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Re: Article in Chronicle of Higher Ed



All due respect to Jeff O in sunny, warm Saskatoon (and I may privately
agree with his assesment), but I've actually taken some of my copious free
time to write to the Chronicle of Higher Dead (Truckin'...).  Here it is
below, and perhaps I managed to get a few points of value across. Perhaps
not.  I don't suppose it really matters, but I felt a need for a little
windmill tilting.

DS

To the editors:
I would like to respond to the First Person article, "Losing Status: A
Former Faculty Member Takes a Staff Job" in your issue of January 29, 2002.
I have sympathy for "Ms. Young's" plight, having suffered similarly with
disinterested bosses and management over the last decade or so I have been
an archivist.  There are few things more frustrating than belonging to a
workforce and yet not being part of a team.
I must point out, however, that Ms. Young's article suggests A) that the
archival profession is boring as a rule (e.g. her comparison, no matter how
positive, of archival cataloging to widget tightening) and B) that archival
staff are, as a rule, treated as nonentitites by other professionals at her
institution.
I have had experiences in numerous archives, and I don't think your readers
should be left with the impression that the archives world is a stodgy
backwater best left as a second choice for those who can't (for whatever
reason) make their way down their preferred path.  Many of us, myself
included, have deliberately chosen the archival profession as our path,
choosing to leave academia proper for an "alternative lifestyle" while
remaining in close contact with the academic world.
No, the job is not always fascinating, but no job always is.  The exciting
parts, like the exhibits Ms. Young created, do not make up the bulk of
archival work, no more than a major conference represents the bulk of
academic work.  Archives staff are sometimes treated as flunkies or second
class citizens, but that is a result of the individual culture and the
people within it.  I spend much of my time explaining what I do, and plenty
of it fighting for recognition from people who don't understand why I'm
here, but that is simply one of the occupational hazards of this particular
career.
One last point in defense of archives - we are not always, as the stereotype
goes (and as Ms. Young, unfortunately, perpetuated in her article) "dusty".
Any archivist will tell you that dust is not welcome in an archives, and we
do our best to maintain the environment of our collections, given the
limited resources often at our disposal.

I can only suggest to Ms. Young that what she needs most is a new job.  I
understand the difficulties of the job market, and her preference (I assume)
for a position in her chosen field, but there is no reason for her to be
suffering in this position.  I imagine there are many other archives out
there that would appreciate someone with initiative and creativity.  A
different boss, a different position, and perhaps archives jobs will not be
seen as a "career alternative."

Sincerely,
Daniel Sokolow



______________________________________
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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