Section for Archives and Museums Glossary Project

The Section for Archives and Museums has produced a Glossary of terminology commonly used across the Archives and Museum sectors in the UK & Ireland.

You can find the Glossary here as a pdf.

The Glossary Project was initially launched by the Archives & Records Association's Section for Archives & Museums (ARA SAM) in October 2022, with the aim of mapping terminology commonly used across the Archives and Museum sectors. The need for such a Glossary arose following ARA SAM’s own engagement with its burgeoning membership and with professionals working in the intersection of these professions: it became clear that there was a growing need and consensus to create a glossary and resource for mapping terms which might be commonly used across both sectors but where definitions and usage varied, sometimes unexpectedly, depending on context and sector.

Part of the unique value of this Glossary rests with the fact that it has been built on widely diverse practice in various institutions, work settings and collections. Different types of collection are often managed together, and terminology can sometimes be dictated by whether a collection is governed as part of a museum, archive, library or other institution. It is therefore helpful to use the Glossary as a reference tool to avoid ambiguities or misunderstandings in professional practice.

We hope that this Glossary will be of practical and theoretical help to professionals and all others working across the Archives and Museum sectors, and connected disciplines, to increase awareness and collaboration across heritage collections.