JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On the fourth floor of the Jacksonville Public Library’s main branch sits the “Special Collections.”
It’s a portion of the library that feels like a museum. It houses hundreds of thousands of small pieces of history.
The wheels of projectors are spinning and carts full of books and film are squeaking throughout the space.
And even though former President Jimmy Carter wasn’t from Jacksonville or even Florida, there’s a section dedicated to him at the downtown library.
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“Especially with him being a president,” Imani Phillips said, “He has an outrageous amount of files.”
Phillips is a Special Collection Historian. She typically helps the public find answers to any plethora of questions.
“I usually feel like I’m in a little mystery novel or something,” she said.
News4JAX reached out to the library just to see what they might have on the former president.
“We were able to find files that picture of him doing different things, as well as newspaper clippings so that was really helpful,” Phillips said.
The files detail stops along his 1976 campaign for the White House, including one in Jacksonville.
“People were genuinely excited about it too here in town,” Phillips said, “It seems like he came back again in 1980, came back in 2000 to build houses with Habitat for Humanity.”
The photos of Jimmy Carter, then in his 50s, showed him running through parks and speaking to crowds.
Later photos showed him building homes.
Each is a little piece that helps tell the story of the 39th President of the United States.
“It kind of sometimes just takes you on an adventure through the city, which I think is a lot of fun,” Phillips said.
The Special Collections are on the fourth floor of the library on Laura Street.
It is open to the public.
They do ask that you call ahead if you know what you are looking for just incase it is hard to track down.