The origin of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL) is rooted in the founding charter of the institution, but collection development has been substantially affected by the libraries' position within a museum context. SIL operates within three camps, or environments, simultaneously - museums, research libraries, and special libraries - and utilizes policies and practices that contain elements of each. SIL has internally adopted the nomenclature that applies to management of museum object collections and capitalized on allied interests in such areas as preservation. Ironically, SIL must often assert and defend its role as a collector to ensure inclusion in Smithsonian funding programs.