Archivists Career

Why Choose an Archivists Career?

Archivists work in archives. Archives are places that store past records of individuals, groups, institutions, and governments assuming that these contain information of enduring value for centuries and for coming generations. The job of the Archivist is to help in the preservation and care of material in their custody and provide accessibility to the archives. The archives may include official documents like correspondence files and registers of government bodies. Private collections of personalities or important documents of institutions may also be housed in an archive. These may be in the form of photographs, maps, audio-visual material and any other information bearing media (for example, magnetic and optical computer media) that contains historical information, including newspapers and other paper products like books and periodicals, unpublished letters, diaries, and other manuscripts.

While archival records are the products of everyday activity, they may be used by different people for different purposes that lends value to the act of preserving these. For instance, researchers may use them both for many purposes like medical researchers using records to study patterns of diseases, authors using the writing of a period to get a feel of those days, historians and genealogists reconstructing family histories out of past events, etc. In short, archives may be used for a diverse range of aims and all underscore the value of the work done by the Archivist.

Archivists Career Requirements

The nature of the work demands that the aspiring archivists must be interested in History, Political Science and Public Administration. They must also have administrative skills and the ability to handle voluminous data since the job profile includes the following tasks:

• To establish and maintain control, both physical and intellectual, over records of enduring value
• Select records with an understanding of the historical context in which the records were created, the uses for which they were intended, and their relationships to other sources
• Arrange and describe the records, in accordance with accepted standards and practices
• Ensure the long-term preservation of collections
• Assist researchers
• Plan and direct exhibitions, publications, and other outreach programs to broaden the use of collections and to enlist support for archival programs

All archivists, especially those with administrative responsibilities, need to understand and apply the principles of sound management to their work. In addition, Archivists must have knowledge of modern techniques with regard to preservation, pest control and the combating of fire and water hazards to preserve archives and protect against theft and damage. Since paper is subject to natural disintegration, it requires continual restoration by archivists.

Online Degrees for Archivists

A variety of educational programs are available in both full-time campus-based programs or in an online mode that prepare the aspirant for a career in archives. While an undergraduate degree in any subject is mandatory, a graduate degree accompanied by archival coursework and a practicum is preferred by employers for most entry-level positions. Most archivists possess graduate degrees in history or library science or both; others bring specializations in public administration and political science. Some higher educational institutes prefer to employ only those who have completed a Ph.D. since helping students with specialized topical emphases may require particular knowledge of certain subjects. In this context, training and experience in conducting research in primary and secondary sources is definitely an added advantage.

Coursework for graduate archival programs in campus schools may include basic archival theory, methods, and/or practice of appraisal, arrangement, description, preservation, reference services, outreach, legal concerns, and ethics. In addition, records management, aspects of library and information science, management, and historical and research methods may also be included.

Archivists Career Fields

Although the domain of an archivist precludes the possibility of self-employment by the very nature of the work, Archivists will find employment wherever it is important to retain the records of people or organizations. Having said that, it becomes obvious that places of employment will include:

• federal, state, and local governments
• schools, colleges, and universities
• religious institutions
• businesses; labor unions; and historical societies
• hospitals; museums and other repositories of data

Most government archivists have civil service status, and archivists in academic institutions often have faculty status. Archivists may also offer services as information source consultants for institutions where they will help with the compilation of filing systems and develop practical methods for the storage of documents and facilitate the speedy recovery of the said documents. Salaries, benefits, and working conditions can vary greatly since these will depend on the size and nature of the employing institution.

Of note, the work of an archivist is quite distinct from that of a librarian, records manager, museum curator, and the historian, though some aspects of work may overlap. For example, the act of collecting, preserving, and making accessible materials for research is a common function for all job profiles.

What Degree Do I Need?

• Office Administration