Archivist
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An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have permanent value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media (photographs, video or sound recordings, letters, documents, Electronic records, etc.). According to Richard Pearce-Moses, archivists keep records that "have enduring value as reliable memories of the past, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records."
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Duties and Work Environment
Archivists' duties include acquiring and appraising new collections, arranging and describing records, providing reference service, and preserving materials. In arranging records, archivists apply two important principles: provenance and original order. Archivists are also guided by a code of ethics.
Archivists work for a variety of organizations, including government agencies, museums, historical societies, corporations, colleges and universities, and any institution whose records may potentially be valuable to researchers, exhibitors, genealogists, or others.
Archivists are often educators as well; it is not unusual for an archivist employed at a university or college to lecture in a subject related to their collection. Archivists employed at cultural institutions frequently design educational programs to further the ability of archive users to understand and access information in their collections.
Educational Preparation
Most archivists have earned a one or two-year Masters degree in archival science, history, library science, or library and information science. In 2002, SAA published Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies. Many archivists hold a second master's degree in a subject related to their work.
It is also possible for archivists to earn a doctorate in library, or library and information, science. Archivists with a Ph.D. often work as teaching faculty or deans and directors of archival programs.
In the United States, the Academy of Certified Archivists certifies some professional archivists. Archivists in Great Britain can pursue cerification by the Society of Archivists.
Many archivists belong to a professional organization, such as the Society of American Archivists, the Association of Canadian Archivists, or the Society of Archivists (UK), as well as any number of local or regional associations. These organizations often provide ongoing educational opportunities to their members and other interested practitioners.
History of the Profession
Pioneers of the archival profession include Sir Hilary Jenkinson, T.R. Schellenberg, Margaret Cross Norton, and Ernst Posner.
References
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- Richard Pearce-Moses, "Identity and Diversity: What Is an Archivist?" Archival Outlook, March/April 2006.