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Hello Molly, et al.

First of all I am of the school that does not see the need for an MLS to be an Archivist. Although related, they are two separate fields with different approaches to the task at hand.

When I see "MLS required" in a job announcement I figure that the archivist's position reports to a Librarian and they are more comfortable with "one of their own". I would prefer a Masters in History, hopefully specializing in the area of the hiring institution's holdings.

While there are basic standard practices in Archival arrangement and description, I think that a lot of what I do involves plain common sense; setting up a collection for ease of access for the researcher. What I see as logical perhaps stems from my background as an electrical engineer and computer programmer and I'm perplexed as to why an English major or other creative type can't lay something out in an organized way.

In my career change, I got a graduate certificate in Museum Studies with a minor in Archival Studies. This came out of my love for art and history. My interest was picqued by the archival part and I did my internships at historical societies. After I got my certificate, I continued "working" (pro bono) at historical societies and historic house museums, to beef up my resume. The archival approach to a collection, with the definition of series, etc. based upon the materials at hand, rather than strictly being locked in by some SAA standard, allowed me to get a wide variety of experience in arranging and describing.

Another route I would recommend would be to get into local professional organizations. In the New York area, the Archivists Roundtable and the multi-state Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) are excellent groups, both for the educational seminars and workshops offered and the networking (read job opportunities) that  goes on. I have found both groups to be filled with very friendly, supportive people; everyone helping everyone else with no exclusive cliques. I can't speak for the SAA since I'm not a member.

Well, so much for my opinion based upon my experiences. Good luck in your future path and welcome to our profession !

Gunnar M. Berg