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Artifact Collections
The artifact collections at the Barack Obama Presidential Library consist of more than 35,000 objects. The collections encompass works of art, cultural artifacts, books, textiles, domestic furnishings, sporting equipment, and other historical materials that represent the era and work of the Obama administration. These materials were predominantly given to the President and First Lady by foreign officials and the general public during the years of the Obama administration. The collection also includes materials transferred to the library from federal agencies and items used by administration staff in the White House. For more information about the gift-giving process, see our FAQ.
Since 2017, Obama Library staff have been working to document and photograph these artifact collections in our curatorial storage facility. Like other cultural institutions, our artifact collections catalog is an important tool in the daily management and care of our collections. The Digital Artifact Collection provides a public portal to our artifact catalog records and allows the public to witness our progress as Obama Library staff continually work to enhance the data related to our artifacts by cataloging, inventorying, digitizing, and researching the collection.
Please view our Digital Artifact Collection to see the materials that have been inventoried and photographed so far, including gifts from world leaders and items sent to the White House by private citizens. The Digital Artifact Collection will be regularly updated with new records and photos as we continually work to process and photograph our artifact collection.
The Barack Obama Presidential Library actively accepts selected donations for its artifact collection. All donations are carefully reviewed by the artifact and library staff before being considered for accession into the collection. If you are interested in donating to our collection, please email us and provide as much detailed information as possible, including photographs and a statement explaining the relevance to President Barack Obama. (Unsolicited donations may be returned or disposed of without notice. Please contact us before sending any items to the library.)
While our curatorial facility is not open to the public, we do have an outgoing loan program. However, we currently have limited capacity through Spring 2026 due to a planned collection move. Loan requests should be submitted via email. Before you submit a request for artifacts you would like to borrow for exhibition purposes, we encourage you to read the National Archives guidance for Borrowing NARA Holdings for Exhibition.
Please view the Research page for more detailed information on conducting research and research inquiries. Loan requests and donations related to the library’s artifact holdings may be submitted via email using the address provided below in Contact Us.
For general inquiries, loan requests, and offers to donate, please email obama.library@nara.gov with “Artifact Collection” in the subject line. When submitting a request, please include your contact information and as much detail as possible, such as dates and photographs of relevant objects and documents, so we may best address your inquiry. The artifact staff evaluates requests and replies within 10 business days.