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John F Kennedy Presidential Library

Page history last edited by Paul Keenan 14 years ago

Date of tip:  May 23, 2005  (Last Research Trip: October-November 2004)

Source:  Toshihiko Aono, taono@umail.ucsb.edu

 

Location: Columbia Point - Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA; Local Tel: +1 (617) 514-1600; Toll Free: 1-866-JFK-1960;- Fax: +1 (617)-514-165; e-mail: kennedy.library@nara.gov

 

Possible Accommodation:  Boston is a very expensive place to stay.  Obviously, the cheapest accommodations are dorms at hostels (from about $20/night.)  If you are lucky, you can book a single private room at around $45.  Find and book hostels at: http://www.hostelworld.com/   If you stay for more than a week, you might want consider renting a studio on weekly or monthly basis. See, for example, http://www.boston-bnbagency.com/   

 

How to get there:  There are direct flights to the Boston Logan International Airport.  From the airport, it takes 10-15 minutes by the subway to the center of Boston.   To the Kennedy Library, get off the subway at JFK-Univ. of Mass station (on the Red Line: about 15 minutes from the center of Boston.  $ 1.25 for one-way.).  From the subway station, take a free shuttle bus that departs at every 20 minutes.  

 

Language:  English. 

 

Getting started:  The obvious starting point is to have a look at the web page listing the archival collections of the Library.  See, especially, http://www.jfklibrary.org/guide.htm; Very useful finding aids are available on-line at: http://www.jfklibrary.org/f_aids1.htm  

I highly recommend that you get in contact with research section archivists, give your date of visit, and tell them what your research topic is.  They might send you useful research guides for certain topics (ex, the Cuban Crisis, Vietnam War Anglo-American relations, etc.) if they are available for your topic. Contact them by email, kennedy.library@nara.gov, or by phone. 

Like other Presidential Libraries, the JFK Library has a generous scholarship for researchers.  Deadlines are March 15 and August 15.  See,  http://www.jfklibrary.org/krg.htm 

When you arrive to the reading room for the first time, you will have a quick interview with an archivist, and you will be asked to fill in a researcher application.  Don’t forget to bring a photo ID with you; After that, you will receive a researcher card that will be required every time you visit.

 

Opening Hours:  8:30-4:30 Weekdays.  Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays. 

 

General working conditions:  The reading room is not very big. But the tables are spacious and comfortable. There are one or two computers with Internet access (you can check e-mail). There are lockers besides the reading room where you can store personal belongings.  

 

Consultation:  After you register on your first day of research (filling out the application, providing a picture id etc) then the archivists will conduct an orientation to the holdings, which will include the collection in which you are interested.   Researchers have to start their research day before 3:00.  Materials requests are not accepted after 3:30.

 

Policy on technology:  You may use your own laptop computer and digital camera in the reading room.   Two sockets are available under each desk.  I do not know if researchers are allowed to use a tripod or not.  

 

Photocopy policy:  If my memory serves me correctly, a self-service copier is available in the reading room for copying. The cost of photocopies is 15 cent per page.    

 

Particularities:  There is no restaurant around the Kennedy Library.  But you can eat lunch at the cafeteria in the first floor of the Library at a reasonable price. (I like the Boston clam chowder there!)    

 

How to apply for classified files:  If you are conducting research at the Kennedy Library, you can ask for a mandatory review of classified documents by filling a form.  Consult archivists for the details. 

 

Contact name in case of questions regarding classified files: Stephen Plotkin is one of the main archivists at the Library. Once at the Library, try to get in contact with him. 

 

General Assessment:  In terms of research, the Library is a great place for students of both international relations but also domestic politics in the Kennedy years.   The JFKL contains a vast amount of resources including governmental documents, private papers, oral history transcripts, audio recording tapes of the conversation at the Oval office, and, still and motion pictures.  

The Research Reading Room also has a big collection of secondary works, memoirs, and published documents (such as Foreign Relations of the United States series) concerning the Kennedy Presidency, all of which you may consult while you are doing research.   

Research room archivists are very helpful and knowledgeable.  You might also want to check the exhibition of the Library which traces Kennedy’s life.  Although cost of lodging is very expensive, Boston itself is a very nice city with many historical sites, wonderful museums, beautiful streets, and nice seafood restaurants and bars.   I hope you enjoy your stay in Boston and combine it with productive research at the JFK Library! 

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