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CA issue
Stan and fellow list folk,
I certainly hope the CA is not an absolute job requirement for those who
try to re-enter the field. I completed my MA in history a few years back
(complete with archives and preservation coursework and an internship and
all that good stuff), but instead of going to work as an archivist right
away I went back to school and earned an MALS (same as an MLS, but an MA in
library science). I do some archival work in my role as a reference
librarian and try to keep up with the latest, but I am primarily a
reference librarian at a mid-sized university. One of these days I do hope
to work as an archivist in an archives, museum, or something like that.
So I do feel out of the loop in terms of practical experience. I
investigated certification years ago, but when I was in "archives school"
(easiest way to describe it) there didn't seem to be much interest in it
from students or instructors. Now, I do not know much about the exam, but,
really, if I take it and pass by one question, does that make me a better
archivist than if I fail by one question? What if I'm a poor test-taker?
What if I test well but crack under pressure in the real world? What if I
have no interpersonal skills? What if I'm an expert on the subject of the
archives I apply to for a job but have no CA?
I just wonder if my ability to be a good archivist (and I am) can be
quantified, and if this quantification must stand alone.
So, I'm hoping that work experience, continuing education, and the
preservation activities I work on on my own still count for something. For
now I'm not interested in certification since many of the job descriptions
I see mention CA certification as "desirable" but few seem to require it.
Actually, most of the jobs at universities and institutions (non-corporate)
don't seem to mention it at all (but I'm not going to get into that part of
the issue!). Even though I prefer to see archival jobs filled by trained,
experienced archivists with history or library degrees, I think past work
experience should be the top requirement, regardless of one's letters and
degrees.
Just my thoughs.
Eileen Simon
************************************************************************
Eileen Simon
Reference Librarian
Eden-Webster Library
475 E. Lockwood
St. Louis, MO 63119
(314) 961-2660 X7819
simon@library2.webster.edu
"The illusion that times that were are better than those that are, has
probably pervaded all ages."
-- Horace Greeley
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