The RIAS library houses one of the leading collections in Europe dedicated to the study of the United States. It holds an extensive collection of printed materials on American history, as well as a wide range of copies of archival documents on microfilm. Particular areas of strength include the life and work of Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt, US foreign relations, migration, and Civil Rights.
Its collections of microfilms includes materials unavailable anywhere else outside their original repositories in the United States. Some of the highlights from the collection include:
- The papers of President Theodore Roosevelt
- The presidential Office Files of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
- Selected papers of Eleanor Roosevelt
- The papers of W.E.B. Du Bois
- Dutch-American diplomatic correspondence (dating back to 1784)
A full overview of our microfilm collections, as well as detailed catalogues, are available under 'Primary Documents'. For all other materials, please consult the catalog.
The RIAS welcomes all interested visitors seeking to make use of its collections, and only asks that they contact the Institute at rias@zeeland.nl before visiting.
