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Re: Archival Certification Comments to ACA President



On Wed, 2 Jan 2002 12:40:02 EST, UFTARCH1@AOL.COM wrote:

>1/2/01
>
>Charles,
>
>       Thank you for your comments to me on Dec. 20.  I appreciated your
>lengthy response and your personal reasons for becoming certified.  I do
>accept that you and others believe that the exam is not only useful but
>necessary for our profession.  But believing that it is useful and being
able
>to show that it is are two separate things.

Well I searched the archives for Charles Schulz's reply of Dec. 20th when it
dawned on me that you are referring to a private email that he must have
sent to you. this is similar to an earlier message that you sent to someone
else associated with ACA.

I would imagine that if a message is sent privately to an individual then
the reply to that individual should also be private.


>        I just don't understand why legitimate questioning of ACA and the
>exam is seen as "attacking" the ACADEMY and attacking certified archivists.
>I resent the implication that I am less concerned about my profession
because
>I still question the need for a certification exam.  I have received much
>support for my comments off-line by many who just don't want to go on the
>record, but who also have legitimate concerns about the real need for the
>exam/process.   Charles, I just don't think the MLS degree acceptance
example
>is equivalent to the CA exam debate.

The problem lies in the fact that the individuals who continually
'question', 'attack' or 'whatever they are want to do' are the ones who do
not want to become certified. I have no problem with someone who does not
want to become certified in their chosen profession, but this same
discussion has gone on also within the records management community as it
concerns the CRM designation. These same individuals are want to say "but I
have x years of experience, x degrees so why should I become certified?" No
one (as far as I know) is saying that you must become certified. Is the
designation that much of a threat to you and others that we must continually
suffer this semi-annual discussion?

You have expressed well your belief that you see no need for certification.
Fine so be it. But I would prefer to work from within an organization to
change it for the better. I should know as I am about undergo the once every
half-decade 'petition for recertification' process. I think (and know) that
the process can be better (a whole lot better). The only way I can change it
is by working from within.



> You have
to
>realize that CA  will never be accepted by either archivists or employers
>unless it provides real  benefits to the archival community--personal
>satisfaction is not a realistic benefit related to the expense and
>preparation time required for the exam.

Obviously the CA designation has been accepted by archivists since there
are (according to you  over 700 members). As to employers accepting the
designation or requiring it, I have seen several job postings that
specified the designation as desirable. (and I'm sure that you and others
can point out many that don't, but that is not the point)

IN your opinion what do you think the would be some real benefits that the
ACA could offer to employees and employers?



>         My specific questions to Lee Stout about doing an ACA membership
>study to determine demographics/composition (who is taking the exam and
why?)
>as well as to examine recidivism (why do people let their membership
lapse?)
>are solid questions which have not been addressed as far as I know.   I'm
>sure that you realize that dismissing questions related to whether there
are
>any benefits to be gained from the CA designation will not make the
questions
>go away.


First I'm not sure who Lee Stout is. If you are referring to the president
of the ACA than that individual is Lee Miller of Tulane. I think such
studies are a wonderful idea, but the information would remain IMHO within
the boundaries of the ACA and would not be for  general consumption. The
information would be used to improve not tear down.


>         As many others have already mentioned, even with appropriate
>academic and advanced archival training, often archivists are ill-equipped
to
>deal with all of the vast and varied archival decisions that are necessary
in
>the real world. (Multi-media decisions, reformatting collections, records
>migration and electronic records decisions come readily to mind.) To
believe
>that an short exam can measure any kind of archival competence just seems
to
>be quite foolhardy to me.

Not to mention strategic planning, records management, budgeting,
managerial/supervisory skills and a whole host of other items that one must
have in this modern day world.


>       Anyway, thanks again for your response, Charles. My main point,
still,
>is that without real, substantial professional benefits to archivists, why
>become certified?

And I shall ask again so that it won't be overlooked. In your opinion what
do you think are some of the "real substantial professional benefits" that
professional certification should provide to archivists?

Finally please in the future do not present only one side of what is
obviously a private discussion. Thank you.


Peter A. Kurilecz CRM, CA
pakurilecz@aol.com

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