Archival Terms Explained

The Special Collections Research Center may use terms that are unfamiliar to new researchers. The following are some key terms from the Society of American Archivists (SAA) dictionary that a researcher may come across while searching through our collection guides or digitized collections. 

Collection: A set of archival or (more commonly) manuscript materials.

Collection Guide/Finding Aid: Description of records that gives the repository physical and intellectual control over the materials and that assists users to gain access to and understand the materials. See our collection guides here. 

Series: A group of similar records that are arranged according to a filing system and that are related as the result of being created, received, or used in the same activity; a file group; a record series.

"Personal Papers" is a series found in the Dorianne Laux Papers. It contains materials related to Dorianne Laux's relationships, early education, and daily life. 

Extent: A description of the physical quantity of the material described. Physical extent is usually measured in linear feet, which is a measure of shelf space necessary to store documents. 

The extent is described as "Size," in our collection guides and includes linear feet and a summary of the number and types of containers found in the collection. Physical extent is calculated based on the shelf space necessary to store documents. 

Acquisition: Materials physically and officially transferred to a repository as a unit at a single time. A set of records added to an existing series or collection already held by a repository are known as additions.

The acquisition note in our collection guides usually contain information about the method of acquisition (gift, transfer, or purchase), source and date of acquisition, as well as an accession number assigned by the SCRC.  

To search for additional terms and phrases, the SAA has several resources for archivists and researchers, including a glossary and dictionary. SAA's newest resource, the Dictionary of Archives Terminology (DAT), features a brand-new online platform for searching archival terms. 

The Special Collections Research Center contains a growing collection of archival materials, which can be accessed by searching our digitized collections and archival collection guides. For more information about our collections and services, use our online request form. Please note that due to the NC State University Coronavirus Response, NC State University Libraries Special Collections Research Center is closed but staff are working remotely and are able to assist with some reference support; we will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.