Archives versus Special Collections
Both archives and special collection institutions house and manage primary sources. However, archives consider and assess an archival collection as a whole whereas materials in a special collection may be more individualized. Additionally, archival collections and materials document a person’s life or the history of an organization. For example, a university archive preserves materials regarding the history of the university.
- Archives and special collections are institutions that hold materials and items deemed important for their historical value.
- Both have primary sources
- Rely on finding aids
- Libraries house sources of information, primarily books, in digital and physical format for the purpose of advancing knowledge[1]
Remember: archives are managed by 3 main principles: provenance, original order, and collective control
The image below is an example of an archive that houses physical, historical records.
The image below is an example of a special collection of non circulating materials that hold significant value, such as rare books.
Manuscript collections are simply a collection of one’s personal or family papers (SAA, 2024) [2] and sometimes mixed media. These collections are created during and document a person’s life. They may include handwritten letters, notes, or diaries. They may also include photographs, scrapbooks, printed works, and/or news clippings.
