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For other uses, see Archivist (disambiguation).
An Archivist surveying an unprocessed collection of materials. Surveying is commonly done to determine priorities for preservation and/or conservation of materials before an archivist begins arrangement and description.
An Archivist surveying an unprocessed collection of materials. Surveying is commonly done to determine priorities for preservation and/or conservation of materials before an archivist begins arrangement and description.

An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media (photographs, video or sound recordings, letters, documents, electronic records, etc. A data storage device is a device for recording (storing information (data A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an Image created by Light falling on a light-sensitive surface usually Photographic film or an electronic Video is the technology of electronically capturing, Recording, processing storing transmitting and reconstructing a sequence of Still images ). As Richard Pearce-Moses wrote, "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. " [1]

Determining what records have enduring value can be challenging. Archivists must also select records valuable enough to justify the costs of storage and preservation, plus the labor intensive expenses of arrangement, description, and reference service. [2] The theory and scholarly work underpinning archives practices is called archival science. An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept Archival science is the theory and study of the safe storage cataloguing and retrieval of documents and items

Contents

Duties and work environment

Archivists' duties include acquiring and appraising new collections, arranging and describing records, providing reference service, and preserving materials. In the archival sense appraisal is a process usually conducted by a member of the record-holding institution (often a professional Archivist) in which a body of records are Archival processing is the act of arranging and describing the papers of an individual or family or the records of an organization In arranging records, archivists apply two important principles: provenance and original order, sometimes referred to as respect des fonds. Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from" means the Origin, or the source, of something or the history of the ownership or location " Fond " is also a culinary term for the material that sticks to a pan when browning food and which can be deglazed into a sauce Provenance refers to the origin of records, essentially who created them. The idea of respect des fonds is applied by keeping records in their original order as established and maintained by the creator(s). " Fond " is also a culinary term for the material that sticks to a pan when browning food and which can be deglazed into a sauce This also means that records from one corporate body should not be mixed with records from another. Original order is not always the best way to maintain some collections though, and archivists must use their own experience and current best practices to determine the correct way to keep collections of mixed media or those lacking a clear original arrangement. [3]

American archivists are also guided in their work by a code of ethics. [4] Alongside their work behind the scenes arranging and caring for collections, archivists assist users in interpreting collections and answering inquiries. This reference work can be just part of an archivist's job in a smaller organization, or consist of most of their occupation in a larger archive where specific roles (such as processing archivist and reference archivist) may be delineated. Archival processing is the act of arranging and describing the papers of an individual or family or the records of an organization A reference interview is a structured conversation between a Librarian and a Library user usually at a reference desk, in which the librarian responds [5]

Archivists work for a variety of organizations, including government agencies, local authorities, museums, hospitals, historical societies, businesses, charities, corporations, colleges and universities, and any institution whose records may potentially be valuable to researchers, exhibitors, genealogists, or others. A government agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the Machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the A hospital is an institution for Health care providing treatment by specialised staff and equipment and often but not always providing for A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Institutions are structures and mechanisms of Social order and Cooperation governing the Behavior of a Set of Individuals Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of Alternatively, they could also work on the collections of a large family or even of an individual. Family denotes a group of People affiliated by consanguinity affinity or co-residence As commonly used, individual refers to a Person or to any specific object in a collection Applicants for archives jobs usually outnumber positions available. [6]

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 or for local government frequently design educational or outreach programs to further the ability of archive users to understand and access information in their collections. Outreach is an effort by individuals in an Organization or group to connect its ideas or practices to the efforts of other organizations groups specific Audiences This might include such varied activities as exhibitions, promotional events or even media coverage. Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which Art objects (in the most general sense meet an Audience. "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" [7]

The advent of Encoded Archival Description, along with increasing demand for materials to be made available online, has required archivists to become more tech-savvy in the past decade. Encoded Archival Description is an XML standard for encoding archival Finding aids maintained by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society Many archivists are now acquiring basic XML skills in order to make their finding aids available to researchers online. [8]

Skills

Because of the varied nature of the job and organisations and work environment, archivists need to have a wide range of skills:

Educational preparation

The educational preparation for archivists varies from country to country.

Colombia

In Colombia, the Universidad de La Salle offers the degree of Professional in Information Systems, Library and Archival Sciences. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. It is a vocational training program, within existing legal standards aimed at providing knowledge, skills and abilities required for the design and management of information systems and documentation of various sorts. Its projection for the future is based on the application of new information technologies and communications for the management of information services economically viable. The program was created in 1971.

Graduates of this program have founded the Colombian College of Archivists - CCA, and the Colombian Society of Archivists - SCA; comprising the Alumni Association of Librarian and Archival Science (Asociación de Egresados de Bibliotecología y Archivística de la Universidad de La Salle - ASEBIAR); are officials of the General Archives of the Nation, the Archives of Bogota and the most prestigious public and private companies. The Colombian College of Archivists - CCA is a private institution of social scientific research democratic participatory and pluralistic character which is based in the work interdisciplinarity

Other institutions that offers a degree in Archival Science are:

Some institutions, tech colleges and universities offers assignatures about Archival Science, but don't offers title of Archivist.

Republic of Ireland

In Ireland, the University College Dublin School of History and Archives offers a Masters of Arts degree in Archival Studies, recognised by the Society of Archivists. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The School of History and Archives at University College Dublin is one of the major centres in Ireland for the study of history

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, there are currently five full- or part-time professional Masters courses in archives administration or management which are recognised by the Society of Archivists. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Society of Archivists is the principal professional body for Archivists archive conservators and records managers in the United Kingdom and Students are expected to have relevant paid or voluntary work experience before obtaining a place on the UK courses; many undertake a year's traineeship. Work experience is the Experience that a person has working or working in a specific field or occupation Also, in Great Britain, certification can be pursued via the Registration Scheme offered by the Society of Archivists. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

United States

According to the most recent professional census of American Archivists published, most of those in the United States have earned a Masters degree. [11] However, the exact type of degree can vary; the most common sorts of advanced degrees held by archivists are in archival science, history, library science, or library and information science. Archival science is the theory and study of the safe storage cataloguing and retrieval of documents and items History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Library science is an Interdisciplinary Science incorporating the Humanities, Law and Applied science to study topics related to Library science is an Interdisciplinary Science incorporating the Humanities, Law and Applied science to study topics related to It is also possible for archivists to earn a doctorate in library, or library and information, science. A doctorate is an Academic degree that indicates the highest level of academic achievement Archivists with a Ph. D. often work as teaching faculty or deans and directors of archival programs. [12] In 2002, the Society of American Archivists published Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies. The Society of American Archivists (established 1936) is the oldest and largest Archivist association in North America, serving the Educational [13]

Also in the United States, the Academy of Certified Archivists offers supplemental archival training by means of a certification program. Critics of ACA certification object to its yearly membership fees, the theoretical versus practical nature of its tests, and the need for members to re-certify every five years. Many positions in government archives require certification from the ACA, but due to its controversial nature, the ACA is not required by all employers in the United States.

Professional organizations and continuing education

Many archivists belong to a professional organization, such as the Society of American Archivists, the Association of Canadian Archivists, the Society of Archivists (UK/Ireland), the Colombian College of Archivists - CCA and the Australian Society of Archivists, as well as any number of local or regional associations. The Society of American Archivists (established 1936) is the oldest and largest Archivist association in North America, serving the Educational The Society of Archivists is the principal professional body for Archivists archive conservators and records managers in the United Kingdom and The Colombian College of Archivists - CCA is a private institution of social scientific research democratic participatory and pluralistic character which is based in the work interdisciplinarity These organizations often provide ongoing educational opportunities to their members and other interested practitioners. In addition to formal degrees and or apprenticeships, many archivists take part in continuing education opportunities as available through professional associations and library school programs. New discoveries in the fields of media preservation and emerging technologies require continuing education as part of an archivist's job in order to stay current in the profession. Preservation of document pictures recordings digital content etc [14]

History of the profession

In 1898 three Dutch archivists, Samuel Muller, Johan Feith, and Robert Fruin, published the first Western text on archival theory entitled "Manual for the Arrangement and Description of Archives". Produced for the Dutch Association of Archivists, it set out one hundred rules for archivists to base their work around. Notably within these rules the principle of preserving provenance and original order was first argued for as an essential trait of archival arrangement and description. Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from" means the Origin, or the source, of something or the history of the ownership or location [15]

The next major text was written in 1922 by Sir Hilary Jenkinson, the then Deputy Keeper of the British Public Records Office, entitled "Manual of Archive Administration". In this work Jenkinson states that archives are evidence and that the moral and physical defence of this evidential value is the central tenet of archival work. He further outlines his ideas of what an Archive should be and how it should operate.

In 1956, T. R. Schellenberg, who is known as the "Father of American Archival Appraisal",[16] published "Modern Archives". Schellenberg's work was intended to be an academic textbook defining archival methodology and giving archivists specific technical instruction on workflow and arrangement. Moving away from Jenkinson's organic and passive approach to archival acquisition, where the administrator decided what was kept and what was destroyed, Schellenberg argued for a more active approach by archivists to appraisal. His primary (administrative) and secondary (research) value model for the management and appraisal of records and archives allowed government archivists greater control over the influx of material that they faced after the Second World War. As a result of the widespread adoption of Schellenberg's methods, especially in the United States of America, modern Records Management as a separate but related discipline was born. Records management, or RM is the practice of identifying classifying archiving preserving and destroying records [17]

In 1972, Ernst Posner published "Archives in the Ancient World". Posner's work emphasized that archives were not new inventions, but had existed in many different societies throughout recorded history.

In 1975, essays by Margaret Cross Norton were collected under the title of "Norton on Archives: The Writings of Margaret Cross Norton on Archival and Records Management". Margaret Cross Norton (1891 - 1984 served as the first State Archivist of Illinois, 1922–1957 and co-founded the Society of American Archivists in 1936 Norton was one of the founders of the Society of American Archivists, and wrote essays based on her decades of experience working in the Illinois State Archives. The Society of American Archivists (established 1936) is the oldest and largest Archivist association in North America, serving the Educational The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union.

Archives 2. 0

Archivists, like librarians, are taking advantage of Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs,[18] wikis [19], and virtual environments[20] as well as open access and open source philosophies. Web 20 is a term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and Web design that aims to enhance Creativity, secure

Footnotes

  1. ^ Pearce-Moses, Richard. "Identity and Diversity: What Is an Archivist?" Archival Outlook, March/April 2006.
  2. ^ Hunter, Gregory (2003). Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. .  
  3. ^ O'Toole, James M. and Richard J. Cox (2006). Understanding Archives and Manuscripts. Chicago: Society of American Archivists.  
  4. ^ SAA Code of Ethics. Society of American Archivists. Retrieved on 2007-03-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
  5. ^ O'Donnell, F. (2000). "Reference Service in an Academic Archives". The Journal of Academic Librarianship vol. 26 (no. 2): pp. 110-118.  
  6. ^ Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians. U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
  7. ^ Guidelines for College and University Archives, Section IV. Core Archival Functions, Subsection D. Service. Society of American Archivists. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
  8. ^ Encoded Archival Description. Archives Hub. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
  9. ^ Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn (1993). Preserving Archives and Manuscripts. Chicago: Society of American Archivists.  
  10. ^ The Archival Paradigm—The Genesis and Rationales of Archival Principles and Practices. Council on Library and Information Resources [1]. Retrieved on 2007-04-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England.
  11. ^ Archival Census and Education Needs: Survey in the United States. Society of American Archivists. Retrieved on 2007-04-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I.
  12. ^ Yakel and Bastian, Elizabeth and Jeannette (Fall/Winter 2007). "A*Census: Report on Archival Graduate Education". American Archivist 69 (2): 349-366.  
  13. ^ Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies. Society of American Archivists. Retrieved on 2007-03-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
  14. ^ Zimmelman, Nancy (Fall/Winter 2007). "A*Census: Report on Continuing Education". American Archivist 69 (2): 367-395.  
  15. ^ Cook, Terry (1997). What is Past is Prologue: A History of Archival Ideas Since 1898, and the Future Paradigm Shift. Canada: Archivaria Vol. 43, Association of Canadian Archivists.  
  16. ^ Schellenberg, T. R. (Theodore R.), 1903-1970 - Archivopedia
  17. ^ Schellenberg, Theodore R. (1956). Modern Archives: Principles and Techniques. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.  
  18. ^ Archivopedia list of blogs by archivists
  19. ^ Archivopedia wiki search
  20. ^ Virtual Campus

See also

External links

Archival science is the theory and study of the safe storage cataloguing and retrieval of documents and items An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept Curator (from Latin cura care means manager overseer. A curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution (e A librarian is an information Professional trained in Library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials A manuscript is any Document that is Written by hand as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way Archival processing is the act of arranging and describing the papers of an individual or family or the records of an organization Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from" means the Origin, or the source, of something or the history of the ownership or location Records management, or RM is the practice of identifying classifying archiving preserving and destroying records In Library science, special collections (often abbreviated to Spec Preservation is a branch of Library and information science concerned with maintaining or restoring access to artifacts documents and records through the study diagnosis treatment

Dictionary

archivist

-noun

  1. One who is in charge of, or performs the task of creating, collecting, cataloguing, and organising, archives.
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