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The material in this catalogue was formed in the administration of the Governance of the Royal Asiatic Society. They include Reports and Statements, Correspondence concerned with both internal and external business, Attendance Books, Records of use of the Society's Seal, examples of emblems and seals, and some other ephemera.

The signed Minutes and some associated correspondence of the Meetings of the Royal Asiatic Society's Finance and Investment Committees.

All new researchers have to register their details before accessing the Collections. For the most part these exist only as current records and are disposed of at the end of their retention schedule. There is only one historic document that has been kept related in some way to researcher registration. This is a bound leather volume entitled "Names of Visitors to the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society, Great Britain and Ireland, 1832". At this time the Society had in its possessions many museum objects. The majority of these have now been dispersed to other institutions.
The volume is a registration book for visitors to the Museum covering the period January 1832-January 1840 on pp.1-123, and February 1848-June 1849 on pp. 125-126. It should be noted that on the outside of the Ledger is a label which reads "Committee of Agriculture and Commerce" and on pp.151-157 is an article, "Cost of Carrying Cotton" extracted from "The Friends of India..." dated 23 July 1861. On pp. 158-159 is an extract from the Council Meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society, 16 January 1871. The other pages are hand-numbered but are blank. Leather bound volume with ruled pages, handwritten. The binding is in a fragile condition and the leather has some red rot.

This catalogue contains the policy documents of the Society regarding Collections management. Because of the relatively small nature of the Society, historically many such policy decisions have been made by its Council or Library Committee, recorded in the Minutes of the Meetings, and these Minutes used as the "policy documents". Further some Collections management policy is covered by the Charters and Byelaws of the Society. Therefore researchers of policy decisions should also consult these materials.
The creation of policies and their updating is an ongoing process. Historic ones have been added to this catalogue; and others will be added as they become available.

The Library Committee of the Royal Asiatic Society is part of the organisational structure of the Society and has oversight for the Society's Collections. This material contains the Minutes of its Meetings along with Reports and Papers presented at the Meetings and some significant correspondence.

This archive consists of lists and correspondence concerned with the disposal of items in the Collections of the Society. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to Disposals of the Society may be found in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and in the Minute books for the Council and General Meetings. Disposals may continue in the life of the Society. More recent ones are held in the Society's records management system and will be transferred to the archive in due course.

This archive consists of registers, lists and correspondence concerned with the acquisitions and accessions of the Collections of the Society. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to the Acquisitions of the Society can be found in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and in the Minute books for the Council and General Meetings. Accessions continue in the life of the Society. More recent ones are held in the Society's records management system and will be transferred to the archive in due course.

In 1923 the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its Centenary. This archival material contains a scrapbook with Centenary correspondence and invitations, further congratulatory correspondence, material concerning the Centenary Events, and correspondence concerning the publication of a Centenary Volume.

In 1998, the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its 175th anniversary with an exhibition, "Persian and Indian Manuscripts and Paintings from the Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society" at the British Museum, and a lecture, "The Book of Kings: The Juki Shahnama of the Royal Asiatic Society" by Dr Barbara Brend, held at the British Library. This material covers the planning, publicity and attendance at these events. Also in conjunction with the exhibition, the publication Persian Paintings in the Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society by B.W. Robinson was published.

In 1983 the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its 160th Anniversary with a lecture, concert and Vin d'honnuer. There is a small amount of publicity material and correspondence related to this celebration.