Whitman College and Northwest Archives

“[Archive] refers to the permanently valuable records—such as letters, reports, accounts, minute books, draft and final manuscripts, and photographs—of people, businesses, and government. 

These records are kept because they have continuing value to the creating agency and to other potential users. They are the documentary evidence of past events. They are the facts we use to interpret and understand history” (Society of American Archivists).

Archives, libraries, and museums are all institutions focused on the preservation and sharing of information but they do so in several key ways. As many people are familiar with libraries and museums, understanding the differences and similarities can help to understand the operations and collections of an archive. 

Libraries

• Contain widely published textual documents (books). Books can be shared between different libraries. Library users can browse material, check it out, and take it home. The material is organized and searchable by subject so that library users are able to easily find new or unknown materials within their research topics.

Museums

• Contain three dimensional objects, artifacts, or art. Museum users are able to view portions of the overall museum collection in curated exhibits or displays. These exhibits or displays contain materials that have been organized, presented and described in very particular ways depending on curatorial goals for the institution. They have limited public organization or searchability meaning that it is difficult to identify all items within a particular Museum's collection. 

Archives

• Contains unique, often unpublished materials, meaning that in many cases they are irreplaceable. The collections of an archive can be searched similar to a library, but they cannot be checked out or taken home. Archive users view material in a Reading Room (or online if they have been digitized). Material is organized into collections and is searchable by provenance, or the creator of the materials. 

The Whitman College and Northwest Archives is comprised of three main collections:

1. The College Archives: Records related to the history and ongoing activity of the college from its founding in 1859 to present day. 
2. The Northwest Manuscripts Collection: Historical materials relating to the history of the Walla Walla valley from early white settlers into the region up to present day. 
3. The Rare Book Collection: Pacific Northwest Americana (including the Myron Eels Library of NW History), 15th-19th century illustrated texts, bibles, artist books, small press imprints, and the Napoleonic Collection. Books may be found in the library catalog.

More information about collections is available here.