The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies was established in 1974 by the Richard B. Russell Foundation, Inc., Georgia General Assembly, and Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The Library’s original mission was to collect and preserve materials documenting the life and career of U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr. The Library's holdings have since expanded to include approximately 600 manuscript collections and more than 2,000 oral history interviews documenting modern (1900-present) politics and public policy, with a primary focus of Georgia and Georgians. The Russell Library enjoys a national reputation as one of the largest and foremost repositories for modern congressional papers. The Russell Library received a Governor's Award for the Arts and Humanities in 2014. In 2024, the Russell Library celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The Russell Library invites researchers of all experience levels and areas of interest as well as visitors from around the world to explore the people, events, and ideas shaping Georgia’s politics, policy, and public life.
To advance the University of Georgia’s research and teaching missions, the Russell Library offers robust instruction guided by archives-centered pedagogy. The Russell Library is also dedicated to developing and presenting public programming and educational materials that facilitate research, raise public awareness of the Library and its collections and services, and provide learning opportunities for the communities it serves.
To achieve and advance its mission, the Russell Library pursues opportunities for collaboration with numerous individuals and organizations. Current partners include the Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies, Georgia Disability History Alliance, Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO), and the GALEO Latino Community Development Fund. The Russell Library is a founding member of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress.
The Russell Library is a department within the the University of Georgia Libraries and is located in the Richard B. Russell Jr. Building, Special Collections Libraries, which also houses the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library & University Archives and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Collection.
