Collecció

Collecció, written col·lecció in Catalan orthography (often shown as col·lecció with the interpunct), is the term for a set of items gathered because of a shared property, theme, origin, or purpose. A collecció can be physical objects, digital files, or data records, and it can be privately held or maintained by an institution such as a museum, library, archive, gallery, or research center. The concept encompasses both the objects themselves and the care, organization, and policies that govern their access and use.

Etymology and usage: the word derives from Latin collectio, from colligere, to gather. In many Romance languages similar terms exist (for example, colección in Spanish). In English, the cognate is collection. The Catalan form col·lecció is the standard written version, reflecting the language’s orthographic conventions.

Types of collections: personal collections arise from individual interests and hobbies, while institutional collections are curated for public benefit and research. Scientific and natural history collections preserve specimens, while art collections focus on works of creativity. Digital and data collections assemble electronic records, multimedia, or datasets for study, preservation, or interoperability. Collections may be thematic (e.g., stamps, fossils, manuscripts) or comprehensive within a defined scope.

Management and ethics: building a collecció involves acquisition, provenance documentation, and cataloguing to enable search and access. Conservation and proper storage protect the items, and metadata standards support interoperability. Ethical considerations include provenance, repatriation of cultural property, and rights management for access and reuse.

Importance: collections preserve cultural memory, support scholarship, enable public education, and contribute to cultural and scientific value.