Basic Definitions

Finding Aids

Archivists prepare guides to archival and manuscript collections called finding aids. These typically contain a description of the collection, a history of the person or organization that produced it, and a list of the contents that tells users how the collection is structured and where to find particular materials in it. Items in an archival collection may include one or more of a wide variety of formats such as diaries, correspondence, literary manuscripts, scrapbooks, legal papers, memorabilia, photographs, films, tapes, computer files, maps, drawings, pamphlets, and other forms of material.

Manuscripts

Manuscripts are unpublished primary sources. The term "manuscript" encompasses a broad array of documents and records in various formats. These include letters, diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, maps, oral histories, sound recordings, film, and video.

Rare Books

Rare books are those for which demand exceeds supply. A volume may be one of the very few remaining copies because it was printed in the 15th century or because only a few copies were printed. It may be rare because it was owned by a very famous person who made notes in the margin. It may be rare because it was printed very cheaply and not intended to last. For more details about rarity and scarcity, see Your Old Books.

Special Collection

A special collection is comprised of a group of materials that is collected on the basis of some shared characteristic. All the pieces may all have the same format (documentary photographs, comic books, artists' books, sheet music, or postcards, for example), relate to a particular subject (print advertisements for Kodak products, Kodak books on photography, and objects manufactured for window dressing to advertise Kodak cameras), be written by the same author, or simply have been assembled by the same individual or organization.