Reference collection
A reference collection is a collection of objects maintained for the purposes of study, comparison, research, and authentication.<ref>Carol A. Singer (2012). Fundamentals of Managing Reference Collections. American Library Association. ISBN 978-0838911532.</ref> While most commonly associated with libraries, reference collections can also be found in museums, archives, research institutions, and private holdings.
These collections are generally non-circulating, meaning that items cannot be checked out or removed from the premises, to ensure their availability and preservation for future users; and thus are not typically meant for general reading or entertainment, but rather for specific, detailed study and consultation.<ref name="Nolan1999">Nolan, Christopher W. (1999). Managing the reference collection (Nachdr. ed.). Chicago London: American Library Association. ISBN 978-0-8389-0748-1.</ref>
Overview
The primary aim of reference collections is to provide a comprehensive and authoritative resource for researchers, students, professionals, and the general public.<ref name="Nolan1999" /> Reference collections are generally large undertakings maintained by institutions; instead of having a single representative of each object, they will typically have multiples, so as to illustrate variations and, sometimes, provide samples for comparisons.<ref>What Is a Reference Collection?</ref>
Items within a reference collection may include books, journals, manuscripts, samples, artifacts, and other primary and secondary sources of information. A reference collection may also include an assortment of damaged or manipulated items, fakes and forgeries, or items to be used for education and public outreach.<ref name="philately">Duane Chartier; Richard J Weiss, eds. (2004). Fakebusters Ii: Scientific Detection Of Fakery In Art And Philately. World Scientific Publishing Company. p. 60. ISBN 9789814481892.</ref> The items are curated with inclusion is based on their relevance, accuracy, authenticity, and potential for future research needs.<ref name="Nolan1999" />
These collections are often permanently housed in public institutions and used on site, such as those managed by universities or GLAM institutions (galleries, libraries, archives and museums). Occasionally, reference collections (notably, highly specific and specialized collections or art collections) can be found in private ownership.
As new knowledge emerges and older materials become less relevant or outdated, the reference collection may undergo periodic reviews and updates to ensure its continued usefulness and reliability.<ref name="Nolan1999" />
Typical formats
Within academic, open source, and research libraries, there are various sources that cater to specific types of information. The table below provides an inexhaustive overview of these typical information repositories.<ref>LibGuides: Reference Department: Collection, 2023, retrieved 11 September 2023</ref>
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Almanacs | Annual publications with current information on various topics like weather, news, etc. |
| Artifact collections | Collections of historical or culturally significant items. |
| Atlases | Books of maps detailing both physical and political features of regions. |
| Bibliographies | Lists of books, articles, and other resources focused on specific subjects. |
| Biographies | Detailed accounts of individuals' lives, both personal and professional. |
| Chronologies | Documents events over time, frequently in a timeline fashion. |
| Code repositories | Databases that store, manage, and track changes in source code. |
| Dictionaries | Books providing definitions, pronunciations, and forms of words. |
| Digests | Organized collections of summaries of longer documents in a specific area. |
| Directories | Provide contact and background information for people and organizations. |
| Encyclopedias | Sets of books with short articles on a multitude of topics. |
| Gazetteers | Geographical dictionaries detailing information on specific places. |
| Handbooks | Practitioners' guides specific to fields of study or work. |
| Indexes | Guides to articles in periodicals and newspapers. |
| Physical Collections | Tangible items grouped together for study or reference purposes. |
| Pictorial Works | Materials using visuals, like photographs or drawings, to clarify topics. |
| Microscopy Slide Collections | Type slides, often used biology and medicine. |
| Statistical Works | Processes that involve collecting, analyzing, and summarizing data numerically. |
| Yearbooks | Provide statistical data and articles updating information in various areas. |
Significance in academic research
In biology, reference collections, such as herbaria are a source of information about variations of populations within a species.<ref>Warinner, C.; Guedes, J.D.A.; Goode, D. (2011). "Paleobot. org: establishing open-access online reference collections for archaeobotanical research" (PDF). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. 20 (3): 241–244. doi:10.1007/s00334-011-0282-6. S2CID 129830605.</ref> They are also the repository of nomenclatural type specimens used to fix the circumscription of the taxonomic name.<ref>Bernard Tiong Gie Tan; Hock Lim; Kok Khoo Phua, eds. (2016). 50 Years Of Science In Singapore. World Scientific Publishing Company. p. 525. ISBN 9789813140912.</ref>
In philately, reference collections are critical to expertization, since the characteristics differentiating authentic stamps from reprints, fakes, and forgeries are often too subtle to be described verbally.<ref name="philately" />
See also
- List of academic databases and search engines
- Antiquities trade
- Archive
- Open source
- Open access
- Private museum
- Information repository
- Typology (disambiguation)
External links
- Niche Museums – A search engine/blog for small niche museums.
- Reference Collections and Typologies – Information from Historic England.
