The library's original mission was to collect and preserve materials that document the life and career of Richard B. Russell, a United States senator from Georgia from 1933 to 1971.

[3] Dedicated to sharing information about Georgia's modern political life and culture, the Russell Library develops exhibits that engage with the past, present, and future.

Visitors can explore interactive kiosks with access to oral history interviews, historical films, videos, and sound recordings.

Artist Art Rosenbaum's mural Doors is the centerpiece of the Russell Library exhibit space, featuring a panoramic view of Georgia's past and present.

Russell Library holdings include the documents of politicians such as Governors Sonny Perdue, Zell Miller, Carl Sanders, Ernest Vandiver, Ellis Arnall, Lester Maddox, and Jimmy Carter, as well as Max Cleland, Mack Mattingly, Buddy Darden, J. Roy Rowland, Bo Callaway, and Don Johnson.