In my next few posts, I will explore potential career options for history majors. Today’s post will discuss the qualifications and responsibilities of archivists.
Traditionally, archivists are specially trained to handle and preserve unique primary source documents. Some archivists primarily manage the collection development and processing of manuscript collections. They work with donors and then they go through the collections, taking steps to preserve, arrange, and describe them so that they are accessible researchers. Some archivists specialize in reference, meaning that they help researchers to find and access the collections they need, and also oversee the usage to make sure they are not handled in a way that is damaging by researchers.
Archivists can also be records managers. A records manager can work for a university, corporation, or other institution to help manage its institutional records. One important function of a records manager is to make sure that the institution follows state and federal laws that govern how long an institution must hold on to certain records – financial (including tax), administrative, student, etc. Records managers need to be well versed in the law, to insure that these records are retained and destroyed in accordance with applicable laws and institutional policy.
Archivists can work for universities, state or federal governments, corporations, public libraries, law firms, or special libraries. A master’s in library science (MS, MILS, MLS) from a library school that is accredited by the American Library Association is the entry-level qualification for most professional jobs. Many archivists also have a second graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant subject area. Prior experience is an advantage, so it’s important to pick a program that cultivates good relationships with local repositories that have internship opportunities. Most reputable library schools offer quality online degree programs these days, but doing your degree remotely means that you may not be able to take advantage of networking and workshop opportunities.
In the digital age, the archival profession has become increasingly technical. Good computer skills are important. Aspiring archivists would do well to learn some web skills (Ruby on Rails, XML, HTML, TEI, CSS), some rudimentary programming skills, and be comfortable with networking and database concepts.
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