USPS Presidential Libraries across America - President Jimmy Carter

USPS on 4 August  2005 issued a 37 cent First Day Cover stamp dedicated to the various Presidential Libraries across America. Cancellation postmark originated from each of the Presidential Libraries. The cachet and postmark shown here is the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta. The stamp was printed by Banknote Corporation of America for Sennett Security Products, using a Lithographed printing method. A serpentine Die Cut perforation of 10.75 was used. A total of 40,000,000 multicoloured steps were printed.

On 12 August 1955, the Presidential Libraries Act was passed, providing for the organised transfer of presidential papers and other items to the federal government.

Prior to this, presidential papers were seen as the president’s personal property.  Most presidents took their papers with them after they left office.  Some of these were destroyed, sold, or split up between multiple people.

It wasn’t until Franklin Roosevelt was president that these practices began to change.  Roosevelt believed that presidential papers were part of the national heritage and should be open to the public.  In 1939, Roosevelt bequeathed his papers to the government and donated part of his Hyde Park, New York, estate for a library.

Franklin’s successor, Harry S. Truman, saw the value in his idea for a presidential library and in 1950 decided that he would build one of his own.  He tasked one of his assistants to work with the archivist of the United States on arranging the transfer of his papers to the government.  They worked together to draft the Federal Records Act, which gave the government permission to accept presidential records. 
Currently there are 15 presidential libraries.

Source: Mystic Stamps