Research Frequently Asked Questions
Our staff has compiled the mostly commonly asked questions related to doing research at the Ford Library.
Finding Aids
Ford Library collection in Ann Arbor. Every collection that is open to research has its own finding aid--a narrative explanation and summation of contents plus a list of folder titles.
Museum Collections
The Ford Museum in Grand Rapids holds around 19,000 artifacts, an assortment of historical artifacts that illustrate the life and times of Gerald R. Ford. These objects include gifts received by the Gerald Ford throughout his life, including head of state and American bicentennial gifts received while President.
AV Records
The Ford Library has extensive audiovisual holdings in many formats. Most items are among the historical materials donated to the U.S. Government by President Ford.
Topic Guides
Interested in specific topics? Topic guides combine resources from the Archives, as well as museum and audiovisual collections, and more to help students, researchers, educators, and others focus on materials for their areas of interest. Each topic page includes an Archival Research Guide.
Daily Diary and Photo Contact Sheets
The Daily Diary is a minute-by-minute log of President Ford's official and social activities, noting attendees at meetings and persons to whom he spoke by telephone, and where and when these contacts took place along with related photo contact sheets.
Review for Access
Several Library collections require significant advance consultation with an archivist before materials can be released. These collections are well-arranged and have accurate public finding aids, but Library staff have not reviewed all contents for privacy, national security, or other restrictable information.