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Re: Certification Discussion



I am not a professional archivist and do not plan to ever be. I am a
librarian who does some archival work. When I decided to go to library
school, I went to librarians who had been practicing for many years and
asked for their advice. They all told me to go to an ALA accredited library
school, because the training is designed to be applicable to virtually any
kind of library. I know that some non-accredited schools are geared more
towards educating teachers to be librarians. My question is why can't the
archival schools be accredited like the ALA accredits library schools? It
seems like it would save a lot of time.

Barbara M. Pope, M.L.S.
Reference Librarian
O.J. Cloughly Alumni Library
St. Louis College of Pharmacy
4588 Parkview Place
St. Louis, MO 63110
Voice: +1 314-367-8700, ext. 1001
Fax:    +1 314-367-2784
Email:  bpope@mail.stlcop.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Sokolow [mailto:DSokolow@NSHS.EDU]
Sent: 24 October, 2001 8:23 AM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Re: Certification Discussion


I'd like to jump back in here for a moment.

Chris Flynn brought up the point that we all graduated from high school
despite it's being a waste of time (it sure was in my case, anyway), and
that even if we don't care for the process, the CA is needed to bring
respect to our profession; I'm paraphrasing of course, so apologies if I
misinterpreted.  My question to that is what, exactly, it is we'd be after
by bringing this level of "Professionalism", if that's what the
certification represents, to our field?  I have friends who are CPAs, on the
actuarial track, or CFAs (certified financial analysts, I believe).

Their take on the whole thing is that it's needless hoop jumping,
particularly in the case of the actuarial exams - they change the format
every two years (they once had 8 tests, then it was 2, now its six, then
it's 47, whatever), and the purpose appears to be to keep the same few
people as certified actuaries & keep everyone else out.  My point is, just
because other professions are certified is no real reason for us to be; it's
simply become expected that you will do this to get a job, not because it
truly means you've mastered your craft (I'm certain there are CPAs out there
who are bad at what they do).  If, on the other hand, there is value for us
as a profession and there is a real benefit for us as a group (and I think
Lee Miller made some strong arguments for that), then perhaps we should have
the CA; I don't personally care what the outside world thinks - we're still
more interesting than accountants.

Peter K. brought up the issue of delivering testimony, and I have to say
I've never heard of any need for an archivist to give testimony - perhaps
things are different for RM than for archivists.  I'm not sure that's enough
of a reason for me to validate certification as a profession-wide mandate.
And, respectfully, Peter, let me say that I for one don't put down the CA,
and I don't care if other people choose to become CAs; I do think, however,
it's valid for those of us without it to question the need for it (as
opposed to questioning its intrinsic value)

DS
______________________________________
Daniel Sokolow, Archives Coordinator
David Taylor Archives
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
155 Community Drive
Great Neck, NY 11021
mailto:dsokolow@nshs.edu

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