In the case of historic records, "manuscript" does not necessarily mean the original version of a book as it does in the literary world.bArchival collections use the term manuscript to describe original documents created by individuals, businesses, and organizations.

Many important manuscript collections related to Jefferson County have been deposited in Tennessee repositories. You will find them at the State Library & Archives in Nashville, the McClung Historical Collection in Knoxville, the University of Tennessee Special Collections Library in Knoxville, the Carson-Newman College Library Special Collections in Jefferson City, the Sherrod Memorial Library at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, and even as far away as Bridgewater College in Virginia (the Pritchett Collection).

The Tennessee State Library & Archives has a detailed explanation of manuscripts and a list of its collection on-line. Click here to view details.