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What is a repository and what do repositories do?

  • A repository is an organization that collects and preserves historically valuable materials and makes them accessible to the public. 
  • Historically valuable materials come in many formats:
    • three-dimensional objects, including items such as quilts or medals
    • papers, photographs, and maps
    • film, video and audio recordings
    • electronic files, such as documents, emails, and digital photos
  • There are several kinds of repositories:
    • Historical societies usually collect materials related to a particular town, city, county, or region.  They may collect objects, as a museum does, and/or they may concentrate on archival materials such as papers, photographs, maps, film, video and audio recordings, and electronic files.
    • Archives generally collect the historically valuable records of organizations and papers of individuals and families (for example, their paper records, photographs, maps, audio and video recordings, and electronic files). They usually don’t collect three-dimensional objects. College or university libraries and archives or special collections departments may collect both the records of the institution and materials related to local history or subjects of academic interest.
    • Public libraries may have local or regional history collections of unique papers, photographs, maps, and other historical materials, not just books and periodicals.
    • Museums generally collect objects (three-dimensional artifacts, art works in all media, etc.); they usually don’t collect archival materials except as supporting documentation of their object collections.
    • Companies or large institutions may have their own archives, which generally collect only their own records.  
  • Repositories make their historical materials available in many ways:
    • Public exhibits
    • Research facilities, where the public can look at and study the materials
    • Educational materials for schools and learners of all ages that are based on historical documents and objects
    • Online exhibits
    • Online descriptions of their holdings, so people all over the world can learn about what they have
    • Online digital copies of some of their holding
  • Repositories follow professional standards and a code of ethics.

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