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Re: Chinese archivists.



During my four yeas in China, I spent much time in the company of archivists, and I recall that there are more than 3,000 archives and about a million archivists in China--but that includes what we would ordinarily call records managers in agency records offices within government departments. As to the status of archivists in China, it is true that the archives profession is taken quite seriously by the government, and is placed immediately subordinate to the State Council and to the Central Committee of the Communist Party. However, it is also true that when I lectured to classes of archivists at the National Archival Education Center for Archival Cadres in Beijing's Chang Ping County, I was invariably asked what the status was of American archivists. I always got an understanding laugh when I replied that in the US as in China, you really have to love the work! The only authorities that I know of for some of this are books packed away in my attic in Chinese!

You aren't--by any chance--expecting a delegation of Chinese archivists interested in American business archives, are you?  My Chinese colleague, Shen Lihua, is said to be arranging such a visit.

Hope this is helpful.   William W. Moss, Assistant State Archivist, Tennessee State Library and Archives   
 

>>> Susan.Maclin@AIG.COM 04/27/00 02:54PM >>>
Colleagues,

When I attended ICA Congress in Beijing four years ago, as I recall, one of
the interesting points that was made during the conference was that
archivists outnumber librarians in China by almost 5:1.  Another was that
hosting the Congress was considered an honor due to the fact that it was
about such a highly respected profession.

My question is: Is it true that archivists outnumber librarians in China by
such a ratio?   Are there any professional texts I could look at that would
further enlighten how archivists are viewed as a profession in China?

Thank you for your assistance.  You should email me directly as I am only on
the busarch listserv.

Susan

Susan C. Maclin, CA (formerly Box)
Corporate Archivist and
Curator of Special Properties
72 Wall St., 10th Floor
NYC, NY  10005
PH:  (212)770-6039
Fax: (212)797-5460
email: susan.maclin@aig.com 

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