Reference collection

A reference collection is a collection of objects maintained for the purposes of study, comparison, research, and authentication. 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. They may be very expensive items, such as a current encyclopedia, which the institution does not want to risk losing.

Overview
The primary aim of reference collections is to provide a comprehensive and authoritative resource for researchers, students, professionals, and the general public. 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.

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. The items are curated with inclusion is based on their relevance, accuracy, authenticity, and potential for future research needs.

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). The earliest libraries were almost all reference libraries, but lending libraries became more common in the 18th century with circulating libraries subscription libraries, followed by free public libraries. 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As new knowledge emerges and older materials become less relevant or outdated, the reference collection may undergo periodic reviews and updates to ensure its continued usefulness and reliability.

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.

Significance in academic research
In biology, reference collections, such as herbaria are a source of information about variations of populations within a species. They are also the repository of nomenclatural type specimens used to fix the circumscription of the taxonomic name.

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.