The Hoover Institution Library and Archives have a purpose "to promote peace" and document the 20th century's political themes of "war, revolution and peace" as outlined by Herbert Hoover, early collector of political documents. The Archives houses millions of documents from around the world for a broad range of 20th century history and politics. Countless articles, books and films have utilized the Archives for research. The documents are stored in approximately 100,000 boxes and can be made available to use in the Hoover Institution Archives reading room.
The Hoover Institution Library and Archives is open to the public and free of charge but you must show a photo ID and register to gain access. Materials are only accessible in the Archives reading room; there is no borrowing of archival materials. Personal belongings are not allowed in the reading room and must be left in lockers. Notepaper is provided by the institute. On leaving, you must show any photocopies, notes or reference books being removed from the premises. When using the documents at the Archives, you must agree to be careful with them, and not place anything on top of them or make marks on them. Public copy machines are available. They accept change, $1 and $5 bills, or you can purchase a copy card for $1 and add value as you go. Library materials are subject to Stanford University Library access policies.