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Re: Why do we stay with it?



Ellee:
        What a penetrating question. Why do I stay? After my 31 years in the
profession - with the same institution -  it may be good for me to stop and
give thought to this subject. There are several reasons that I stay on the
job: 1) I work in a state archives with a large genealogical and local
history collection. I really enjoy helping our patrons - and there are lots
of them - find information on their long lost ancestors and understand how
that ancestor fits into the large historical scheme of things.  Why did they
fight for the South or the North in the Civil War, why did they move
westward in the 1850s, etc. 2) I enjoy shearing my knowledge of local and
state history with local historical and genealogical societies in public
speaking, lectures, workshops, etc.,  3) and I enjoy the prospect that the
historical material I locate, collect, copy, and process will be around for
- I hope - years to come for the benefit of future generations of
researchers of all kinds. I particularly enjoy interdicting the concept of
preserving one's archives, other records, and history itself to churches,
business, schools, local governments, families, civic groups, etc. 30 plus
years ago "history" of any kind was something of interest only to a small
group of intellectuals; now everyone from school students to grandmothers
are interested in some aspect of the past. What an improvement. If I can
help other preserve the past, and appreciate the past, perhaps all of us can
learn from our past mistakes.

Russell P. Baker, CA
Arkansas History Commission and State Archives
One Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201
501-682-6900
russell.baker@mail.state.ar.us <mailto:russell.baker@mail.state.ar.us>


-----Original Message-----
From: Ellee Louise Figi [mailto:ellee@WAM.UMD.EDU]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 3:11 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Why do we stay with it?


Hello again!

While I have only been a member of this list a (relatively) short time, I
have seen many posts - some that show archivists thrilled with their work
and happy to talk about it (i.e. presentations on the profession to
elementary school children) and other messages that grumble about bosses,
"RWA's", etc..

I am doing a presentation for one of my classes about why archivists stay
in the profession in spite of the grumblings - what keeps us motivated.  I
am interested in what motivates *you* to stick with your profession and
whether or not the place that you are working makes a difference in this
decision.  You can reply to me offlist & if anyone is interested, I will
compile the results & post them onlist.

Thanks in advance for helping me liven up my ol' Powerpoint presentation
(don't you love those?!).  :)

Sincerely,
Ellee Figi
Graduate Student
University of Maryland

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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
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Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>