The manuscripts you find in a repository are the surviving materials that are no longer used by their creators for their original purposes, but that have been deemed to have enduring value to researchers.

For example, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences may not have an immediate need for the past correspondence of former deans. However, University Archives retains those documents because they could provide researchers with valuable insights into the history of the administration of the College.

While repositories do preserve some manuscripts for their intrinsic value as objects or artifacts, they primarily preserve manuscripts for their research value after they have outlived their original use. Research value is estimated by the evidence and information contained in the documents.

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