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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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