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Re: Free Market Economics was



Kevin wrote:
"That I still see little in the way of marketing lessons, concepts or
principles in the many stories on the list, leaves me to believe I should not
plan on resurrecting my
class anytime soon.   I'm not an archivist, but I spent 17 years at the
National Archives and felt strongly that optimizing access to their valued
records was essential.  I'd love to see this attitude played out in strategic
plans and outreach efforts reported on the list.   I'd love to see the
change."


In the last couple of years I have noticed an increase on this list of
requests for information concerning the following
marketing the archives
strategic planning
cost benefit analysis
needs assessment
forms design
survey development
RFP development
policies and procedures development
database design
and many other topics encountered in both the private and public sectors.

Unfortunately these are topics not covered in graduate school, yet are
essential to the 'lone arranger' or anyone in the field of archives
administration. Archival administration is more than just the preservation
and conservation of materials, or the development of finding aids or phase
box construction. How about marketing, fund raising, budgeting etc.

I suggest that SAA needs to develop a distance learning/correspondence course
or courses that cover the topics above. The course materials would serve as
reference material once the course was completed. Upon completion the student
would receive some sort of certificate of completion. These courses could
also apply to certification maintenance for CAs. Why should SAA develop these
course? Well in my opinion most archivist work for organizations that will
not pay for classes in these topics even if at the community college level.