<font size="4"><font face="garamond,serif">"Scroll" is certainly the more communicative term--specific as to its physical character, but generic with respect to contents. "Roll" is more generic as to the shape of the thing, and the terms have been used as perfect synonyms; but "roll" has also narrowed over time to designate a class of legal and administrative documents and records which were originally rolled, but not necessarily scrolls; and eventually were so called only generically. "Roll" would therefore be ambiguous for some researchers and, since there are many more rolled things than just scrolls, for general users of the catalog as well, while the common usage of "scroll" pretty much conforms to its scope as a form/genre term.</font></font><div>
<font size="4"><font face="garamond,serif"><br></font></font></div><div><font size="4"><font face="garamond,serif">Thus OED, "roll":</font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="garamond, serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><p>
<b>I.</b> Senses relating to paper and records.<a name="50208168def2"></a></p><p>
<a name="50208168-mI.1.a"></a><b>1. a.</b> A piece
of parchment or paper which is written upon or intended to contain
writing, music, etc., and is rolled up for ease of handling, carrying,
or storing; a scroll.</p><p> <a name="50208168-mI.1.b"></a><b>b.</b> <i>spec.</i>
An official record or document, (originally) inscribed in a rolled
piece of parchment or paper; (in later use) printed on paper or
maintained electronically. Also <i>fig.</i> <a name="50208168n2"></a><br>
<small>Freq. with defining term, as <a name="50208168se1"></a><b><i>rolls of Chancery</i></b>, <a name="50208168se2"></a><b><i>rolls of Court</i></b>, <a name="50208168se3"></a><b><i>rolls of Parliament</i></b>, etc. <i>court</i>, <i>parliament roll</i>: see the first element.</small></p>
</span></font></div><div><font face="'courier new', monospace">RICHARD NOBLE : RARE BOOKS CATALOGER : JOHN HAY LIBRARY : BROWN UNIVERSITY<br>PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 : 401-863-1187/FAX 863-3384 : <a href="mailto:RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU" target="_blank">RICHARD_NOBLE@BROWN.EDU</a> </font><br>
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