[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Certification



At the risk of opening old wounds, could I learn from this list what the arguments/opposition are against certification and the Academy of Certified Archivists? Maybe this list has hashed out the certification issue, but I'm fairly new to this list so bear with me.
 
I was just finishing graduate school when certification came into existence. I heard grumblings from the professionals around me then about what hoops these were to jump through. However, in the intervening years, I've never heard an argument against certification that will also address the need for a professional standard. In other words, ANYONE can call themselves an archivist. And our salaries and status in organizational charts usually reflect that.
 
Maybe a multiple choice test isn't the best measure of professional expertise, but it's way better than - nothing. I notice many job descriptions now asking for certification, especially among the private sector. In fact, I wonder if the majority seeking certification aren't from the private sector, that there is some dis-incentive for public sector archivists to pursue certification.
 
I'm a private sector archivist who was recently certified. I considered it a professional development activity, which is important in an academic setting. This is all meant to solicit other viewpoints from the profession. Please reply to the list.
 
 
Suzanne K. Durham, C.A.
Special Collections Librarian & University Archivist
L. Douglas Wilder Library
Virginia Union University
1500 N. Lombardy St.
Richmond VA 23220
 
Ph. 804/278-4124
Fx. 804/257-5818