What is the difference between an Archives and a Library?
Libraries contain books and other printed materials whereas Archives contain records. Books are generally considered “secondary sources” which means that the information the books contain was derived from a variety of sources and interpreted by the authors. Archival records, on the other hand, most often consist of “primary sources.” Unlike books, which are written after the events they describe, archival records are created during the course of an event as part of a person’s or organization’s regular activity. For example, a student studying the Civil War might wish to read the letters written by a soldier during the war. These letters would be considered “primary sources” whereas the textbook written about the Civil War would be a “secondary source.” Libraries are also generally considered collecting bodies, which means that they do not derive their materials from a particular institution but rather from anyone and anywhere. Archives, on the other hand, tend to be receiving instituti
Related Questions
- What is the difference between searching the Reading Eagle Archives verses searching the microfilm at the local library or college?
- Whats the difference between the Sophia Smith Collection and the Smith College Archives?
- What is the difference between the Library of Michigan and the Archives of Michigan?
