FRANKLIN—Access to the FDR Library’s Digital Collections

This poster presentation will introduce historians to the newly launched and very extensive online research tool for primary source research, “FRANKLIN.” This is a brand new virtual research room and digital repository that provides free and open access to the digitized collections of the Roosevelt Library—to everyone, anywhere in the world. FRANKLIN allows you to keyword search for 350,000 archival documents and 2,000 public domain photographs.

What can historians find in FRANKLIN? Archival documents include Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s New Deal and wartime correspondence with world leaders, government administrators, and regular Americans. Photographs include public domain images of the Roosevelts throughout their respective lifetimes, as well as subject areas like the Great Depression, New Deal, and World War II. Now available online are some of the most important documents of the twentieth century – primary source documentation of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s experiences leading the nation through the Great Depression and World War II. 

FRANKLIN is the result of a special cooperative effort -- a unique combination of public, nonprofit, and corporate support. The Roosevelt Library and its parent agency, the National Archives, worked with nonprofit partner the Roosevelt Institute to digitize a large amount of microfilmed archival documents. The Library’s digital partner and web host, Marist College, then developed and implemented FRANKLIN’s underlying database infrastructure based on the open source Archon platform. Marist runs the system using powerful servers manufactured by Marist and Roosevelt Library corporate partner, IBM.

FRANKLIN is a major part of our Library’s ongoing, ambitious digitization program. We look forward to posting even more documents, photographs and collection descriptions in the future, enhancing the world’s ability to access such remarkable documentation of our shared history.