The physical collection, more than 1,000 boxes, opened Nov. 1. An exhibit opening Nov. 20, "Preserving Nevada: Harry Reid's Environmental Legacy," will examine how Reid navigated the competing demands of environmental protection and the mining, development and agriculture industries that shaped a fast-growing state.

Reid donated the papers in 2016 with the condition that the physical records remain sealed for 10 years. Electronic records, including a substantial trove of constituent-service files, are set to open in 2036.

"It's a great university, and I hope my papers will make it better," Reid said when he announced the donation.

Reid, a Searchlight native, served 30 years in the Senate and led the Democratic majority from 2007 to 2015. He died Dec. 28, 2021, in Henderson at age 82.

The collection spans his time in Congress and earlier roles as Nevada lieutenant governor and chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. It includes personal papers, campaign materials and records of legislative work and constituent services from his offices.

The exhibit draws on the archive and the research of Benjamin H. Humphries, a doctoral candidate and Reid Fellow, who argues that no one did more during Reid's 34 years in Congress to protect Nevada's environment and challenge its reputation as a desert wasteland. The exhibit places that record alongside the demands of industries and development that helped shape the state.

Reid's environmental legacy includes efforts to preserve Nevada public lands, block the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain and encourage clean energy investment.

Preparing the records for public use took years. The university hired archivist Ian McGlory in 2017 to organize and preserve the physical collection, which Reid's staff had prepared for transfer. Working with student employees, McGlory inventoried the materials, organized them by theme, performed minor conservation work and reviewed the records for duplicates and sensitive information. The team also created a searchable guide.

"I think in retrospect the thing I enjoyed most is seeing that all of this work is done at the end of the day by people working together," McGlory said in a university statement. "Government is often synonymous with being faceless, when in the reality it's the opposite: It's people helping people."

The papers are the largest collection held by UNR's Special Collections and University Archives, according to outreach and public services archivist Elspeth Olson. She recommends that researchers identify specific areas of interest before visiting rather than attempt to browse the entire archive.

The exhibit will remain on display on the third floor of the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center through the end of March.

An opening reception and collection launch will run from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 20. The program begins at 3 p.m. with remarks by University Libraries Dean Catherine Cardwell, Humphries and Olson, the exhibit's curator. Exhibit viewing and refreshments begin at 4 p.m. Registration is requested by Nov. 18, and participants can attend in person or online via Zoom.

Researchers can consult the papers in Special Collections and University Archives on the Knowledge Center's third floor. The department accepts drop-in visits Monday through Thursday, with Fridays reserved for advance appointments. A searchable collection guide is available online.