Manuscript collections are described in finding aids and catalog records. Both a finding aid and a catalog record describe a manuscript collection's scope, content and context to varying degrees of detail. Finding aids often provide detailed background information and an inventory of materials. Catalog records are usually brief summaries that outline the basic aspects of a collection.

The material within a manuscripts collection is generally described in aggregate rather than individually. For example, a finding aid would summarize the contents of the correspondence in a collection rather than list each individual letter. In fact, finding aids and catalog records rarely provide item level description.