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Re: dilemma



If you want to work in an archive, you should take the courses. In the long run, the question is not what an employer might require, but the knowledge that would be helpful to you when working in an archive. It's possible that someone might hire you to be an archivist without the educational background, but then how would you know what to do? 

As for the reference vs. archives question, archives work does include some reference, and also, you might get a position where you have some general reference desk duty along with your archives work (in my current position, I serve as back-up reference librarian, taking over the reference desk while the reference librarian is out to lunch or otherwise out of the library).

I became an archivist about five years ago. I was working as a librarian for an organization that provides services to libraries in eight counties in NY, and we got grant money to pay for a half-time person to provide advisory and other services to archives in our region. My boss basically told me that since I am a genealogist in my spare time, I knew all about archives, and he was going to cut my then-full-time job in half (ha!) and have me spend the other half of my time doing the archives work. I knew that being a patron of various archives did not really qualify me as an archivist, and quickly realized that while there are many things archivists and librarians do in the same way, there are many things they do differently, and I needed some education. I found that Long Island University offered a 15-credit graduate certificate in archives, and started taking courses towards it.

Three years after I started in the archival position that was given to me, I decided I needed a change in my work, and luckily, at about the same time, the Culinary Institute of America decided to hire an archivist and accepted my application. While the decision that I should become an archivist was made for me, I enjoy the work, and am especially enjoying working here at the CIA!




Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer
Special Collections Librarian/Archivist

Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY  12538
(845) 451-1757
c_crawfo@culinary.edu

>>> oconnoc3 <carin.oconnor@SIMMONS.EDU> 10/19/00 08:35AM >>>
Archivists,

I am confused about whether or not to take the required classes for the
archives management concentration at school. Is it possible to work with
collections without the concentration, or is each place different with what is
required.  Can anyone tell me their reasons for being an archivist. I am
trying to decide if I have what it takes to take this route. I also enjoy my
reference work.  Thanks.

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Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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