Yes, the certification issue in some manifestation
rears its head yet
again. The periodic
outpouring of passion on this list illustrates the
somewhat devisive
nature of the issue.
I am curious for those of you CRMs out there - was
CRM as devisive as
CA seems to be? Peter K indicates it took time for
CRM to be recognized
by employers. How long was that? CA has been around
for over ten years
now and appears to me to be required or preferred
in only a handful of
archival jobs.
I suggest that if the CAs are better able to
make their case to their colleagues
it would become more supported within the
profession and thereby recognized
by employers much more quickly.
Personally, I remain unconvinced of its utility and
I find the implied tactic of
educating employers of its value something of an
end run around garnering
greater support within the profession. There are many of us who love
this
profession and have chosen to make
careers of it and who are still dubious
about certification. We are your sisters and
brothers in the trenches,
convince us and the way will be much
easier.
I don't recall attending sessions at professional
conferences where the merits
of certification have been debated. Even if they
have in the past, perhaps it is
time to reinvigorate
the debate on a higher level than the list - at conferences
and in print.
Than again perhaps not . . . (ho, ho,
ho)
Craig Wright
Manuscript Acquisitions Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. West St. Paul, MN 55102-1906 651.296.7989 craig.wright@mnhs.org Inter arma silent leges. |