Archives vs. Libraries
A Comparison of Materials

paragraph indentThere are fundamental differences between an archive and a library that are most apparent when considering the differences in the collections.  The differences in collections are distinguished using the following categories:

Nature

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Published
indentation  Discrete items
indentation  Independent significance
indentation  Available elsewhere

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Unpublished
indentation  Groups of related items
indentation  Significance from relationship to other items
indentation  Unique

Creator

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Many different individuals or organizations

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Parent organization or institution

Method of Creation

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Separate, independent actions

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Organic - normal course of business

Method of Receipt

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Selected as single items
indentation  Decisions revocable

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Appraised in aggregate
indentation  Decisions irrevocable (destruction is forever)

Arrangement

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Predetermined subject classification

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Provenance and original order (relation to structure and function)

Level of Description

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Individual items

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Aggregate (record group or series)

Descriptive Media

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Built into the published item (title page, table of contents, index)
indentation  Card catalog, online public access system (OPAC)

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Must be prepared by the archivist
indentation  Guides and inventories, online systems

Access

indentationLIBRARIES:
indentation  Open stacks
indentation  Items circulate

paragraph indentationARCHIVES:
indentation  Closed stacks
indentation  Items do not circulate