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 |