What is a collection? People often put together collections that remind them of their past, record milestones of their loved ones or document their travels. Sometimes photo albums, scrapbooks, shoe boxes or shelves hold these memories and they are passed from one generation to another. Some collectors give their collections to institutions such as libraries and museums. These gifts allow us, the visitor, to travel back into the past. History museums, such as the Norwalk Historical Society, collect items that tell the stories of the city over time.