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Quotes about Archival Education



Good morning to all,

Sometime ago, I had posted the question about archival education and I would
like to share with everyone some of the important information I received.
By the way, I have decided that the dual Masters program in Library Science
and History with a Specialization in Archival Collections was the best
approach.  Here is what I found,

"The answer to the question about which would be more valuable rests on
your answer to the question: What kind of archivist do you want to become?
Based on my 22 years, I feel that the MA/MLS is the necessary combo for
academic and historical collections archivists.  (That's what I have.)  I
think that you need the combination of  historical training, archival
training and library science instruction to be able to do the job
effectively.  But then, I've always worked with academic-related collections

that require  historical research abilities.  Since you currently work in a
university setting, (and would probably stay with that?) I would definitely
recommend that you get the MA in history, not just a minor.  As you probably

know, many library and history departments are providing joint MA/MLS
degrees which I think is the way to go."

"Your questions are very typical, capturing the dilemma of someone
considering entering a field in which there is no dedicated masters degree.
Most archivists in the field wind up with a subject masters and an MLIS with
focused curriculum on archival studies.  The best entry to the field would
be to find a program with a focus on archives and records management -- my
suggestsions: Michigan, Maryland, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Western Washington,
Texas (and Western Washington is the only one located in a history
department)."

"I've sort of backed into my archival position by having done an internship
in the university archives and working in military museums as well as having
a Masters in History and having worked as a military historian."

"I think that there are several routes to becoming an archivist, but the
choice primarily depends on your own preferences and on the sector in which
you would like a job.  The MLS is much preferred in library settings
(especially universities) while businesses often prefer an MA in History to
the MLS.  In either case most employers today look for someone who has taken
at least an introductory archives course and an internship in an archives.
The more related courses the better.  The IS specialty would certainly marry
well with the MLS since so many employers are looking for computer skills
and the entire area of electronic records should be an increasingly fruitful
employment opportunity."

"I think both an information background and a history background are
extremely helpful.  You might want to keep in mind, however, that history
classes are readily available at most colleges and universities while MLS
offerings are not.  In other words, it's easier to pick up the history later
on than the MLS classes, unless you happen to be living in a community where
they are offered."

"My own thought is that you would be better served with a History MA
combined with your MLS.  This would be a fine combination in most academic
libaries.  As you probably know, many universty archives are a unit of the
university library, so an MLS is highly desirable, if not outright
mandatory.  For tenure purposes, many academic libraries view a second
masters in a discipline other than Library Science as very desirable."

"My personal opinion is that having a history major won't hurt your chances
but at the same time you must consider what kind of employer you will seek
whether it be at a Museum, historical society, corporation, etc.  While some
positions focus on specific majors I find that both history and IS have an
equal chance in selection processes in many cases."

"Sort of depends on what kind of archivist you want to be.  If you want to
go the traditional route and do reference or process collections and
organize the physical stuff (really getting into the content of the
material) than the History degree might be better. If you want to follow
some of the newer directions in archives (EAD, Digitization etc...)
technology skills would be very helpful.  Some sort of combination would be
ideal.  All archivists have to have some sense of history.  They all must
know the basics of Archival Management.  Increasingly, they need to know
about technology (This is where things are going)."

I hope this helps,

C. Harrison S. Wick
Preservation Department
Indiana University
Bloomington.

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