which collections contain potentially useful information, you should consult the collection descriptions for additionnal information. The organizational and individual name indexes also list the names of the collections in which they may be found.

1. These indexes are both subjective and selective. They include only the more important/significant subjects and names. However, in most cases, the index will direct you to collections that have information on your general area of interest. The collection description should help you to decide whether a collection has information on your area of interest. Once you have identified collections that appear to be appropriate, our staff can furnish you with additional information concerning the contents of a collection (including the approximate amount of materials on your subject) and advice on obtaining Xerox copies of relevant materials.

2. A few of the collections mentioned in the subject index are not described in the collection description section. These collections are indicated by a star in the margin before the name of the collection. We hope to correct this in the next edition of this guide, but were not able to do so at this time. Questions concerning these collections--or any of our collections, for that matter--may addressed to our staff at the addresses listed above.

Holdings Table of Contents

• Group Descriptions -- descriptions of series.
• Indices -- names and subjects and where to find them.