I think in the fields that Barry
mentioned he was ignorant of the level of certification - that these
professionals is certified is somehow implied in what they do - physicians must
pass boards, lawyers the bar, accounts the CPA exam, plumbers must have
licensure etc. There is an internal certification process at work so
there is no need to ask by the time you are calling on their
skills.
However, I have seen certified
archivists, etc, and I have to wonder how they passed the exam and what the exam
actually means in terms of ability and professionalism. I think he has a
right to question whether the exam is all it's cracked up to
be.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 1:57
PM
Subject: Re: certification
Interesting editorial. It looks
like even with the accreditation for MLS programs there are arguments for
certification of individuals. It seems to me that opposition to
certification comes from two directions: 1. opposition to certification as a
concept/practice in general 2. opposition to specific aspects of a certain
certification program.
Like many who are skeptical of
certification, the writer uses both arguments, which tends to confuse the
issue. His admission that he was indifferent to the
certification status of professionals he consulted in his daily life is
surprising to me. Berry wrote:
I was shocked to realize that I know
absolutely nothing about the level or currency of the certification of my
accountant, lawyer, doctor, cardiac specialist, plumber, auto mechanic, or any
other professional whose services I use. My perception of them is unaltered by
their certification or lack of it and that includes my librarian. If my
librarian were certified, I probably would never know. So much for improved
image and status
--------
When choosing a pediatrician not too long ago my wife and
I were certainly looking for someone board-certified. My taxes get done
by a CPA. Look at the list of occupations that Berry cites, all of which are
more recognizable than Archivist or Records Manager, and probably more widely
understood than Librarian. The author seems to be suggesting that all
these occupations have certifications and that he is unsure if the
practitioners he chooses were/are certified.
My personal experience has been that
among other benefits - certification, because it is used in so many
occupations and is so widely (almost universally) understood as a concept,
moves an otherwise poorly known and understood professional like an Archivist
closer to the mainstream.
I wonder how the author feels about
the cost vs effectiveness of the ALA accreditation of MLS programs?
Tom Heard, CA
AIG Archives-Executive Records
American International Group, Inc.
Suite 4301
70 Pine
Street
New York, NY 10270
Phone: 212-770-7258
Fax: 212-770-8060
-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer [SMTP:c_crawfo@CULINARY.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 1:07 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: certification
As a followup to the recent discussion of the
merits of certification
for archivists,
list members might be interested in the editorial from
the Feb. 15, 2001 issue of Library Journal, available on
the Internet
at:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/articles/views/editorial/editorialindex.asp
The American Library Association has a proposal
to start a program
for certifying
librarians. To give you a short summary of the
editorial, John N. Berry is skeptical about certification for
librarians.
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
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